Math 1010 - Dr. Sarah J. Greenwald

Math 1010 for Watauga College - Introduction to Mathematics (Liberal Arts Mathematics)
Dr. Sarah J. Greenwald
"We must prepare the next generation to be logical, flexible thinkers in a world that is increasingly complex and mathematical."

Required Resources

How Do You Know? Using Math to Make Decisions text available in the 1010 section of the bookstore

Heart of Mathematics text available for rental upstairs in the IDS section of the bookstore

scientific calculator which can do powers (y^x or x^y or ^ symbol).

handouts - given out in class or lab or on the web (pick them up from my door if you miss a class)

3 ring binder notebook to organize handouts, notes and your work, and a hole puncher

access to a web-browser and to campus pipeline at least once every 48 hours

printer card and printouts of your work - see http://pharos.appstate.edu/ for information.

Where to Get Help

Office Hours 326 Walker Hall, 262-2363, I am always happy to help you in office hours. An open door means that I am on the floor somewhere, so come look for me.

http://www.mathsci.appstate.edu/~sjg/class/1010/indexf04.html This is the main web page. Check this often (every couple of days and at least 3 times a week) for work due. On web pages, an underlined phrase means a link.

WebCT Postings This is the easiest way to ask a math question outside of class and office hours. You are responsible for reading all posts by me at least once a week. I prefer that you use office hours since it is easier to discuss material in person, but if you can not make them, then this is a great alternative. I usually check the posts numerous times every day including the weekends.

Walker Math Help Faculty and students answer questions.

You may wish to obtain a tutor through the Learning Assistance Program - for group (free) or private ($$) tutors in D.D. Dougherty.

Grades

Participation in class and lab activities, WebCT quizzes, class preparation, and homework graded out of checkplus 13% You are expected to complete homework assignments and receive a check or checkplus on them (no lates allowed, but you may miss 3 without penalty), read any messages that I post to WebCT, and take and retake WebCT quizzes until you receive an A. You are also expected to contribute to discussions and actively engage the material in class and lab. This means that when we are doing a calculation, you must also do this on your calculator, and you are expected to take notes since the book does not contain everything you need to know. You must be prepared for class, which means that if you miss a class then you should complete the missed work before the next class by picking up handouts from my door and obtaining the assignment from the web pages. Satisfactory completion of these kinds of baseline activities will result in a participation grade of 11/13. Other activities can increase or decrease this grade. Asking and answering thought provoking questions, coming up with creative ways of thinking about the material, and explaining the material to others are some examples of positive participation that will increase your grade. On the other hand, actions that illustrate you are not taking the class or the activities seriously will result in a lower participation grade: doing work or holding conversations unrelated to the class, sleeping in class, letting your cell phone ring in class, talking to your neighbors instead of engaging the material, challenging authority instead of looking for answers within yourself, leaving the classroom, refusing to engage in the baseline activities and performing other activities that detract from the professional classroom environment.

Attendance Policy There will be days when the activities are designed to be completed during class. Thus, attendance is required at ALL classes. Department policy mandates that more than 8 credit hours of official and/or unofficial absences during the course (careful - each class is 1.5 credit hours and each lab is 2 credit hours) will result in a grade of F. Save your absences for emergencies that prevent you from attending. If the university is open and you miss a class, then that counts as an absence. 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. Since material is covered very quickly you will find that it is difficult to make up a missed class, but you should do so by before the next class. You will receive (3.5 - #credit hours of absences) added on to (or subtracted from) your final average.

Numerically graded lab projects 25% The lowest lab project will be dropped. No late work allowed. May occur during the last week of classes.

Major topic exams and presentations 25% No make-ups will be given. May occur during the last week of classes. You should view exams primarily as a learning experience, as reflected in the relatively low percentage of the grade. This means that exams are not only an opportunity for you to demonstrate your mastery of the material, but are also an opportunity for you to be challenged with new material in order for you to make new connections. To encourage exams as a learning experience some extra points will be granted for test revisions.

3 Major writing assignments 25% You will have a chance to revise your work for all but the last assignment. No late work allowed. May occur during the last week of classes.

Final 12% Final exam will occur at 9-11:30 on Thursday December 9. No make-ups allowed.

On-time extra credit If all of your writing assignments and lab projects are turned in on time AND you have received at least 50% credit for all work, and you have turned in all but 3 of the other homework assignments on time, then you will receive an on-time credit of +1 added on to your final average. No late work will be accepted.

Extra credit There will be extra credit opportunities during the semester for which points will accumulate. When final grades are given, extra credit points are taken into account in the determination of -, nothing, or + attached to a letter grade.

