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Seattle Central Community College Fall Quarter 2008 1294 MATH098_05 Intermediate Algebra Monday—Friday 10:00—10:50AM Room SAM200 Professor: Andrea Levy, Ed.D. Office Phone: 206-587-4082 Office: SAM 214 Mail Stop: 2SAM110 Email: alevy@sccd.ctc.edu Website: http://seattlecentral.edu/faculty/alevy Office Drop-in Hours: Daily
9AM—9:50AM or by appointment |
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Required: TEXT: Kaseberg,
Intermediate Algebra: Everyday Explorations, 4th edition. Available
at the SCCC bookstore Graphing
Calculator (TI-83/84) You can lease a graphing calculator
during the first week of classes: go to the graphing calculator link above,
print and fill out Part A of the form. Then go to the college cashier to pay
the $20 fee. Bring the form and your receipt to class. You will be registered automatically as a student
in this class. Please use
your ‘first name_ last name’ as your student name. Your pass code is your student number with no
dashes. Imagination
is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein Einstein’s quote implies that
although mathematical knowledge is
important, it is imagination that
allows you to utilize knowledge to attain personal goals. The course goals are to: (1)
stimulate your imagination (2) enhance
your understanding of mathematics at a conceptual level (3) demonstrate and communicate your knowledge to others (4) improve
your use of self-assessment methods (5)
encourage you to think critically (6) develop
effective study and group skills (7) apply
quantitative reasoning to real world contexts (8) master
the use of a graphing calculator as a tool for quantitative analysis The structure of this course is
designed to address these goals. You will be asked periodically
throughout the quarter to provide
input as to how well the course is meeting these goals. |
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The course objectives provide a
foundation to develop mathematical knowledge and intellectual
imagination. This is accomplished
through the study of mathematics concepts at a level that will enable you to
think critically, demonstrate and communicate your knowledge to others, and
apply those skills to real world contexts. Listed here are the skills you
should be able to demonstrate upon completion of this course:
As a student in this course, you
are expected to attend all class sessions, arrive on-time and prepared for
the daily lesson. Being prepared means that homework assignments are complete
and you have all the necessary supplies for full participation in the daily
coursework, such as textbook, pencil, notebook paper, graph paper,
straight-edge or ruler, and graphing calculator. |
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Tests Much of the learning in this class
is done through group work, therefore group
tests are used to assess your understanding. This does NOT mean that you will
get a group grade. Test problems are complex and require an explanation of
your reasoning. The testing format provides an opportunity to discuss your
solution process with group members prior to writing solution processes in
your own words. A correct answer to a problem is sufficient for a passing
grade (which is a 75% or a 2.0); however, if you wish to earn a higher grade,
you must clearly communicate your thinking and demonstrate your solution
process. The group work is designed to hone your communication skills (this
is a course goal). The individual write-up is how you provide evidence of
your understanding for a formal assessment grade. This process will be
explained in more depth and your questions will be answered prior to the
first formal test. Mid-Term Project One of
the course goals is to have you apply quantitative reasoning to real world
contexts. In this project you will: declare a career goal, research professional
journals and publications for that career, choose an article that contains
some form of mathematics, compare the math in the article to what we are
studying this quarter and to the math you already know, and research the math
courses required for your career path and compare them to the math found in
the article. Project Template and Scoring Rubric Sample Project 1 Sample Project 2 Small Group/Whole Class Activities Communication is an important
aspect of this class, therefore you are responsible for providing evidence
that you understand the material presented. One way to do this is to fully
participate in small group and whole class activities. The small group format
provides support to: (1) ease math anxiety, (2) learn to work
collaboratively, (3) develop problem solving and critical thinking skills,
and (4) clearly communicate your solution process to convince others that
your answer is correct. Also, you will be expected to summarize and
communicate your group’s findings to the whole class. The small group you
will be working with to do class work will be the same people in your test
group; therefore it is important to contribute your thinking, questions, and
insights to the collective process. As
a productive group member it is your responsibility to listen carefully,
provide positive feedback, ask clarifying questions rather than depend upon
assumptions, and share your thinking, concerns, and critique of solution
processes with one another. Homework Completing and handing in homework on time is essential as
it prepares you to be a full participant in the class activities. Daily Assignment (Do NOT hand in): -
Read through the assigned section -
Work through but do not hand in the Warm-up exercises and the section
examples -
Try some of the odd numbered problems at the end of the section. Make
