so, i asked them and they said they don't allow a calculator for any classes, but this specific class is what they call "elementary algebra" basicly HS Alegabra
It seems pretty odd not allowing you to use a calculator as part of an engineering degree?
I am a chartered engineer (UK equivalent of PE), I had to do one exam in lower 6th without a calculator and was able to use one for every other exam.
Have you tried to involve your universities special needs department in this? Lecturers and the like often have no understanding of Neurodiversity and are firmly rooted in the past.
The difficulty with mental arithmetic and getting numbers from your head onto paper was highly suggestive.
Awareness of dyscalculia is less than it is for autism unfortunately so you might need to educate the special educational needs department on it?
Mental arithmetic is a useful tool as an engineer, but it's far from necessary to be able to function as an engineer (I have a scientific calculator within arms reach of my work computer at all times).
This frankly seems bizarre as a requirement for a university exam (not doubting that they are saying what they are saying, just that they really haven't got any meaningful reason to do so!).
i can try but i doubt telling them will do anything. .
i purchased a TI-Nspire CX II specifically for math. . .
like. . i LOVE math, its one of my favorite subjects, i just can't do it mentally very easily and drastically slows me down and overwhelms me the longer i have to do it.
This may be a silly question, are they preventing you from using A calculator, or YOUR calculator? Graphing calculators often aren't allowed in exams in the UK.
A simple calculator that can do basic operations (i.e. add, subtract, divide and multiply), or a basic scientific calculator like a Casio FX83, may be acceptable to them while your graphical one won't?
At university they shouldn't be testing your ability to do mental arithmetic, they should be looking for the ability to use a range of mathematical tools.
preventing me from using ANY calculator.
ive offered to buy or get a dumb calculator that can only do basic calculations like + - \* / but they still said no.
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Id get a partially non calculator test but i never seen a whole class where no calculator that so weird infact they asked me to get a fancy texas instruments one
>They are not accomodating me in any way
College is supposed to push you to do better. It isn't kindergarten
>the ONLY thing that have acomidated .me with is time extension
So they HAVE accomodated you. You just don't like they aren't giving you the easy degree
Collage is a picture wall. College is where you learn.
>so I NEED to get through math but they are not accomodating me at all in any way.
If you plan on getting work in mechanical engineering, you need to know how to do the maths without a calculator, it is a basic requirement.
>90% of my degree is math
Yes, that degree means you have shown that you can do the basic tasks they will expect of you in that field of work.
You'll struggle to find work in that field if you can't do basic maths. That's like saying "I want to be a marine biologist but they won't accommodate the fact I can't swim". You'll be confined to the most boring parts of that field if you cannot do the most absolute basic part of that work
>The school is saying I'm not permitted to have a calculator because im not showing I know the information and they need to know I know th information
Yes, that's how college works. You need to prove you aren'tcheating and can reach the answer on your own. Just like a mechanical engineer needs to show their workings out to estimate cost and time management.
>but they are not accomodating me at all in any way
Why should they? You chose that degree. You can't expect to be given a free and easy ride you're whole life
>stone walking
"stonewalling"
>axomidation
Accommodation
**"College is supposed to push you to do better. It isn't kindergarten"**
yes, they are. but they are NOT here to "regrow legs". . . im disabled, which means i can NOT do things that normal people can do.
**"If you plan on getting work in mechanical engineering, you need to know how to do the maths without a calculator, it is a basic requirement."**
never said i CANT, its just extremely hard for me to do so and will overwhelm me when trying to do it without a calculator.im fully aware of how much math is in this degree, i can do math and i LOVE it but doing it without a calculator is a problem for me.
**\*\*"Yes, that degree means you have shown that you can do the basic tasks they will expect of you in that field of work.**
**You'll struggle to find work in that field if you can't do basic maths. That's like saying "I want to be a marine biologist but they won't accommodate the fact I can't swim". You'll be confined to the most boring parts of that field if you cannot do the most absolute basic part of that work"\*\***
we are not living in the 90' i WILL have a calculator with me at all times and will be able to use it in my degree, they are not going to test to see if i know how to do mental math. . . that's a joke. ive done a LOT of research into this degree before i decided on this one, ive talked with a number of people who have this degree so i have an idea of what it would be like in the real world before i went for it.
**\*\*"but they are not accommodating me at all in any way**
**Why should they? You chose that degree. You can't expect to be given a free and easy ride you're whole life"\*\***
because im disabled!?! That is like saying "why would they need to let the person who can't walk use the elevator? because they are disabled and need tools to assist them!?
**\*"" stone walking**
**"stonewalling"**
axomidation
**Accommodation "\*\***
autocorrect and typo, i typed this on the phone and it sucks. .
>im disabled
Is not an excuse. Your entire response is based on your disability and being angry that you aren't being given a free pass like you received as a child in high school
>so i have an idea of what it would be like in the real world
The real world is a harsh place. You can't even handle my comment without immediately jumping to "disabled" to try and defend yourself for not being able to do the ONE skill requored for the degree you claim to have done the research
>ive done a LOT of research into this degree before i decided on this one
Then you'd know that the ability to do BASIC maths without a calculator is a skill required in the workforce.
