access to a web-browser and to campus pipeline at least once every 36 hours
Course Goals
Develop creative inquiry skills.
Develop an
appreciation of what mathematics is,
what it has to offer, and why it is useful.
Develop communication skills by
communicating mathematics to a general audience in writing projects,
group and class discussions and presentations, and on the WebCT bulletin
board.
Develop computer skills and advanced web searching techniques.
Math 1010
has been designated as a
writing intensive,
numerical data
and
computer use course.
Topics and Objectives
Financial Mathematics Interest formulas as
they apply to the real world - credit cards, student loans,
savings accounts, car and house purchases, taxes, retirement...
Statistics
To recognize misrepresentations of studies and statistical data
in the real world
by understanding statistical techniques.
What is a Mathematician? The lives and mathematical
work and styles of some famous mathematicians.
Geometry of the Real World Geometry of
our earth and universe - doing mathematics the way mathematicians do.
Grades
You can obtain a passing grade in this class by
completing your work and missing no more than 8 credit hours of
class. You should expect to work hard in this class,
and put in the necessary time outside of class
in order to complete homework
and assignments on time, as I also work hard to help you succeed.
To obtain an A in this class, you must demonstrate deep understanding
of the material.
Other Policies
Material is covered very quickly.
Do plenty of exercises, more than those that are assigned.
In college, you can expect to spend 2 hours
outside of class for each hour in class. Plan to spend at least 8-10 hours
per week, out of class, on average, on this course.
Attendance and participation are expected and required.
Please try to be punctual in attending, as I try to start each class on time.
If you must be late to a class, or must leave early,
then do still attend, although
you can expect that the portion of the class that you miss will be deducted
from your attendance allowance.
This class does not follow the standard lecture format.
There will be days when the activities are designed to be completed
during class and handed in at the end of the period.
Thus, attendance is required at ALL lecture and lab periods.
You are responsible for all material covered and all announcements
and assignments made at each class, whether
you are present or not. You are also responsible for announcements
made on the web pages, so check them often.
Certain homework or assignments will require use of a computer with
web access, as
this is a computer intensive designated course. Either you will be given
some time in lab to do the assignment, or you will have at least
36 hours to complete such an assignment - enough time
to access a computer from school if you do not have one at home.
If, due to work or other responsibilities, you cannot
access a computer with web access
at least once every 36 hours, then you should drop out of this section.
As mandated for
writing designated courses,
you will be assigned a significant amount of writing.
You can expect to have your graded projects returned to you one week
after you submit them.
When writing up work, be sure to give acknowledgment where it is due.
Submitting someone else's work as your own (PLAGIARISM) is a serious
violation of the University's Academic Integrity Code.
Methodology
Asking questions, and explaining things to others, in or out of class,
is one of the best ways to improve your understanding of the material.
This course is to be an environment in which everyone
feels comfortable asking questions,
making mistakes, offering good guesses and ideas, and is respectful to
one another.
You should explore each problem
and write out your
thinking in a way that can be shared with others.
Focus on your own ideas.
Turn in projects or prepare to present problems
even if it they are not complete, even if only to say, "I do not
understand such and such" or "I am stuck here."
Be as specific as possible. Conjecture.
In this course, you will be challenged with problems that you have never
seen before. I do not expect you to be able to solve all the issues
immediately. Instead, I want to see what you can do on your own.
Out in the real world, this is important, since no matter what job
you have, you will be expected to seek out information and answers
to new topics you have not seen before.
This may feel uncomfortable and frustrating. I understand this
and want to help you through the process.
It helps to remember that
there are no mathematical dead-ends!
Each time we get stuck, it teaches us
something about the problem we are working on, and leads us to a
deeper understanding of the mathematics.
In the real world though, you are not expected to face your work alone.
You will be allowed to talk to other people
and you
may even be expected to work with other people.
In this class, you are also not expected to face your work alone.
I encourage you to talk to me often in class, office hours,
and the bulletin board,
and group work will also be encouraged.
I am always happy to help you in class, during office hours (or by
appointment), or on the WebCT bulletin board, and will
try to give you hints and direction.
At times though, to encourage the exploration process,
I may direct you to rethink a problem
and to come back to discuss it with me again afterwards. This occurs
when I believe that the struggle to understand is imperative for your
deep understanding of the material.