[nabs-l] graphing and graphing calculators

[Brandon Keith Biggs]

Hello To my knowledge the graphing calculator we are all talking of is the 
only one of its kind.
I did not use a graphing calculator for Algebra 2. I did all the super long 
equations on my scientific calculator and if something totally couldn't get 
done with the longhand form, I asked my aid to use their calculator to cheat 
and tell me the answer (even though that is what the other students were 
doing). It is just because students get scared of really long formulae they 
stopped doing long hand. It can be done, it just takes a lot of space!

That is ridiculous about not having an aid on the state test. Both my 
sighted brother and I got 100% on the state test here in CA and I used an 
aid and he didn't. Then he did super well on the SAT where I got pretty low 
on the SAT. Again, I had an aid he didn't, so it really doesn't change your 
grade any way... An aid/reader is totally within an IEP plan and I'm pretty 
sure the 504 law also deals with high school students and an aid/reader is 
totally a reasonable accommodation. Just tell them that they need to remove 
all print from the campus and put it on the computer or place braille on 
every letter and have little vibrating things where ever there is text so 
you can hear it as you walk by. That way there will be nothing that isn't 
accessible except for maybe the computer, but that is another request.
That is an unreasonable request in the country's eyes. A reader is nothing.
Thanks,

Brandon Keith Biggs
-----Original Message----- 
From: Ashley Bramlett
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2012 9:08 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: [nabs-l] graphing and graphing calculators

Hi all,

It recently came to my attention that my friend’s vision teacher discouraged 
algebra 2 honors based on its pace and visual emphasis; more graphs are 
involved. She told me she  took algebra 1 honors and did fine and felt the 
next part would be okay but wasn’t sure how to do the graphing part other 
than by hand. She said there is no accessible graphing calculator. I only 
know of the computer audible graphing calculator for blind students which 
obviously displays the graph in an audible sound.

I did not have to use these fancy graphing calculators in algebra 2 much but 
apparently the curriculum changed to involve more graphic equations since I 
took it in this same county. When I needed to use it, I had a reader who was 
my vision teacher type in the info in the calculator and then draw the graph 
once it came up. I have some vision so could see  it on large graphing paper 
with a bold pen.
Most equations I just solved algebraically, as opposed to graphing them.


So, what have you done? What do you do when other students use scientific 
graphing calculators? How do you access the same info? What options are out 
there for scientific talking calculators? This student has no vision. I 
thought she could just use a reader and they could show her the graph but 
they do not think it’s a good idea. Also, she was told she could not use a 
reader on the state standardized test. I was shocked as this seems like a 
reasonable accomodation, if she cannot operate the calculator herself.
She is in public school as well, and its sad that the teacher of the vision 
impaired isn’t coming up with a solution.

So curious to know how you handle it. One idea I had was to use the computer 
such as excel to draw some of the graphs, but this couldn’t be used on state 
tests, as its my understanding no technology can be used there.

Thanks.
Ashley
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