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Winter Quarter 2008 Algebra II MAT 085_02 Meeting Daily from 9:00—9:50am in room
SAM200 Seattle Central Community College Professor:
Andrea Levy, Ed.D. Office
Phone: 206-587-4082 Office:
SAM214 Email:
alevy@sccd.ctc.edu Website:
http://seattlecentral.edu/faculty/alevy Office
Drop-in Hours: daily 11-11:50am or by appointment |
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Blitzer, R. (2006), Introductory
Algebra for College Students, 4th Edition, Chapters 6-10 (You will be registered automatically as a student in this class. Please use
your ‘first name’ space ‘last name’ as your student name and your pass code is your student number
(with NO dashes). |
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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) think critically (6) develop effective study and
group skills (7) apply quantitative reasoning to
real world contexts (8) master the use of a scientific
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 addressing these
goals. |
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Course Objectives
The
course goals 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
mathematical skills you should be able to demonstrate upon completion of this
course: 1.
Understand
basic rules of exponents and how to work with negative exponents 2.
Ability to add,
subtract, and multiply polynomials (introduction to division of polynomials) 3.
Recognize and
use a variety of factoring methods 4.
Factoring
common terms and trinomials with any leading coefficient 5.
Be able to
recognize the difference of squares and use it to factor quickly 6.
Understand
square root and know how to simplify radicals 7.
Apply quadratic
equation to solve problems 8.
Understand how
quadratic equations are related to parabolas 9.
Know how to graph
a parabola accurately having been given its equation 10.
Know how to
work with simple rational expressions 11.
Able to solve
application problems and explain the mathematics in the context of the
problem |
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As a student in this course, you
are expected to attend all class sessions, arrive on-time and be 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 pencil, notebook paper, graph paper, straight-edge
or ruler, and scientific calculator. |
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Tests and Quizzes Much of the learning in this class is done through group
work, therefore group tests and
quizzes 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 objective). 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 quiz or test. You can go to the homework website and pull up
sample quizzes/tests that you can practice on before the quiz/test. Partnership/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
partnership, small group, and whole class activities. The partnership and
small group formats provide 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
quiz/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 submitting homework on time is essential as it prepares you to be a full
participant in the class activities. For each assigned section, you should: - take notes and work through the
sample problems - work through some of the problems
at the end of the section - check your work with the answers
at the back of the book or in your solution manual - write up your responses to the
questions in the Course Calendar for that section Hand-in
your response sheet on the day it is listed on the Course Calendar. The
response sheet is worth 10 participation points and can only be made up by
handing it in on the day of your return to class after an absence. When you
feel confident that you understand the material presented in the section and
can perform the required skills then complete the on-line assignment. I
strongly recommend that you do the assignment each night so that you are
prepared for the daily in-class assignment. On-line assignment: Go to WAMAP:
Online Homework Access, log in using your ‘first name’ space ‘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 quiz/test. After midnight, you
will not be able to earn credit for the on-line problems for those sections. Daily in-class
process When you arrive in class, hand in your reading response sheet, pick up your
file folder, and start working on the problems listed on the board. The
problems are chosen to represent the important concepts covered in the
section. Start working on the problem
assigned to your group first. When your group agrees to the solution process,
have one person from the group put the solution steps on the board so that
others in class can follow your solution process. Then you work on the other
problems. As your group completes the other problems, either register your
agreement with other groups’ solutions, or put up your own solutions. When
done put your work in your folder. This process should only take 15—20
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 section, (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% class participation
& homework, 60% quizzes and tests. o Quizzes and tests are given each
week. Quiz problems are similar to the in-class problems worked on that week;
while tests are cumulative, meaning that the test questions can be taken from
any of the problems worked on in class to-date. Quizzes are worth 50
pts, Tests are 100 pts. Since quizzes and tests are designed for working in
groups, it is important that you make every effort to attend, arrive on-time,
and be prepared. There are NO make-up tests or quizzes. The lowest quiz grade
will be dropped and the lowest test grade can be replaced with the grade
received on the final exam. (On-line homework section problems must be
electronically submitted prior to the test that assesses your understanding
of the sections covered to-date.) o Final Exam is 100 pts and is a
collection of problems similar to the ones presented in the daily class work
that cover the material for the entire quarter. The final exam grade will
replace the lowest test grade. o Participation: You will receive 10
points for each day that you attend class. Points are deducted if you arrive
late or leave early, are not able to attend a session, and for disruptive and
disrespectful behavior. Also, up to an additional 10 participation points can
be earned if you hand in a reading response sheet for the section
covered that day before group time is over (within the first 15 minutes of
class.) If you are absent and want to receive the 10 points for the reading
response sheet, then that must be submitted (email is fine) before the class
session or immediately upon your return to class. The 10 attendance
participation points cannot be made-up even for excused absences. o On-line homework is worth 10
homework points. Section problems are available on-line up until the day of
the quiz/test (midnight before the quiz/test). Please check the Course
Calendar for quiz/test dates.
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. |
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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 phobia 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. |
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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 the instructor 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. |
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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. The homework site is at: (You will be registered automatically as a student
in this class. Please use
your ‘last name space first name’
as your student name and your pass code is your student number (with NO
dashes). Full credit for online homework is only given when responses are received before
midnight, before the test/quiz. Reading Response Questions are listed on the day they are due.
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