[BlindMath] I need some ideas and encouragement for doing braillecalculus

Fri Sep 20 00:36:36 UTC 2019

Hi. You have really inspired me, and now that you mention it, I am much calmer when I’m doing math mentally. The problem is, it is hard for me to keep track of problems where I do three or 4 chain  rules and one or two product rules, and then I have to put it all together. I also get very lost with implicit   differentiation. These often have fractions with different denominators and ugly numerators. I would love to have a little bit of tutoring on the weekends. I really think this will make my brain better overall if I can do more and more in my head.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 19, 2019, at 7:25 PM, David Moore via BlindMath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hey guys!
> I majored in mathematics at the Ohio State University!
> I loved calculus, because the disability office did such a great job a converting all graphs into tactile form.
> Also, I had an Optacon.
> The Optacon allowed one to run a small camera over the page, and I could feel exactly what a sighted person could see as a vibration on my finger tip of my left hand.
> I traced graphs, and learned what all of the symbols look like in print!
> I used tapes from the Recording for the Blind, which is now Learning Ally!
> I would hear the function on tape, and I would take the derivative or the Integral in my head, and I would check the answer that was read to me on the tapes from the back of the book!
> Also, I spent time with many sighted engineering majors, and they took my hand and traced all kinds of graphs with my hand.
> They explained how a simple graph can be moved around, stretched, and made fat or skinny to make the graphs of much more complicated functions!
> The derivative 
> Is slope, and the second derivative tells you where the graph changes from curving upward, to downward, the inflection points on the graph!
> I did so many of my calculations in my head, and never in Braille!
> Braille just slowed me down.
> I wrote my math for my professors by writing a symbol in words!
> For example,
> The derivative of (X^2 + 1)^2
> Requires the chain rule giving!
> And then I just kept writing each step out like that!
> They understood what I was writing.
> For example,
> Integral of E^(x^2) does not have an anti-derivative!
> Take care, guys, and I will help you and tutor you for free over concepts that are giving you problems!
> Have a great day!
> David Moore
>                                                                 Sent from Mail for Windows 10
> 
> From: Nicolas Spohn via BlindMath
> Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2019 8:01 PM
> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
> Cc: Nicolas Spohn
> Subject: Re: [BlindMath] I need some ideas and encouragement for doing braillecalculus
> 
> Hi Emily, 
> I think it is interesting that I got your message today because today I have been thinking a lot about how frustrating calculus is. I am a high school senior taking advanced placement calculus. My blindness occurred a few years ago so I am not up to par with braille. I have been using math player to read my equations. One of my biggest struggles is interpreting tactile graphs. Another one of my struggles is making sure I am typing my work on Microsoft word in a way that my teacher understands it. Keep putting forth the effort with calculus! I always say to give something a try and figure out whether or not it’s possible or whether or not it’s something worth trying. Keep at it! I’ll try to keep at it too! 
> 
> Nick 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Sep 19, 2019, at 7:05 PM, Emily Schlenker via BlindMath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Thank you so much. I am very lucky in that we have an office at my university where I get all of my tactile diagrams done for all of my classes. They also do my braille, and if I need a graph at the last minute, they will make it. Awesome idea about the calculator.
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Sep 19, 2019, at 5:36 PM, Doug and Molly Miron via BlindMath <blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Dear Emily,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> When I learned calculus I was a low vision person, not totally blind.  I did not use braille.  Now that I am totally blind I can understand the desire to work in braille, but there is a problem in that so much of calculus instruction is based on graphs, which are poorly supported in the tactile display world.  One thing you have described is a shortage of braille display space for your equations.  There are several braille displays available that will handle many lines of braille that might ease your problem.  The TI84 graphical calculator abailble from APHB might help also. Good luck.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> 
>>> Doug Miron
>>> 
>>>> On 9/19/2019 2:52 PM, Emily Schlenker via BlindMath wrote:
>>>> Hi, everyone. I am in first semester calculus, and I am really struggling. I
>>>> understand the processes,  but I am having trouble staying organized while
>>>> working problems in braille. I use a braille notetaker with 32 cells, and I
>>>> am having trouble with things like the chain rule that require lines and
>>>> lines of equations. The actual line on my braille sense is not long enough
>>>> to accommodate some of my equations, and I get flustered and lost scrolling
>>>> between so many lines. Ho do those of you who are braille users stay
>>>> organized? Do you have any strategies for keeping parts of the same problem
>>>> organized? I am not opposed to breaking out the Perkins Brailler with wide
>>>> paper, but I am also wondering if there is anything else I can do to be
>>>> successful. I have a great instructor who always goes step by step and
>>>> doesn't mind repeating things, but I always get lost about half way through
>>>> big problems.
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks for any help you can give me.
>>>> 
>>>> Emily
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> ---
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>>> 
>>> 
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