Nemeth in a Box

Unpacking Tools to Build Success in Math for Students with Visual Impairments

Authors

  • Tina Herzberg University of South Carolina Upstate
  • Tiffany Wild The Ohio State University
  • L. Penny Rosenblum Vision for Independence, LLC

Keywords:

inclusion, braille, middle grades, visual impairment

Abstract

Students with visual impairments can be successful in math learning if they are provided with accessible materials, appropriate accommodations, and knowledgeable teachers. Four teachers of students with visual impairment designed a set of activities to build middle school students' knowledge of the braille code while engaging in math activities. The activities are described, and the authors provide strategies for successfully including students in general education math classes. 

Author Biographies

Tina Herzberg, University of South Carolina Upstate

Dr. Herzberg is a Professor at USC Upstate where she has coordinated the Visual Impairment Education Program since 2007. She has broad expertise in developing distance education materials and teaching braille in higher education. Dr. Herzberg is a certified teacher of students with visual impairments as well as a secondary mathematics and English teacher. She is a member of the Braille Formats Technical Committee for the Braille Authority of North America. For five years, Dr. Herzberg was the principal investigator for the project The Possibilities are Endless: Providing Braille Throughout South Carolina (BrailleSC). Materials developed through BrailleSC are available on Paths to Literacy.

Tiffany Wild, The Ohio State University

Dr. Tiffany Wild is Associate Professor and Assistant Chair in the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University. A former middle and high school in Lancaster, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio, Dr. Wild's research examines conceptual understandings of science students with visual impairments. This work has included exploring students' with visual impairments conceptual understanding of astronomical, physical, geologic, and environmental science through inquiry-based education. In addition, she has examined teacher perceptions of science education for students with visual impairments.

L. Penny Rosenblum, Vision for Independence, LLC

Dr. Rosenblum is the owner of the consulting company Vision for Independence, LLC. Her current research focuses on a range of topics and professional development including STEM braille codes, teaching students to locate and interpret information in tactile graphics, preparing nondrivers with visual impairments to be independent travelers, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with visual impairments, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Dr. Rosenblum has more than 35 years of experience as a researcher, university professor, and teacher of students with visual impairments.

References

Holbrook, M. C. and Rosenblum, L. P. (2017). Supporting differentiated instruction and inclusion in general education. In M. C. Holbrook, C. Kamei-Hannan, & T. McCarthy (Eds.), Foundations of education: Instructional strategies for teaching children and youths with visual impairments (3rd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 231-260). AFB Press.

Jones, G., Forrester, J., Robertson L., Gardner, G., & Taylor, A. (2012). Accuracy of estimations of measurements by students with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 106(6), 351-355. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1210600604

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. http://www.corestandards.org/.

Smith, D. (2017). Mathematics. In M. C. Holbrook, C. Kamei-Hannan, & T. McCarthy (Eds.), Foundations of education: Instructional strategies for teaching children and youths with visual impairments (3rd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 479-509). AFB Press.

Smith, M. S. & Stein, M. K. (2011). 5 practices for orchestrating productive mathematics discussions. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Wild, T. & Koehler, K. Science. In M. C. Holbrook, C. Kamei-Hannan, & T. McCarthy (Eds.), Foundations of education: Instructional strategies for teaching children and youths with visual impairments (3rd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 449-478). AFB Press.

Wonjin, J., Hee I., Jang, R. A., Harianto, J., Hyun S., Hyebin L., Heon J. L., and Myoung-Woon M. (2016). Introduction of 3D printing technology in the classroom for visually impaired students. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 110(2), 115-121. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1611000205

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Published

2023-03-06

How to Cite

Herzberg, T., Wild, T., & Rosenblum, L. P. (2023). Nemeth in a Box: Unpacking Tools to Build Success in Math for Students with Visual Impairments. hio ournal of chool athematics, 93(1), 34–39. etrieved from http://voyager.janeway.systems:9999/index.php/OJSM/article/view/9396

Issue

Vol. 93: Spring 2023

Section

Articles

License

By submitting this agreement, the author hereby grants to The Ohio State University, on behalf of its University Libraries