[nabs-l] A&P

Sun Apr 4 15:34:35 UTC 2010

Reading the discussion about stats classes made me think of something  
I have been meaning to ask the list for awhile about a different  
class, Anatomy & Physiology. I will be taking A&P next year and it is  
a year-long class and I am really looking forward to it but am also  
worried about the lab portion of it because I have heard it is very  
visual. I am wondering if anyone else on here has taken A&P and if  
they have any strategies or tips to deal with the lab for that class.

I'm a bio major and loving it, just a bit worried about this upcoming  
class next year!

Chrys

Quoting Mary Fernandez <trillian551 at gmail.com>:

> Hello All,
> It is true that once you get deeper into stats most of your
> calculations involve plugging things in and solving. My experience in
> my introductory course however, did put a lot of emphasis on the
> visual display of information. This is especially true when speaking
> about  power and regression. For me, since it was my first exposure to
> stats, because I did not take it in high school, I found it very
> difficult to be able to visualize the graphs, and then duplicate them
> in an exam. That's why I strongly advocate for the braille version.
> But as I said before, I think it's a very personal choice. If you have
> the option to try to get braille books, or simply do it with a reader,
> than think about your past experiences and decide that way. But always
> have a back up plan and be flexible. If, on the other hand, you have
> absolutely no choice in the matter, than as Arielle pointed out, it is
> completely possible to get through stats with no braille text. I'm
> very old fashion and find it difficult to do complex math problems on
> a braille note, since the braille display only shows one line at a
> time. I still use my perkins for math. Smile. But that's just because
> of my style of learning, and it works for me. Find something that
> works for you, and stick with it. Also, if you are going to be using
> SPSS or any other statistical software, I would start contacting the
> tech people now, so they can install jaws and the java bridge. I've
> found spss to be highly accessible when the java bridge is installed
> properly. Most of the output  can pasted  to excel or word and jaws
> will read all pertinent information. But if at all possible, try to
> familiarize yourself with spss before the course begins since it takes
> a little bit of practice to know where to find everything.
>
> Sincerely,
> Mary
>
>
> On 4/3/10, Arielle Silverman <nabs.president at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I've taken four semesters of stats (two undergraduate and two
>> graduate-level). Although I love Braille and use it often, I couldn't
>> get it from my school. When I took Intro stats, I used an E-text copy
>> of the textbook, which I read on my Braille Note. This was helpful
>> except that some symbols and formulas didn't transcribe properly in
>> E-text, so some symbols showed up as spaces instead of the actual
>> symbol. I needed to use a reader to disentangle these.
>>
>> When I took my second stats course, it was my last semester of college
>> and I decided that I was tired of vying with my DSS office for control
>> over my academic life. So, instead of requesting the book from them, I
>> ordered it from RFB&D. The book we used was an 1989 edition, so I
>> received the book on audiocassette (the old analog cassettes). Yes,
>> this was a pain, but it actually worked out much better than I feared.
>> The RFB readers were great and read all the formulas and equations
>> clearly. I would listen to the tape and then immediately write down
>> any relevant formulas on my Braille Note. When I worked homework
>> problems out of the book, I would write down the entire problem on my
>> Braille Note, turn off the tape and work it out. The only thing that
>> was a little tricky was getting access to the tables of critical
>> values in the back of the book. However, I solved this by finding the
>> relevant tables online, which has been a good ongoing solution as I
>> continue to use stats in my graduate career.
>>
>> When I took stats at the graduate level we had a textbook, but it
>> wasn't required and was basically just a repeat of the lectures (our
>> teachers authored the textbook). So I learned the material entirely by
>> lecture and did the homework assignments electronically (these were
>> posted online for all students). Again, it was very helpful to be able
>> to write down what I heard in lecture on my Braille Note to refer back
>> to later.
>>
>> In sum, I would say that Braille texts are nice but not necessary. If
>> you don't have a Braille text, a good Braille notetaker that you can
>> use to take detailed notes on what you hear from class, audio text, or
>> a reader is very helpful. I have been able to refer back to the notes
>> I took in intro stats from five years ago and be able to use them as a
>> refresher when I tutor intro.
>>
>> I personally don't think graphs are very important in mastering
>> statistics. Sighted students love them, and they provide some good
>> conceptual clarification at the beginning, but once you get into it,
>> it's really just about plugging numbers into the appropriate formula
>> and then comparing what you get to a criterion. Once you get past a
>> certain point, much of your calculations will be done on the computer,
>> and you will simply need to know what to put into the calculation and
>> how to interpret the output that the computer program gives you. I
>> certainly wouldn't discourage exploring tactile graphing options if
>> you are someone who prefers to learn that way, but I don't think
>> accessing the graphs is a necessary part of learning the material. If
>> you are confused by a particular concept, setting up a few
>> appointments with your professor, TA, or a tutor is likely to get you
>> far. Remember that teaching assistants, especially for stats, are
>> there specifically to help students in a more one-on-one manner.
>>
>> Feel free to write me privately if you have additional questions, or
>> if you would like to learn more about the solutions I've found for
>> handling stats calculations on the computer.
>>
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 4/3/10, Mary Fernandez <trillian551 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hey Serena,
>>> I happen to be a very hands on learner. I like to read my math books,
>>> especially with stats. Math has been my weakest subject historically
>>> speaking, and when it comes to the graphics and such it is helpful to
>>> be able to see them. However, transcribing them into braille is costly
>>> and it toally depends on your school whether they braille it or not.
>>> Honestly, it comes down to how comfortable you are in math and having
>>> someone just read these things to you. If it's any help, I will not be
>>> needing my stts text and it's in braille. I could send it to you if
>>> you want it. It's called comprehending behavioral statistics by
>>> hurlbert. It is leaning towards stats as applied in the social
>>> science, so I'm not sure how much it will help. For anyone else
>>> reading this post, if you need a stats braille book, let me know. I
>>> will not be throwing it out since it took a lot of fighting for me to
>>> get it.
>>> Hope this helps.
>>> Mary
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Mary Fernandez
>>> Emory University 2012
>>> P.O. Box 123056
>>> Atlanta Ga.
>>> 30322
>>> Phone: 732-857-7004
>>> In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that
>>> greatness is never a given. It must be earned.
>>> President Barack Obama
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Arielle Silverman
>> President, National Association of Blind Students
>> Phone:  602-502-2255
>> Email:
>> nabs.president at gmail.com
>> Website:
>> www.nabslink.org
>>
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>
>
> --
> Mary Fernandez
> Emory University 2012
> P.O. Box 123056
> Atlanta Ga.
> 30322
> Phone: 732-857-7004
> In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that
> greatness is never a given. It must be earned.
> President Barack Obama
>
> _______________________________________________
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>

http://chrysanthymum.blogspot.com