Course Overview Math 130 Fall 2010

Math 130 – Course Philosophy & Policies – Fall 2010

Website: http://barzilai.org/courses/130/
Classroom: HS 113		Instructor: Dr. Harel Barzilai
Meets: Mon/Wed		Office: HS 124
Time: 4:00-5:15 (§1)		Email: hxbarzilai at salisbury dot edu
Texts: Bennett/Burton/Nelson "Conceptual Approach"; Bennett/Nelson Activity Approach spiral workbook.		Phone: 543-6472 (SU Ext 36472)

General: This handout summarizes key information about this course. It is your responsibility to know and understand the information presented here. While this handout is extensive, it is not exhaustive; it is your responsibility to seek me out if you have any questions or need clarification, and to do so as soon as possible.

Course overview: Our goals in this course will focus on mathematical content -- not methods, though methods will be woven in throughout -- relating to the central concepts underlying the K-8 mathematics outlined in the official Course Catalog description. In this course you work towards understanding the deeper connections between different parts of the mathematics covered in the course. You will be responsible also for gaining a higher level of understanding of the material, which you will need as teachers: you need to have a comfortable familiarity with the mathematics, and bird's-eye perspective on the topics you will teach your students in school. Note: The content of this course is not the same as the content you will teach -- this is a college course, not a K-12 class, after all! We will look at and work with K-8 math topics, but from the more sophisticated level you will need as a teacher.

Decorum: While I prefer relatively informal classroom atmosphere, a more 'relaxed' atmosphere should not let you lose sight that learning is at the heart of why we are here. Classroom behavior should be courteous, polite and respectful of the course, the instructor, and your classmates. In particular:

You are expected to attend every class unless there is a legitimate reason you can document on paper (illness, official SU game away, etc). If attendance is poor there may be a short quiz without makeup. It's also your responsibility to participate fully in class. Your classmates gain from your questions as well as your answers, and from in-class teamwork. If you fail to show up or arrive late, you are not only hurting your grade, you would also be failing to live up to your responsibility to your classmates. In a positive vein, your classmates' insights, perspectives, questions, and support are often among the best resources you have; please be courteous to them, the Professor, and the class at all times.
Arrive on time, and, unless you are given advance approval from the instructor, you may not leave early. (If you feel suddenly very sick of course, you may leave, in a way that does not disturb the class, and explain to me later). If you are "done" with groupwork, work on homework or ask me for additional problems (it is not ok to work on one of your other courses in class! It is rude and inconsiderate of both classmates and instructor. This should be obvious to you as a future instructor). If you end up leaving early or missing a class for any reasons, including legitimate ones, you are the one responsible for making up the material.
Do not carry on conversations while the instructor is speaking or while classmates are participating in a classroom discussion. A very brief and quiet question to your neighbor is (on an occasional basis) might be ok; anything longer than that is disruptive and not appropriate; you should raise your hand instead, or work quietly by yourself and ask me or a classmate after class.
You are allowed to step outside of class for a moment if you need to use the bathroom; you do not need my permission to do this, just do so in a non-disruptive and quiet manner.
Turn off all cellphones and pagers. If you have a true possible family/emergency situation, and still feel you should be in class, you may set the 'ring' to vibrate-only (no sound) mode. Children and pets are not allowed in class without my prior approval. Please do not litter -- please clean up after yourself and straighten your chair at the end of class in consideration of the classes/students using the room after us.

Expectations:

As a rule students should expect to spend at least two hours outside of class for every hour in class on homework, reviewing class notes, coming to office hours, etc. This means at least six hours per week. Some students with weaker backgrounds will need to spend more time than that.

You will work to improve your self-confidence in mathematics. Such self-confidence does not come from just from "positive thinking" but from positive knowing -- that is, through actual experience. You can gain such experience only though hard work through problem-solving, including analyzing (and often, solving) a problem from multiple directions, not giving up when one direction does not work, and by remembering what did (and did not) work in previous attempts.

Communication: you will develop your ability to speak about mathematics in a way others can understand, to write about math, and to discuss mathematics in a small group or as a class. It has been shown that the ability to communicate about a subject and the ability to carefully express oneself, is closely connected with the mind's gaining a deeper and fuller understanding of the material. In this course, it is not enough to "get the right final answer" or to only know which memorized algorithm to use. Understanding "how" and "why", and being able to explain is the level of learning expected from you.

