[nabs-l] math technology

Wed Apr 7 18:33:20 UTC 2010

Hi, Pat,
  I took calculus in high school and went on to pursue statistics as
one of my majors in college, which involved a few more advanced math
courses. Like mary I was fairly low-tech; I completed all my
coursework using my Braille Note and A Perkins brailler (for more
complex calculations) with the help of a talking scientific
calculator. As I was fortunate to have all my math books in braille, I
was able to feel the graphics and reproduce them tactilely. I did
purchase a copy of the AGC through my state rehab agency when I
started college, although I had to teach myself as no assistive
technology trainer in my area was familiar with the software. It was
relatively intuitive and I found it useful for certain things
(locating zeros of a higher-order polynomial function, etc.), but as a
tactile learner I did not find the audio graphing output very
informative. A Tiger embosser would make the software a lot more
useful, I believe, but it is very expensive and out of the price range
of most schools and agencies.
I have never used MathTrax, but since it is free I would suggest for
your daughter to download and play with it to see whether it is
helpful and whether it is worthwhile to invest in a copy of the AGC. I
think the best solution will probably depend a lot on her personal
learning style and preferences. Best of luck to both of you, and feel
free to have her contact me directly if she has any questions about
handling advanced math classes!
   Katie

On 4/7/10, Jewel S. <herekittykat2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> I don't have any answers about the graphic calculator, other than that
> I found a graphic calculator essential in Algebra 2. I was sighted at
> the time, so I don't know about accessible graphic calculators, but
> it'll be very important in Algebra 2 and Calculus. The fact that she's
> gotten along without high tech in math is great, and you should be
> proud of her for it. I remember using a graphic calculator in Algebra
> 1 and Geometry and wondering where I'd be without it (of course, that
> was partly because of the Frogger and Pac-Man games that kept me busy
> while everyone was still working without getting me in trouble for
> taking out a book or other game...).
>
> Definitely look into a graphic calculator, though. The one you
> mentioned that makes graphics with a Tiger Embosser sounds like a
> great thing; sometimes it doesn't matter how much you hear something,
> you really need to *see* it, whether with eyes or fingers. I know that
> personally, because I am a very visual/tactile learner. Of course for
> me now, visual learning means tactilely loking at things, graphics,
> and books, but it's still "visual" to me. I see with my fingers, not
> my eyes.
>
> Anyway, may I suggest asking further on the NFB Science list as well?
> If you want, I can forward your question to them. They would likely
> have some good idea of the use of graphic calculators, as they are
> essential tools in advanced science.
>
> ~Jewel
>
> On 4/7/10, Mary Fernandez <trillian551 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hello Pat.
>> In high school I got as far as calculus in my junior year. I was very
>> low tech. I had a braille note, which does all relevant calculations,
>> and I used wicki sticks and braille graph paper for graphing. I had my
>> book in braille, so I knew what the graphs should look like, and so
>> reproducing them never presented a problem. I think that it is
>> definitely a personal choice. I would suggest downloading math tracks
>> and having your daughter play around with it to see if it is actually
>> helpful or not. I'm a very tactile learner, so while hearing the curve
>> was interesting, for me, it was better to take out my little wicki
>> sticks and feeling it on paper. So, just take the resources you have,
>> and her learning style and see what works best. Finally, I hope that
>> we hear from her directly next time so that we know what her personal
>> perspectives and preferences are.
>> Sincerely,
>> Mary F.
>>
>> On 4/6/10, Pat Renfranz <prenfranz at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi everyone,
>>> I am writing to this list as a mom. I know my kid should be doing the
>>> writing, but it's not happening, so here goes:
>>>
>>> My daughter will be taking Algebra II next year in 9th grade, then
>>> she'll move into Pre-calculus for 10th. She's gotten by just fine with
>>> relatively low-tech math tools. We are wondering if it would be useful
>>> for her to start using an accessible graphing calculator. Does anyone
>>> have any practical advice on using one of these programs? I am looking
>>> into the Audio Graphing Calculator from ViewPlus and Math Trax from
>>> NASA. They both produce an audio signal representing the shape of the
>>> function, while the AGC has the advantage of being able to produce
>>> tactile graphs on a Tiger embosser. Maybe there are other products
>>> available?
>>>
>>> I’m concerned about training on the software. Did someone teach you to
>>> use the software or did you have to teach yourself? I saw that the
>>> Carroll Center has a tutorial on the AGC; has anyone tried it?
>>>
>>> Or did you do ok in advance math without all the bells and whistles?
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance for any help,
>>> Pat
>>>
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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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