I believe that each of you has the capability to succeed in this course. You have showed that you have the required algebraic skills from your performance on the placement test. Yet, sometimes, in order to succeed, we must change certain behaviors, study habbits, and/or emotional reactions. We'll see that everyone (including Dr. Sarah and other mathematicians) struggles with mathematics. Success in mathematics is not determined by whether it comes naturally or seems "clear". Instead, success in mathematics is all about learning to use mistakes and material we are struggling with in order to grow. You can obtain a passing grade in this class by satisfactorily completing your work and missing no more than 8 credit hours of class. Most people who do so will receive an A, B, or C in the course. To obtain an A in this class, you must demonstrate deep understanding of the material. Since the class meets for 5 hours per week and satisfies 3 designators, you should expect to work hard, and put in the necessary time outside of class in order to complete homework and assignments on time (compared to a 3 hour course with no designators you will probably spend significantly more time on this class).

Course Goals

Develop creative inquiry skills.
Develop an appreciation of what mathematics is, what it has to offer, why it is useful, and the diverse ways that people can be successful at mathematics (including you!).
Develop communication skills by communicating mathematics to a general audience in writing projects, and through group and class discussions and presentations.
Develop computer skills and advanced web searching techniques.
Math 1010 has been designated as a writing intensive, numerical data and computer use course.

Watauga College Math 1010

All Math 1010 sections must satisfy the above three designators. This section of MAT 1010 is designed for Watauga College students. You'll receive full general education math credit while developing a liberal arts appreciation of mathematics. While parts of the class are similar to other Mat 1010s, it differs from other sections via an interdisciplinary and thematically linked format.

Syllabus and Objectives

Geometry of our Earth and universe How we view the world around us and what it actually looks like.
What is a Mathematician? The lives and mathematical work and styles of some famous mathematicians.
Statistics To recognize misrepresentations of studies and statistical data in the real world by understanding statistical techniques and satisfy the numerical data designator.
Financial Mathematics Interest formulas as they apply to the real world - credit cards, student loans, savings accounts, car and house purchases, taxes, retirement...

Other Policies

Material is covered very quickly so do plenty of exercises, more than those that are assigned. In college, you can expect to spend 1.5-2 hours outside of class for each hour in class. Plan to spend at least 7-10 hours per week, out of class, on average, on this course. This is standard for mathematics courses. As a general rule of thumb, on average, you can expect to spend about 2-3 hours outside of class per week reviewing material and class notes, 3-6 hours outside of class per week for homework assignments, and about 1 hour outside of class per week on checking the main web page and WebCT postings. If you find that you are spending fewer hours than these guidelines suggest, you can probably improve your grade by studying more. If you are spending more hours than these guidelines suggest, you may be studying inefficiently; in that case, you should come see me.

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 main web page and WebCT postings, so check these two places 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 after the same amount of time that I gave you to complete the assignment. 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 think of me as a combination between a coach and a future boss and you should respect this dynamic in class, office hours and the bulletin board as I try to guide you to success in this class by helping you develop professional skills.

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.

The text below is taken from Jeff Bennett's HINTS ON HOW TO SUCCEED IN COLLEGE CLASSES. Copyright 2000, Jeff Bennett.

Presenting Homework and Writing Assignments

All work that you turn-in should be of collegiate quality: neat and easy to read, well-organized, and demonstrating mastery of the subject matter. Future employers and teachers will expect this quality of work. Moreover, although submitting homework of collegiate quality requires "extra" effort, it serves two important purposes directly related to learning.

The effort you expend in clearly explaining your work solidifies your learning. In particular, research has shown that writing and speaking trigger different areas of your brain. By writing something down - even when you think you already understand it - your learning is reinforced by involving other areas of your brain.
By making your work clear and self-contained (that is, making it a document that you can read without referring to the questions in the text), it will be a much more useful study guide when you review for a quiz or exam.

The following guidelines will help ensure that your assignments meet the standards of collegiate quality.

Always use proper grammar, proper sentence and paragraph structure, and proper spelling.
All answers and other writing should be fully self-contained. A good test is to imagine that a friend is reading your work, and asking yourself whether the friend would understand exactly what you are trying to say. It is also helpful to read your work out loud to yourself, making sure that it sounds clear and coherent.
In problems that require calculation:
Be sure to show your work clearly. By doing so, both you and your instructor can follow the process you used to obtain an answer.
Word problems should have word answers. That is, after you have completed any necessary calculations, any problem stated in words should be answered with one or more complete sentences that describe the point of the problem and the meaning of your solution.
Pay attention to details that will make your assignments look good. For example:
Use standard-sized white paper with clean edges (e.g., do not tear paper out of notebooks because it will have ragged edges).
Staple all pages together; don't use paper clips or folded corners because they tend to get caught with other students' papers.
Use a ruler to make straight lines in sketches or graphs.
Include illustrations whenever they help to explain your answer.
If you study with friends, be sure that you turn in your own work stated in your own words - it is important that you avoid any possible appearance of academic dishonesty.

Math 1010 for Watauga College - Introduction to Mathematics (Liberal Arts Mathematics) Dr. Sarah J. Greenwald "We must prepare the next generation to be logical, flexible thinkers in a world that is increasingly complex and mathematical."