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The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award

Letter of Recommendation Form
Thank you for your support of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards program.
Please complete the form below to submit your letter of recommendation in support of the award nominee. Recommendations cannot exceed 800 words. You will not be able to submit your recommendation if the maximum word count exceeds 800 words.
Please note that recommendations should come from someone other than the person who nominated the candidate. Please note that required fields on this form are indicated by an asterisk (*).

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Please enter your letter of recommendation in the text area provided below: April 11, 2024 Mr. Everette Bacon, Chair Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee Everette We would like to nominate Dr. Tina Herzberg, Susan Osterhaus, Sara Larkin, and Dr. Penny Rosenblum for the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award for their diligent work in creating materials for use by university faculty, university students, and teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) to support their students. Learning and Teaching the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts: A Step-by-Step Guide was created over a three-year period (beginning in 2019) and was shared out to university faculty beginning in late 2022. The project began as a sabbatical project by Dr. Tina Herzberg, but the project was too much for one faculty member to complete in one semester, especially with no additional funding for project support. Dr. Herzberg invited Susan Osterhaus, Sara Larkin, and Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum to co-author the book. The project was a labor of love and is available on the Paths to Literacy website (https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/resource/learning-and-teaching-the-nemeth-code/). The authors’ goal has always been to publish the textbook at no cost to TVIs, university students, and university faculty. Benefit for Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired and impact to the field: An understanding of mathematics is essential for independent adult life, full participation in society, and many career paths. Students with visual impairments can learn mathematics at any level based on their individual abilities through the use of real objects, accessible manipulatives, tools, and technology… Students who use braille and their teacher of students with visual impairments need a thorough understanding of the Nemeth Braille Code of Mathematics and Science Notation and/or Unified English Braille [Technical] Code (also known as UEB Math/Science) in order to access mathematics content (Smith, 2017, p. 479-480). The development of the textbook (available in print, SimBraille and braille) and accompanying slide decks (i.e., PowerPoint presentations) was particularly important as there were no materials available for university personnel to use to support instruction in the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts (Nemeth Code). Since the transition to Unified English Braille in 2016, there have been significant changes made to the Nemeth Code and official guidance was not released until 2018 by the Braille Authority of North America. University professors often created their own materials or used outdated materials not designed for individuals preparing to be teachers. Some were more successful than others since their math and braille skills varied. Learning and Teaching the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts: A Step-by-Step Guide will significantly benefit individuals who are blind or visually impaired and the field of visual impairments through the provision of materials that will support TVIs, students, and individual proficiency in the Nemeth Code, Innovative project/Critical need: It is essential that TVIs become proficient in the math braille code(s) that they will teach their students. Otherwise, teachers will be unprepared to successfully support math learning or produce high-quality materials for their students. This will likely impact a student’s learning and future success in college and careers. Math skills are essential in everyday life and are often prerequisites to participation in post-secondary education and many fields of employment (Rosenblum et al., 2018; Rotermund & Burke, 2021; Smith, 2017; Torpey, 2012). The study of math fosters problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to think abstractly (Torpey, 2012). Furthermore, many skilled trade and professional jobs require individuals to use math routinely (Torpey, 2012). The Nemeth Code and UEB Math/Science provide students who are tactual learners an effective way to access STEM content and demonstrate their understanding of mathematical concepts (Smith, 2017). Through the use of these braille codes, students can solve mathematical problems incrementally, similar to their sighted peers. *Award would continue and expand the work: The updated Nemeth Code guidelines (2022) were published earlier this year. All materials (e.g., textbook, slide decks, braille documents, etc.) created for Learning and Teaching the Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts: A Step-by-Step Guide need to be aligned with the updated guidelines. The award would support the team in the completion of material alignment. In addition, a sister UEB Math/Science book needs to be written. The team is currently seeking funding for these projects. Any monetary award would be used to further the work because they are committed to ensuring that university programs have high-quality materials to use when teaching the math braille codes to pre-service teachers. We strongly feel that this team of individuals meet the criteria for the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award. Please reach out with any questions. Sincerely, Chris Bischke, Ph.D., TVI/DTV Director, Multi-University Consortium Professor and Program Coordinator, Visual Impairments Program Alexis Redford, M.Ed. TVI, Doctoral Candidate The University of Utah Department of Special Education 1721 Campus Center Drive, SAEC 2280, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 801-585-3925 office 801-589-2449 cell 801-585-6476 fax
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The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award

Letter of Recommendation Form