AnimalWatch VI: Building Graphics Literacy

01/27/2023

Calling all teen videographers: is hosting a teen video contest! Create a short video about science in your world, in the field or lab, or in your future for a chance to win $2,000. Winners’ videos will be shared on NEI’s website! Learn more: nei.nih.gov/EyeOnTheFuture

Calling young scientists! Submit an original video about a scientific topic important to you for a chance to win a cash prize and a trip to NIH.

01/13/2021

AnimalWatch Vi has TWO fun math curriculums for students with visual impairments!

01/06/2021

Hi, If you are still following us, please join us for APH's Access Academy's webinar Jan. 15 from 11:30-1:00 Eastern. It is titled "Building STEM Skills Using AnimalWatch Products." Former Project Director Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum is the presenter. We are so pleased that AnimalWatch Vi: Building Graphics Literacy is available for use. The app is free from APH. The teacher curriculum is free or a print copy can be purchased for $75 from the Lighthouse. The book of graphics (print, UEB, or Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts) can be purchased from the Lighthouse for $350 per book. Come learn more at the webinar.

Do you have students at the 5th-8th grade math level who would benefit from increasing their math word problem solving skills and/or graphics literacy skills? If you said “yes” than come learn about how you can use AnimalWatch Vi Suite and AnimalWatch Vi: Building Graphics Literacy to ...

12/02/2019

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11/14/2019

Dr. Penny Rosenblum and project consultant Dr. Kim Zebehazy shared findings from our pilot study at Getting in Touch with Literacy this morning. We had a great time sharing!

11/14/2019

How fun for Dr. Rosenblum’, project director, to have one of our 2018-2019 teachers come up to her at the Getting in Touch with Literacy conference to share that she used her gift card from the study towards funding her attendance at the conference. And she shared that her student is doing great in school!

11/12/2019

Are you going to be at the Getting in Touch with Literacy conference? If so, be sure to come to our session Thursday morning to find out lessons learned from our project. http://gettingintouchwithliteracy.org/

06/23/2019

Dr. Rosenblum had the privilege of attending the National Braille Challenge for the third year. How exciting to have three students from our study as finalists. One student won third place in her group. We are beyond proud of our three students and the other 47 who were the top of over 1000 participants from 50 regional competitions In the United States and Canada.

06/13/2019

Dr. Rosenblum just completed our 49th post-test...2 more to go (hopefully!). This was the last student to test on "Version A" of our pre-post test. Dr. Rosenblum will never have to ask, "On the bar graph how many cookies did Andrea sell?" (answer is 9 and involves the student estimating the value between 8 and 10) or "On the Venn diagram how many students did all 3 activities?" (student has to understand the concept of the intersection of the 3 circles) or "On the map, which is further Leaftown to Treeburg or Branchford to Treeburg?" (no ruler, distances are big enough that the correct answer is obvious). Feeling a little sad here that soon I'll be done with version B and won't be asking equivalent questions but with different numbers and words. Now we are pushing hard to score all these pre and post-videos so we can move to analysis of the data!

05/28/2019

Project Director Penny Rosenblum was interviewed for a podcast by the Renwick Centre in Australia. Check it out!

Dr Penny Rosenblum talks about the importance of visual graphics for students who are blind or vision impaired and provides strategies for teachers to try. Transcript: Click here to download!...

05/22/2019

Dr. Rosenblum just finished her 40th post-test. There are 11 more students in the works. Most are scheduled for next week or the week after. Today's braille reader shared the following when asked if she has changed the way she approaches graphs and maps.

"I start from the top instead of starting from the middle. I've learned to read the key first so I know what I'm looking for.
I learned to slow down with the graphs."

Each unit begins with two open-ended questions. Students record themselves. Example for the coordinate plane unit:
1. Describe the data in the coordinate plane. If you are unsure, please try your best. It's ok if you don't know the answer."
2. What is one thing you know about the dinosaur ant from this coordinate plane? you are unsure, please try your best. It's ok if you don't know the answer."

When asked if the "Getting Started" questions helped the student be prepared for the unit. She shared:

"Yes it helped me because it showed me that if you describe it first than you'll know what you're looking at. Then you can find what you're looking for."

I (that is Dr. Rosenblum the project director) love these kids and truly am going to miss them and their teachers. Though my interactions were primarily over email and Zoom, I do feel like I've gotten to know people and I definitely have seen growth in most of the students.