Pedagogy: in addition you will become acquainted with the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Standards, in part through readings, but mostly through experiencing problem-solving, group-work, writing in mathematics, oral presentations, manipulatives, and technology. Finally, you will gain skills which (along with Education Department methods courses) will help you in ultimately creating lesson plans which utilize practices consistent with the NCTM recommendations. Given national and state standards for teachers, these high course expectations, while challenging, are absolutely necessary. Preparing now will mean less "pain" later (in your first years as a teacher).
General questions may be asked during the first few minutes of class which immediately follow the Homework Presentations, before we begin the lesson; you may also ask me general or individual questions in person before class; and you may contact me by email, or by calling. In addition, and importantly, you can speak with me during office hours (see below).
Philosophy: It is my belief that any prepared and hard-working student can succeed in this course. This does not necessarily mean everyone gets an A (though I would be delighted if everyone performed at that level). Yes, you should first make sure that you belong in this course in terms of your previous mathematical background, skills, and knowledge (you should discuss this with me during the first week of the course if you have any concerns). However, if you have the proper background as you enter this course, and if you work hard consistently (and seek help in a timely fashion when you need) every week of the semester, most likely you will succeed.
Second, respect this course. We are here to learn. The math we will study was developed over many centuries by people living around the world, who found it useful. With the right attitude on your part, you should find the material interesting, and sometimes even truly exciting. But again, don't expect every minute to be pure distilled joy. We are here to master new material, and that takes time... and effort.
Third, show respect to each other. While some level of competition may be unavoidable, you are not contestants in a mathematical 'beauty contest' with me as judge. I respect you for your work and effort, for your ideas and your participation, but not for putting down fellow students, or deliberately trying to show off.
Fourth: There is no such thing as a "dumb question". (There are, of course, questions indicating either a weak background, or poor study habits; focusing on your mathematical background and study skills, such problems can be effectively addressed, if you are willing to work on them). Keep in mind: Mathematics is not a spectator sport. Learning means students being active participants: curious intellectual explorers of ideas, open-minded, determined (not giving up easily), and taking personal responsibility for their learning.
Last but not least, I am on your side. Part of my responsibility in this course is, indeed, to assign grades. And this role of the instructor sometimes appears "adversarial". Although I often wish we had no grades (grading is the least favorite 'job' for most teachers), neither you nor I can wish them out of existence. They are, at present, simply a fact of life. The attitude and conduct you bring to class can make a great difference however. For my part, I want you to do well in this course. You will probably not do well in this course if you do not take it seriously. But if you truly want to learn, and put in the work, all the work, I am here to help you succeed. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to the mental struggle that is necessary to learning, that anyone has been able to discover in history (if there was, someone would be rich today having put it into a bottle for sale..), but the outcomes of this struggle can be immensely rewarding. You've been there before -- we have all had to learn to crawl, to walk, to talk, to ride a bicycle or to drive -- to do things you didn't know know you were capable of. If you make the effort in this course, I will be there to help you, like a coach who is rooting for you(if you are not willing to make a serious effort, then should you really be spending your time and money on taking this course?)
Exams: There will be several traditional exams, and a final (or final graded assignment) which is cumulative. Exams fall under the "SU Policy..on Academic Integrity"; be sure to read this part of the Catalog carefully. Cheating will result in severe penalties, including forwarding your case to authorities in the Department or at the University judicial system, who are very likely to deal with you less leniently than I. For exams and for other written material, and any written project (see below), if you have any doubts or questions about how to properly attribute the work of others, please see me well before the due date.
You are expected to show up at scheduled exams. If you give me prior notice of at least 10 days before an exam of a valid reason why you cannot take the exam as schedule, I will try to accommodate you. Simply not showing up, then showing up later with an explanation, will in all but grave (and documented) medical emergencies and the most unusual cases earn you a grade of zero.