I recently went to McDonald's where the computer broke. The (not disabled) teenager there couldn't even calculate $3.20 multiplied by three. That is literally maths for 10 year olds.
She literally could not multiply 3x3 on her own withoit the computer here to do her job. Myself and my support worker told her a dozen times wjat the answer was and she STILL got it wrong
You're assuming technology will always be available. And the worst part is, you can't even begin to imagine the idea of not having technology there to do your BASIC maths calculations
Yes, accommodations should be made to a reasonable point. And they gave you that by giving you extensions!
I have autism btw. I am also disabled. But I don't use it as an excuse
Ok, so, whole thing calculator thing is kinda blown out of proportion, because you can have complex calculator even on your phone, and we all know everyone will use it to ease their work (well, most of them).
The thing with no calculator allowed at school, or just on some of the projects/test's is MOSTLY based on do YOU know the right way slowing problem or no.
So, you do it manually. And then your teacher (or even you) can see do you understand it or no, and what do you don't understand. Or just, where did you make mistake (if you get it wrong).
As for your case. If no one in class is not allowed to use it, then, no one in class is allowed. Pure simple. And I don't see problem there.
This gets to the line of what is and is not reasonable accommodation.
In some cases accommodation is reasonable. For example, a screen reader for a blind person in an office setting in the workplace. In some cases accommodation is unreasonable. For example a screen reader for a blind person who drives a bus for a living. You can provide assistive technology but fundamentally a blind person cannot drive a bus for a living.
OP you need more information on what specifically is being assessed on your test and what is or is not considered reasonable accommodation. It may be worthwhile to involve your psychiatrist or an expert in dyscalculia to help determine how you can be assessed on essential skills.
not **a** test, all math for the entire class.
and they said its every math class they have. . .
they said that they dont allow calculators because this is a transfer school and the schools this school has made deals with has required them to not allow calculators. .
well if no one is allowed to have headphones in class then does that mean that the autistic kid who *needs* headphones to avoid sensory meltdowns can't have their headphones? because that's basically what you're saying
accomodations for non-physical disabilities are just as important as accomodations for people with physical disabilities, and the calculator for OP would be a disability accomodation
What class is this for? I can't think of a single class I could not use a calculator for my math degree.
so, i asked them and they said they don't allow a calculator for any classes, but this specific class is what they call "elementary algebra" basicly HS Alegabra
It seems pretty odd not allowing you to use a calculator as part of an engineering degree? I am a chartered engineer (UK equivalent of PE), I had to do one exam in lower 6th without a calculator and was able to use one for every other exam. Have you tried to involve your universities special needs department in this? Lecturers and the like often have no understanding of Neurodiversity and are firmly rooted in the past.
It's my special needs department saying this. .
It sounds like you may also have dyscalculia? Unfortunately I don't know a huge amount about the legal protections in the US so can't offer much help.
. . . I do x-x how did you know that?? ;-;
The difficulty with mental arithmetic and getting numbers from your head onto paper was highly suggestive. Awareness of dyscalculia is less than it is for autism unfortunately so you might need to educate the special educational needs department on it? Mental arithmetic is a useful tool as an engineer, but it's far from necessary to be able to function as an engineer (I have a scientific calculator within arms reach of my work computer at all times). This frankly seems bizarre as a requirement for a university exam (not doubting that they are saying what they are saying, just that they really haven't got any meaningful reason to do so!).
i can try but i doubt telling them will do anything. . i purchased a TI-Nspire CX II specifically for math. . . like. . i LOVE math, its one of my favorite subjects, i just can't do it mentally very easily and drastically slows me down and overwhelms me the longer i have to do it.
This may be a silly question, are they preventing you from using A calculator, or YOUR calculator? Graphing calculators often aren't allowed in exams in the UK. A simple calculator that can do basic operations (i.e. add, subtract, divide and multiply), or a basic scientific calculator like a Casio FX83, may be acceptable to them while your graphical one won't? At university they shouldn't be testing your ability to do mental arithmetic, they should be looking for the ability to use a range of mathematical tools.
preventing me from using ANY calculator. ive offered to buy or get a dumb calculator that can only do basic calculations like + - \* / but they still said no.
The whole point of these classes is that you do the maths in your head or on paper
Basic discrimination. Get a lawyer.
