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Seattle
Central Community College Winter
Quarter 2010 1296 MATH098_07 Intermediate
Algebra Monday—Thursday 1:00—2:05 PM Room BE4156 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 10PM—10:50PM or by appointment
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/scccmath |
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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. 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 30% for
class participation and reading response questions, 20% for WAMAP on-line
homework; and 50% for tests 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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