sure to try out a couple from each different part of the exercise section. Do
as many as are necessary to feel comfortable with the procedures. Compare
your answers with those listed at the back of the book to check your
understanding. If you are struggling, ask questions in class and/or get help
at the tutoring center. Hand-in Reading Response and Math Questions: -
When you think you understand the material in the section, neatly and
clearly answer each of the reading
response questions listed on the course calendar, providing evidence of what
you understand and can do. -
With the reading response questions, include questions from the WAMAP homework that you need clarified. -
Do the assigned daily problems
to share with your group and the class. I am not expecting that you will
answer the questions completely. What I do expect is that you have spent a
bit of time to set up the problems (about 5 min. for each problem--that is
only 15 minutes each night). On-line assignment: Go to WAMAP:
Online Homework Access, log in using your ‘first name_last name’ as your student name
and your pass code is your student number (with NO dashes). Find the homework section you just studied. Open and complete the
problems for the section. You can print the problems, work on them off-line
(get help at the math lab, etc.), and then go back to the computer to submit
your answers. If you are NOT satisfied with the grade you receive, you can
ask for a new problem. Once an assignment is submitted, the grade you receive
is recorded. On-line assignments can be completed ahead of time; however the
final submission date is midnight before the test. After midnight, the
problems can be worked on for reviewing for the test, but the grades will not
change or be recorded. Daily In-Class Assignment: When you
arrive in class: -
Put your reading response questions on the front table -
Pick up your file folder and put away graded worked -
Share your solutions to the daily in-class problems. The daily
problems are chosen to represent the important concepts covered in the
section. Discuss the problem assigned
to your group first. Discuss
everyone’s solutions, choose one to put on the board, and then discuss the
other problems. As your group completes the other problems, either register
your agreement with other groups’ solutions, or put up your own solutions.
This process should only take 15 minutes of class time. I will (1) share college
announcements, (2) discuss the reading response questions handed in at the
start of class, (3) take questions about procedures from the WAMAP homework,
(4) discuss the in-class problem solutions posted on the board, and (5) introduce
the mathematics concepts and procedures for that evening’s homework. Grading The proposed grade distribution is
40% for class participation, reading response questions and WAMAP homework;
and 60% for tests, mid-term project, and final exam.
If you feel that the grade
distribution does not adequately reflect your understanding of the
mathematics in this course, then I encourage you to make an appointment to
discuss it with me during office hours. This must be done sometime before the last month of the quarter.
“NC” (No
Credit) grades are NOT given under any circumstances. If you want to withdraw
from the course, request a “W” grade before the published deadline. “I”
(Incomplete) grades are only given in strict conformity with the college
catalog. Specifically, a student must be in “good standing” to request an
Incomplete. For this course, “good
standing” will mean, at a minimum, a current grade of at least 2.0. “I”
grades can only be requested in situations and circumstances that are out of
the control of the student…please read the catalog for details. I reserve all
rights about when and if an “Incomplete” will be issued. It is your
responsibility to request and submit the signatures and paperwork required
for “W” and “I” grades by the deadlines established by the college. Late and Make-up Work If you are unable to attend class
contact me as soon as possible to explain the situation and discuss options.
It is also important to notify your group members, as they will have to
function without your input (you can also ask them to take notes during the
classes that you cannot attend.) Tutorial Assistance I am available to help clarify or
provide tutorial assistance. However, (since I have approximately 100
students each quarter) please discuss the problem with your group members
first. Make an appointment to speak with me if your group members are unable
to help you. I am also available to work with the whole group. If you need tutoring assistance on
a fairly regular basis, the math lab is in SAM106. Individual Needs For help with dealing with math or test anxiety, please make an appointment to talk with me. We can
discuss your particular issues and devise a plan to help you be successful. Students with Disabilities Statement
Students with
documented disabilities, who need
course accommodations, have emergency medical information or require special
arrangements for building evacuation should contact me within the first week
of class. The instructor reserves the right to reasonably adjust
this syllabus if deemed necessary and will make available written changes for
students to add to this document. |
Course
Calendar
The Course
Calendar is not fixed, but rather is a working document which may
change as we progress through the material. I will inform you of any changes
to the calendar as they arise. Reading Response Questions are listed on the day they are due. Write out the question and your response; provide evidence of your understanding.
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