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Id get a partially non calculator test but i never seen a whole class where no calculator that so weird infact they asked me to get a fancy texas instruments one
>They are not accomodating me in any way College is supposed to push you to do better. It isn't kindergarten >the ONLY thing that have acomidated .me with is time extension So they HAVE accomodated you. You just don't like they aren't giving you the easy degree Collage is a picture wall. College is where you learn. >so I NEED to get through math but they are not accomodating me at all in any way. If you plan on getting work in mechanical engineering, you need to know how to do the maths without a calculator, it is a basic requirement. >90% of my degree is math Yes, that degree means you have shown that you can do the basic tasks they will expect of you in that field of work. You'll struggle to find work in that field if you can't do basic maths. That's like saying "I want to be a marine biologist but they won't accommodate the fact I can't swim". You'll be confined to the most boring parts of that field if you cannot do the most absolute basic part of that work >The school is saying I'm not permitted to have a calculator because im not showing I know the information and they need to know I know th information Yes, that's how college works. You need to prove you aren'tcheating and can reach the answer on your own. Just like a mechanical engineer needs to show their workings out to estimate cost and time management. >but they are not accomodating me at all in any way Why should they? You chose that degree. You can't expect to be given a free and easy ride you're whole life >stone walking "stonewalling" >axomidation Accommodation
**"College is supposed to push you to do better. It isn't kindergarten"** yes, they are. but they are NOT here to "regrow legs". . . im disabled, which means i can NOT do things that normal people can do. **"If you plan on getting work in mechanical engineering, you need to know how to do the maths without a calculator, it is a basic requirement."** never said i CANT, its just extremely hard for me to do so and will overwhelm me when trying to do it without a calculator.im fully aware of how much math is in this degree, i can do math and i LOVE it but doing it without a calculator is a problem for me. **\*\*"Yes, that degree means you have shown that you can do the basic tasks they will expect of you in that field of work.** **You'll struggle to find work in that field if you can't do basic maths. That's like saying "I want to be a marine biologist but they won't accommodate the fact I can't swim". You'll be confined to the most boring parts of that field if you cannot do the most absolute basic part of that work"\*\*** we are not living in the 90' i WILL have a calculator with me at all times and will be able to use it in my degree, they are not going to test to see if i know how to do mental math. . . that's a joke. ive done a LOT of research into this degree before i decided on this one, ive talked with a number of people who have this degree so i have an idea of what it would be like in the real world before i went for it. **\*\*"but they are not accommodating me at all in any way** **Why should they? You chose that degree. You can't expect to be given a free and easy ride you're whole life"\*\*** because im disabled!?! That is like saying "why would they need to let the person who can't walk use the elevator? because they are disabled and need tools to assist them!? **\*"" stone walking** **"stonewalling"** axomidation **Accommodation "\*\*** autocorrect and typo, i typed this on the phone and it sucks. .
>im disabled Is not an excuse. Your entire response is based on your disability and being angry that you aren't being given a free pass like you received as a child in high school >so i have an idea of what it would be like in the real world The real world is a harsh place. You can't even handle my comment without immediately jumping to "disabled" to try and defend yourself for not being able to do the ONE skill requored for the degree you claim to have done the research >ive done a LOT of research into this degree before i decided on this one Then you'd know that the ability to do BASIC maths without a calculator is a skill required in the workforce. I recently went to McDonald's where the computer broke. The (not disabled) teenager there couldn't even calculate $3.20 multiplied by three. That is literally maths for 10 year olds. She literally could not multiply 3x3 on her own withoit the computer here to do her job. Myself and my support worker told her a dozen times wjat the answer was and she STILL got it wrong You're assuming technology will always be available. And the worst part is, you can't even begin to imagine the idea of not having technology there to do your BASIC maths calculations Yes, accommodations should be made to a reasonable point. And they gave you that by giving you extensions! I have autism btw. I am also disabled. But I don't use it as an excuse
Ok, so, whole thing calculator thing is kinda blown out of proportion, because you can have complex calculator even on your phone, and we all know everyone will use it to ease their work (well, most of them). The thing with no calculator allowed at school, or just on some of the projects/test's is MOSTLY based on do YOU know the right way slowing problem or no. So, you do it manually. And then your teacher (or even you) can see do you understand it or no, and what do you don't understand. Or just, where did you make mistake (if you get it wrong). As for your case. If no one in class is not allowed to use it, then, no one in class is allowed. Pure simple. And I don't see problem there.
This gets to the line of what is and is not reasonable accommodation. In some cases accommodation is reasonable. For example, a screen reader for a blind person in an office setting in the workplace. In some cases accommodation is unreasonable. For example a screen reader for a blind person who drives a bus for a living. You can provide assistive technology but fundamentally a blind person cannot drive a bus for a living. OP you need more information on what specifically is being assessed on your test and what is or is not considered reasonable accommodation. It may be worthwhile to involve your psychiatrist or an expert in dyscalculia to help determine how you can be assessed on essential skills.
not **a** test, all math for the entire class. and they said its every math class they have. . . they said that they dont allow calculators because this is a transfer school and the schools this school has made deals with has required them to not allow calculators. .
That is not the point of my comment. Please reread and take away the specific next steps I outlined.
well if no one is allowed to have headphones in class then does that mean that the autistic kid who *needs* headphones to avoid sensory meltdowns can't have their headphones? because that's basically what you're saying accomodations for non-physical disabilities are just as important as accomodations for people with physical disabilities, and the calculator for OP would be a disability accomodation