Project Math Access DVD 03 - Algebra - Part 01 Transcript Start Audio Description: Part one; teacher interview. KAPPERMAN: Beverly, could you give me a brief explanation of the FOIL method. What you were doing, and the problems you were solving. BEVERLY: The problems we were solving using FOIL had two equations in parentheses and we're doing First, Outer, Inner, Last and the numbers. KAPPERMAN: So you're multiplying two algebraic expressions, is that correct? BEVERLY: Correct. and then you're ending up with a slew of numbers that then have to be simplified. And the problem that visually impaired and blind students that I've worked with in the past, they have all these numbers in a row and us, as sighted people, can go and cross them off when we're adding the numbers together so we'd know that we've used them all, or we've left some numbers off. Whereas visually impaired and blind students using braille don't have a way to cross them off, because if they cross them off using a braillewriter then they've gotten rid of the whole number. So by using the tiles they're actually manipulating the pieces and they can see which numbers they've used and which numbers they've combined, and if they've forgotten anything... it's left up on the line they know they've forgotten it. KAPPERMAN: So, describe those Tack Tiles. Would you please describe the materials you use. BEVERLY: They are Lego-like pieces that you can put on a board, and then for the sighted they have the number or the symbol written in print on the side of it so that the sighted people can see them. And you just use them as if you are using a braillewriter. And they are the jumbo braille for writing the expressions. And this is the Nemeth set, and there is also a literary set. KAPPERMAN: When your students have solved the problem,... have gotten the answers, what do you do then? Do they transfer it to a braillewriter? How do they write down their answers? BEVERLY: I've done it two ways. The students either put their answer either on the braillewriter or Braille Lite. Or I'll just hand-write it onto the work sheet aftenivards. KAPPERMAN: Would it be possible for a student to be able to take tests using the Tack Tiles? BEVERLY: Yes, because they are doing all the work, and then someone who's working with them either myself or an assistant would then write the answer, or they would do it on their Braille Lite. So this is something they can do, work on independently. KAPPERMAN: Good. Is it possible for students to be given problems in braille, and then use the Tack Tiles on their own to solve those problems and then use their braillewriters to write down the answer? BEVERLY: Yes, they would be able to do it totally independently using the problem and then using the Tack Tiles to solve the problem. The students I have prefer to have the problem written in braille rather than have them in the Tack Tiles. ...have a written hard copy of the problems. KAPPERMAN: And then they use the Tack Tiles to solve the problems and then they braille their answers. Is that correct? BEVERLY: Correct, and I generallyjust have them braille the final answer and not all the steps. KAPPERMAN: And then do you hand that sheet to the regular math teacher? Do you ink in the print? How do you do this? How does the regular math teacher grade the assignments? BEVERLY: The student generally hands it in when the other students hand in their homework. So I either ink print it on their assignment or they braille it and hand it in themselves. It's when the assignments are turned in. KAPPERMAN: If the student hands in the braille assignment, how does the teacher know... because the teacher doesn't read braille, does the teacher hand the assignment back to you then? BEVERLY: Generally in the classes the homework assignments aren't handed in in class, they are gone over in class so as long as the teacher has seen that the student has done it and has a brailled copy...the student shows the teacher they have completed it and the teacher usually goes off of that. KAPPERMAN: What would you say the advantages are of this method over more traditional methods for solving mathematical equations using the FOIL method? BEVERLY: The main thing is they don't lose numbers in the simplifying process after they have multiplied everything out and they have then had to simplify the equation because they have all the numbers they can actually manipulate the tiles with. They know they've used all the numbers and they haven't left any numbers off... they haven't put a minus where a plus was, because they can actually feel it on the board and they can move those tiles down, and when they are done with them they can get rid of them so they know then that if they have a clear first line that they've used all the numbers correctly.