2017 POSB Math and Science Institute
Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Austin, Texas
April 3-5, 2017
Breaking Barriers: Mathematics Made Easy –
A Project of ICEVI with the Support of the
Nippon Foundation
Tuesday April 4, 2017
8:30-9:15 AM General Session
Presented by
Sara Larkin
Iowa Educational Services for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Susan Osterhaus
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Please do not forget to get the session code at the end of this
session and use this code when you complete your evaluation.
Breaking Barriers: Mathematics Made Easy – A Project of ICEVI
with the Support of the Nippon Foundation
Sara Larkin
Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Susan Osterhaus
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
General Background
•
Mathematics is often a weak or totally neglected area of instruction for children who are
blind in many countries throughout the world.
•
This situation is often attributed to the difficulty these children have in understanding
abstract concepts that are frequently presented in a visual form.
•
This perspective, however, places blame on the learner, when, in fact it is actually more
attributable to the failure of teachers who are unable to adapt the learning materials in
ways that make abstract concepts more easily understood using non-visual methods and
materials.
Two Additional Factors that Acerbate this Weakness in Math Instruction
•
In inclusive educational settings, many general education mathematics teachers have
limited experience in adapting learning materials to accommodate for children with visual
impairments.
•
Advances in assistive technology are opening a new world of education and career
opportunities for persons who are blind – opportunities that can lead to a career in the
STEM fields.
Hence, the Purpose of the Project
To unlock the often hidden potentials of learners who are blind by building upon existing
resources and developing a comprehensive package of training modules that will assist
classroom teachers in learning how to create appropriate instructional adaptations that will make
the learning of mathematical concepts easier and more enjoyable for these learners, as well as
their sighted classmates.
Previous Accomplishments in this Area (1998 – 2006)
•
Mathematics Made Easy for Children with Visual Impairment
http://icevi.org/pdf/Mathematics_%20Made_%20Easy%20for%20Children_%20with%20_
Visual%20Impairment.pdf
o Also available as a hard copy learning package
o Product of a math project in Southeast Asia
o Sections covered: Methodology of Teaching Mathematics, Use of Abacus, Use of
Nemeth Braille Code, Instructional Strategies, Creative Mathematics
2017 POSB Math & Science Institute – Larkin, S. and Osterhaus, S.
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New Pilot Project
•
The goal of this project is to contribute to the worldwide improvement of mathematics
education by developing a set of accessible multi-media instructional materials designed
to assist teachers of children and youth with visual impairments. These materials will
adapt and present key concepts that are commonly agreed to be difficult to learn.
•
Concentrate on the Instructional Strategies found in the Mathematics Made Easy
publication.
Math Project – Core Group Meeting, 27-28 April 2016 • TSBVI, Austin
Members:
•
Bill Daugherty, Superintendent, TSVBI
•
Cyral Miller, Outreach Director, TSBVI
•
Susan Osterhaus, Mathematics Educator, TSBVI
•
Charlotte Cushman, Educational Web Manager, Perkins School for the Blind
•
Wenru Niu, Project Director, ON-NET Project
•
Kay Alicyn Ferrell, Regional Chairperson, ICEVI North America and Caribbean Region
•
Larry Campbell, President Emeritus, ICEVI
•
Mani, M.N.G, CEO ICEVI
Math Project – Academic Team Meeting, 15-16 December 2016 • TSBVI,
Austin
Members:
•
M.N.G. Mani
•
Susan Osterhaus
•
Sara Larkin
•
Derrick Smith
•
Emmy Csocsan (could not attend the meeting)
Academic Team’s Primary Task
•
Create video lessons
o that are primarily helpful for preparing teachers to teach mathematics effectively to
children with a visual impairment.
o that address accessibility issues such as color and contrast for the benefit of
children with low vision, use of the correct textures for children who are blind, etc.
2017 POSB Math & Science Institute – Larkin, S. and Osterhaus, S.
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Assignment of Specific Video Lessons
Sara Larkin
•
Prime and Composite numbers
•
Addition of integers
•
Comparison of Fractions
•
Laws of indices
Derrick Smith
•
Expanded form
•
Commutative property
•
Bar chart
•
Central tendency and Mean
•
Assignment of Specific Video Lessons
Assignment of Specific Video Lessons
Susan Osterhaus
•
Multiplication of Polynomials
•
Parallel Lines
•
Perpendicular Lines
•
Skew Lines
Assignment of Specific Video Lessons
Mani
•
Equation (a+b)2
•
Equation (a+b+c)2
•
Some of the three angles of a Triangle = 180°
•
Sum of the four angles of a Quadrilateral = 360°
•
Angle formed on a semicircle = 90°
•
In a circle, the angle subtended at the center is twice that of the angle subtended at the
circumference
•
Centroid
•
Angle in a minor segment is obtuse and Angle in a major segment is acute
2017 POSB Math & Science Institute – Larkin, S. and Osterhaus, S.
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Specifications in Preparing the Video Lessons
•
Length: 6 – 10 minutes (7 – 8 minutes ideal)
•
Introductory frames and credits will be designed by Mani and ICEVI Secretariat
•
Script of each video will be shared amongst the Academic Team members for input
•
Camera should be positioned from the top in order to clearly capture the hand
movements in the demonstration
•
MP4 format will be used
Timelines for Videos:
•
Sharing of at least five video lessons at the POSB Math and Science Institute in April
2017
•
Finalize all 20 video lessons for presentation at the joint meeting of the Core Team and
the Academic Team – initially planned for May 2017, and now planned for late June or
early July 2017
Future Tasks for the Academic Team:
•
Subject to the extension of the project:
o Selection of at least 20 resource persons in Mathematics around the world, who
will be trained to prepare scripts and video lessons using the Mathematics Made
Easy of the ICEVI.
o Prepare, with these persons, at least 200 video lessons for concepts in
Mathematics by the end of the project period that is mid-2020.
o Training and supervising of these individuals in the video lessons preparation
process.
2017 POSB Math & Science Institute – Larkin, S. and Osterhaus, S.
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2017 POSB Math & Science Institute – Larkin, S. and Osterhaus, S.
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Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Outreach Programs
Figure 1 TSBVI logo.
Figure 2 IDEAs that Work logo and OSEP disclaimer.
2017 POSB Math & Science Institute – Larkin, S. and Osterhaus, S.
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