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“A Few of My Favorite Things” for Teaching Mathematics from a Tactual and Auditory Perspective

MATVI Annual Meeting
Michigan Association of Transcribers
for the Visually Impaired

ST. JOHN, MICHIGAN
November 5, 2004

Presented by
Susan A. Osterhaus

Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
1100 West 45th Street
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 206-9305
susanosterhaus@tsbvi.edu
http://www.tsbvi.edu/math/

Download Powerpoint version (3.5 mb)

Suggested Adaptive Tools and Materials

• Math Materials
• Basic Tools and Technology
• Calculators
• Drawing/Construction Tools
• Measuring Tools
• Student-Generated Graphics
• Graphics Made by Others
• Strategies and Resources

Math Materials

• High Quality Braille Textbook
  • Nemeth Code
  • Tactile Graphics
• Teacher-Made Materials
  • Worksheets
  • Quizzes
  • Tests

Nemeth Translation Packages

• Duxbury: DBT WIN 10.3 or MegaMath
• MacKichan: Scientific Notebook

Basic Math Tools

• Braillewriter
• Braille Paper
• Braille Eraser
• Abacus

Basic Math Technology

• Refreshable Braille
  • Braille Notetaker
  • PC with Refreshable
  • Braille Keyboard
• Laptop

APH Tools to Help Increase Basic Math Skills

• Math Drill Cards
• Quick Pick: Math
• Multiplicationand Division Table
• Math Flash
  • Fun self-voicedsoftware program

Talking Tools to Help Increase Basic Math Skills

• Twist & Shout Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, & Division
• Coin Abacus

• APH Tactile Demonstration
  • Thermometer
• HANDS-ON EQUATIONS
  • Learning Systems

Accessible Math Technology for Basic and Higher Level Skills

• addition
• subtraction
• multiplication
• division
• Virtual Pencil (VPAlgebra now in beta version!)

Voice Recognition Software

• MathPad^TMBy Voice^TM
• MathTalk^TM/Scientific Notebook^TM
• MathTalk^TM/Scientific WorkPlace^TM

NASA’s Online Math Description Engine (MDE)

• Graphing Calculator
• Math Trax

Math Player’s Math-to-Speech Technology

• Design Science

Accessible Scientific/Graphing Calculators

• Talking Scientific Calculator
  • ORION TI-34
• Talking Graphing Calculators
  • Accessible Graphing Calculator (AGC)
  • Large Display, Self-Voiced, Print and
  • Tactile Graphics, AudioWave
• GTCalc
  • Large Display, Self-Voiced, Print
  • Graphics, Audiowave

Braille Scientific Calculators

• Braille Lite
  • Talking Scientific Calculator with refreshable braille
  • Graph-It (tactile graphics andaudiowave)
• BrailleNote (BT or QT)
  • Talking Scientific Calculator with refreshable braille
• Leo Braille DisplayScientific Calculator(presently out of stock)

Drawing/Construction Tools

• Drawing Board
• Compass
• Straightedge
• Tracing Wheel
• Braille/Print Protractor
• Stylus and/or Pen
• http://www.APH.org/
• http://www.fiskars.com/
• http://www.perkins.org/

Measuring Tools

• Ruler
• Yardstick and Meter Stick
• Braille/Print Protractor

Student-Generated Quick/Instant Tactile Graphics

• APH Quick-Draw Paper
• APH Picture Maker:Wheatly Tactile Diagramming Kit
• Thermo Pen I & II
• WikkiStix

Student-Generated Graphics on a Number Line

• APH Number Line Device
• Student-Made Number Lines

Student-Generated Graphics on a Coordinate Plane

• Graph Paper
• Graphic Aid for Mathematics

Geometric Manipulatives

• 2-D Manipulatives
• Paper Folding
• 3-D Manipulatives
• Nets

Thoughts on Visual vs Tactual Perception

1. Visual impairment is not an isolated condition; it affects the whole process of information-gathering.
2. Vision enables a person to simultaneously perceive all parts of an object in its totality and in its relationship to other objects.
3. The visually impaired learner has to rely on sequential observations (only part of an object can be seen or felt at a time) and the entire image has to be "built-up" out of the components. Relationships with other objects can be lost entirely.
4. The level of cognition needed for integration of sequential information is higher than that needed for concept formation through immediate visual perception.
5. If you have vision, you can experience this way of processing information by looking at a drawing through a very small hole in a piece of card held over the drawing; I think that you will find that it's hard for you to "get the picture.”

Preparing Tactile Math Graphics

• Checklist To Determine If a Graphic Should Be Brailled
• Checklist For Making Decisions About A Tactile Graphic
• Basic Principles For Preparing Tactile Graphics
• Explanation-Demonstration of How Foil Graphics are Prepared

Math Graphics Made by Others

• APH Tactile Graphics Kit
• Collage
• APH Geometry Tactile Graphics Kit
• Tactile Imaging Machine and Capsule Paper
  • Tactile Image Enhancer
  • Swell-Form Graphics Machine
  • Pictures in a Flash (PIAF)

TTT: Talking Tactile Tablet

Math GraphicsMade to Order by Others

• ghBraille
  • LaserLine™ Graphics
• Tactile Vision, Inc.
• Tiger Embossers
  • Tiger Pro, Tiger Max, Tiger Cub, or Tiger Cub JrNOW 3-D
  • high resolution (20 dots per inch) windows printer driver
  • create and emboss through MS Office, graphics programs, AGC, mimio, Duxbury, MegaMath, and more
  • faster, quieter, easier than before
  • interpoint and intergraphix
  • stack paper or tractor media, or both

Quick Print Graphics to Tactile Graphics via the Tiger

• Virtual Ink Corporation

Teaching Students How to Read Tactile Math Graphs

• Begin at an early age
• Start with real objects
• Move to 3-D models
• Then to 2-D manipulatives
• Finally try tactile graphics on various surfaces
  • Hard plastic
  • Thermoformed Brailon of foil or collage
  • Quick Draw or Capsule/Swell/Flexi-Paper
  • Braille Paper
• Use APH Tangible Graphs to evaluate and/or re-teach if necessary

Selected Teaching Strategies

• Collaborative/Inclusive Strategies
• Arithmetic Calculation Using the Braillewriter
• Linear Measure, Perimeter, and Area
• Prime Factorization on the Abacus
• Standardized Braille Number Lines
• Graphing on a Coordinate Plane
• Geometric Constructions
• Transformations, Line Symmetry, and Tesselations
• Solving Quadratic Equations

Other Math Resources

• Delta
• Didax
• EASI – Equal Access to Software and Information for Persons with Disabilities
• Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
• ETA/Cuisenaire
• Math Forum
• Science Access Project at Oregon State University
• TAEVIS at Purdue University

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Last Revision: February 17, 2005