[Nfb-science] re AP. Physics Logistics Question

[KEC@VISI.COM]

Chelsea,
    I think that you are right on target with your thinking.  I am a sighted 
person, parent of a blind person, and a science teacher.  More and more are 
things becoming "visual" in their presentation in both distance learning 
situations and in the classroom.  I don't believe appropriate accommodations 
are being made.  I think it should be a requirement that the person 
describing the information to you should be someone who is knowledgeable 
about the subject.  If material can be presented to you in a verbal rather 
than visual way, you should be able to respond back.
    I agree that you should be able to tell facts about graphs, know the 
coordinates, and the general shape of the graph.  Accurate descriptions of 
the graphs is essential - not the drawing of one.
    Where I think that the group of us needs to make some changes is at the 
AP testing level.  We need to help set parameters that help every visually 
impaired student that comes along - currently tactile pictures are not 
extremely informative to someone who is feeling rather than seeing them and 
interactive computer generated images are impossible.
    Is anyone out there aware of a group working on these issues?
Pat Duggan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chelsea Cook" <astrochem119 at gmail.com>
To: <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 8:36 PM
Subject: [Nfb-science] re AP. Physics Logistics Question


> Michael,
>  Thank you very much.  I think the most visual concepts are gained through 
> the virtual labs.  Since they're a large part of the grade, I'm 
> brainstorming ways to adjust.  For exams, the problem is that here in the 
> US.  everything is standardized.  So if the College Board people see a 
> description or a computer-generated graph, they might start thinking 
> things (whether inadvertently or otherwise).  That's the theory, anyway. 
> Also, my school system wants me to be as independent as possible (which I 
> understand, but maybe this is because they can't find anyone), and so will 
> just match me up with one of their regular aides who are OK in description 
> but don't know much about physics or computers.  So sometimes they don't 
> know how to describe the situation to me, and I spend half my time trying 
> to communicate.  My system says it's a good learning experience, and I get 
> that, but is there a point of no return or something? Also, what do you 
> think on this issue with exams? I, personally, feel a little uncomfortable 
> working with someone for this high-stakes a test who might not know what 
> they're doing in physics.  Thoughts? Am I being too strict with what I 
> want?
> Chelsea
> "I ask you to look both ways.  For the road to a knowledge of the stars 
> leads through the atom; and important knowledge of the atom has been 
> reached through the stars."
> Sir Arthur Eddington, British astrophysicist (1882-1944), Stars and Atoms 
> (1928), Lecture 1
>
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