All exams, unless otherwise stated explicitly are closed book and closed notes. The policy regarding the use of calculators will be announced for each exam. In general, you should be able to solve problems not requiring complicated computations or high-level graphing skills, without a calculator. For most of the conceptual parts of tests, the mechanical answers calculators provide will not be of help in any case. A pleasant surprise for those who read all of this (which should be all of you): You may bring an index card (size: 3×5 or 4×6) to all tests, and an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper to the Final, with your handwritten (not typed) notes. This is my way of living up to my end of the bargain that this course is for understanding concepts, not to burden you with lots of memorizations.
Due Dates: You are expected to hand in all your work on time. If you have any questions or concerns about how I have graded a problem, assignment or exam, you need to bring these to me by the next class period following your receiving your work back.
Grading: See Course information handout.
Why groupwork in math? Why oral/written communication skills in math? In the Real World, whether you work in a business, nonprofit, government agency, teach, or work almost anywhere else, you will be expected to have strong people skills as well as and in conjunction with technical skills. You will be expected to be able to work in a team environment towards the goal of completing large-scale projects. Similarly, in today's (and tomorrow's) world people are expected to be able to present technical information in oral and in written format (e.g. reports) which are not just a string of formulas "thrown on the page" but which are neat, legible, logically organized, including diagrams which are fully labeled, and with complete and grammatically correct and thought-out sentences and paragraphs; which give the reader a narrative and context clarifying exactly how and why you arrived at your conclusions. In fact, in a recent survey of industry and what's required in the job market, "communication skills" and "teamwork skills" ranked at the very top along with strong technical/analytical skills. Students in math classes thus need to gain these skills!
A final course average of 89% guarantees an A; 79% guarantees a B; 69% guarantees a C; 59% guarantees a D.
Office Hours: Go to http://barzilai.org/courses/ and click on "my schedule" (at top left of web page).
I am also always available By Appointment as well, at a mutually convenient time. Unscheduled times: I am often in my office during the times marked "planning time", "projects," etc on my online schedule. It is not required but strongly recommended that you make an appointment if you wish to see me. Even during scheduled office hours, an appointment is often a good idea (especially just before exams, etc) since I may be "caught" in the hallway answering spontaneous question from students in your class or one of my other classes. In addition, you may make an appointment to see me at another time I am free, under the "by appointment" policy.
If I am absent when you arrive, please allow me a few minutes to return, especially if my door is open but I am not in. I may be in the copy room, or may be talking with a student or faculty member elsewhere in the building. If you come by when I am away, you may leave a message on my door. Also, do not assume that I have your email, phone number, etc, even if you have previously given it to me, since there are some 100 students in my classes and keeping an updated list is not practical. During the first week of classes, I would appreciate your coming by my office to introduce yourself (you may bring a friend, or come with another classmate, if you like). In addition to helping me put your name to your face, this will allow me to get to know you better so I have a better picture of the mathematical background, interests, and needs of the class. It will also serve as a way for you to find where my office is located on campus (Henson 124) and get you into the habit of stopping by during the semester. During the semester there may be points you wish to clarify outside of class. Come alone, in pairs, or in groups. Emmy Noether, Henri Poincare, and various candies will greet you in my office.
Technology: There are helpful links and materials on the class web page, and you should check for occasional updates during the semester, e.g. helpful tips for specific assignments or the class in general. You should look at http://barzilai.org/courses. Students are encouraged to forward useful links to me for addition to the class web page. We may use some online applets. You are expected to check your email regularly (at least several times per week) as a requirement for this course.
Scheduled Final Exam:
Note: You must notify me ASAP -- at the beginning of the semester -- if you have any conflict with this date/time. See http://www.salisbury.edu/registar/examschd.htm Please re-check later this semester (in case of rare reschedule by SU's registrar) Currently set for:
Classes starting Mondays at 4:00pm: Final Exam is Mon, Dec 13, 2010 4:15-6:45pm
→ Location of Final Exam is our regular classroom ←
Note: I often keep Final Exams and copies of some in class tests or other written assignments. From time to time over the years, some of these may be used for research purposes which leave your identity anonymous and which aim at improving teaching and at better understanding the mathematical thinking and understandings of students. If you have a concern or objection to this, please see me to withdraw your consent (if at all possible, please see me in the first two weeks of the semester) or if you have questions; otherwise you have given your consent.
Also, please see me as soon as possible if there is any disability or condition which may affect you in this course. In such cases, please see Office of Student Disability Support Services, but I would appreciate if you would also tell me directly as well as soon as possible.