[NFB-Science] Technical gaps that need to be filled for math classes.

[Kendra Schaber]

Hi Tina!
 I’m saying that I see some serious gaps here and that they are too wide for today’s college world. Mind you, I’m trying to bridge some of it with the experts that I did manage to find. However, it’s not the fact that my textbook isn’t the same book as everyone else because as my teacher said, “math is math”. The bigger problem is that the companies who make these textbooks don’t always get the braille translation compleetly right and they also don’t always get the books to school on time. But Yes, I’m struggling because of these barriers dispite my best efforts and support. As for graphics and graphs, I don’t know what’s going on with the so called graphiti. I have heard that it’s been mentioned on the APH’s website for years and has been promissed to us for years without any results. Unfortunently, I don’t know if there are any other efforts out there. Even if there are not, I’d like to know if that grafiti has died like the dinosaurs or is still alive but is stuck in the production or experimentation. Either way, the tactile graphics needs to catch up to the rest of our technology for those of us in STEM fields and in STEM education. As for multimedia, the graphic calculator itself is in audio form and the Polaris Braille Sense prints out the graph that you can make. But there is nothing tactile that you can make that allows you to quickly find the minamum and maximum for example. You have to do that on the calculator because the graphs that you make on the Polaris are for the sited folks like the teachers. Mind you, this is fine because it allows one to send in their graphs. But it still does leave gaps. As for the vidios, yes, they do leave as many gaps as they fill. I think part of them is because they have visual conponents that are not accessible to us. So, they leave out spasific dirrections that a non sited person would need.


Thank you for taking the time to read this Email!
Blessed be!!!
Kendra Schaber
Chemeketa Community College,
350 Org,
Citizen’s Climate Lobby,
National Federation of the Blind of Oregon,
Capitol Chapter,
Salem, Oregon.
Home Email:
Redwing731 at gmail.com
Chemeketa Community College Email:
Kschaber at my.Chemeketa.edu
Phone:
971-599-9991
“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”, Author unknown.
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________________________________
From: NFB-Science <nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org> on behalf of Tina Hansen via NFB-Science <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2019 18:16
To: 'NFB Science and Engineering Division List'
Cc: Tina Hansen
Subject: Re: [NFB-Science] Technical gaps that need to be filled for math classes.

Kendra,

I feel your frustration. Because of this, I'd like to try and sum up what's happening here.

It seems like you're looking for help with the graphing calculator, and the stuff on You Tube leaves more gaps than it fills. Does anyone know where to get fuller training on this calculator?

Graphics and Technology: This seems to be a big issue. Does anyone know what's going on with the Grapheti display device from APH? I think, Kendra, that's what you're talking about.

Finally, it seems you're having a big issue with having to use a different textbook then the other students. Also, your Braille note taker can't handle the graphs, so you're forced to carry around this massive Braille book. Not only that, despite your best efforts, you're struggling. Matters seem to be further complicated by the delay in you getting your textbook on par with everyone else, so you need a live reader to fill in this gap. Yet you're still struggling despite your best efforts.

Given what's happening here, I wonder if it's time for some new technology to try and address these concerns. Is it time for some new math apps? I know there was an app dubbed Virtual Pencil some years back. I used it, and liked the concept. I don't know if it's still out there.

I wonder if it's time to look into multimedia presentation of tactile graphics. I'm interested in how to combine sound with touch. Has anyone looked into this? Is there a way to do this via an app on a smart phone or tablet? I understand there are some people working on these issues, and I want to hear more about this. How can I learn about it? Thanks.


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