[Nfb-science] re AP. Physics Logistics Question

[John Miller]

Chelsea,
Please consider making fliers to post at a local community college, your church, or your local high school.
What you seek is volunteer hours from a sighted assistant to go over physics assignments.
Being that you are in the middle of a physics course with components that are not accessable to the blind, I recommend you reach out to see
If sighted volunteers can help close the gap.  For a fellow high school student, are there community service requirements at your high school that could be met by this assistence?
Getting used to working with volunteer and paid assistants is a key part to succeeding as a blind scientist.
Best of luch and let us know how things go!
As to performing well on an A.P. Physics exam, take prior A.P. Physics exams if any teacher in your district has some on file.
Old exams prepared me quite well to do well on the current exam. 
Very best,
John
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of KEC at VISI.COM
Sent: Friday, October 09, 2009 12:11 PM
To: NFB Science and Engineering Division List
Subject: Re: [Nfb-science] re AP. Physics Logistics Question

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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