Syllabus for MAT 084

Algebra I

Instructor: Mr. JohnsOffice Hours: Daily 10:00 – 10:50AM

Quarter: Winter 2006Office Number: Room 5108

Phone: (206) 587-6991Email:

Web Page:

NOTE: All information in this syllabus is subject to change. It is your responsibility to keep abreast of these changes.

Course Description

I welcome you to MAT 084 and an exciting quarter of mathematics and learning!

This class is designed to:

  • Have you better appreciate mathematics
  • Make you successful in many skills and concepts in mathematics
  • Develop your quantitative and reasoning skills needed for a higher education degree
  • Make you a competent and eager problem-solver
  • Better prepare you for the mathematical world you live in
  • Prepare you for entrance into MAT 085 – The Continuation of Algebra!

We will be studying the following topics:

  • Brief Review of MAT 081 Material (the key word is BRIEF)
  • Graphing on the Coordinate Plane
  • Solving Linear Equations
  • Problem Solving using Linear Equations
  • Graphing Linear Relationships
  • Finding Equations of Lines
  • Modeling Linear Relationships
  • Graphing Systems of Linear Equations
  • Solving Systems of Linear Equations
  • Modeling with Systems of Linear Equations

As you can see, the three key words for this quarter are: relationships, modeling, and linear.

Prerequisites

To guarantee your success in this class, you are required to have received a placement exam score that places you into MAT 084 OR a recent grade in MAT 081 of 2.0 or greater. If you do not have this prerequisite or you are not sure if you should be in this class, please see me immediately outside of class.

Classroom Format

Your learning will occur in an academic environment we both create that is:

  • Safe
  • Open
  • Respectful of all
  • Supportive
  • Productive
  • And Inspiring!

Learning will occur in different modes including:

  • Lecture
  • Class Discussion
  • Hands-on Activities
  • Group Activities
  • Assessment including Tests, Quizzes, and Lots of Homework!

Course Materials Required

You will need the following to insure your productivity and success:

The textbook “Introductory Algebra” 4th edition by Blitzer (bring every day to class!)

(we will be covering the first 5 chapters; MAT 085 covers the other 5)

  • A Big 3-Ring Binder with 4 Dividers labeled as follows:

“Notes and Handouts,” “Daily Assignments,” “Homework,” and “Quizzes”

  • College-Ruled Paper
  • Graph Paper
  • Small Ruler (preferably 6 inches, plastic and see-through)
  • Lots of Pencils and Erasers (no pens allowed)

Grade Computation

Your grade in this class is based solely on points that you earn on the assessment listed below:

Daily Assignments (80 Points)

Group Assignments (20 Points)

Homework (5 Points each –only the best 7 out of 9 homework grades are considered)

Quizzes (20 Points Each -- only the best 7 out of 8 are considered)

Comprehensive, Required Final Exam (80 Points – no makeups for this exam! Please consult the class schedule for the date and time of the final exam.)

Your grade is computed from a final percentage of points earned out of a total of 355 points. Your GPA is then found by looking up your final percentage on the table below.

94% to 100%receives 4.070% to 73% receives 2.0

90% to 93% 3.766% to 69%1.7

86% to 89% 3.362% to 65%1.0

82% to 85% 3.059% to 61%0.7

78% to 81% 2.758% or below0.0

74% to 77% 2.3

I do not believe in trying to distinguish between, for example, a GPA of 3.4 and 3.5. Instead, I believe any percentage between and inclusive of 90% and 93% should get a 3.7. If your percent is, say, 93.5% or higher, I will round up and give the 4.0.

  • You need to achieve a grade of 2.0 with at least 70% of the total points to pass onto MAT 085
  • I do not give incomplete “I” grades.
  • The No Credit “NC” grade can be given only if you are passing the class.
  • If you decide to drop this class, be sure to get my signature after the second week. If you fail to do this, you leave me no choice but to give you a GPA of 0.0.

Makeup Policies

Should an emergency arise, you are permitted to makeup a quiz if you phone or send an e-mail to me BEFORE the time the quiz is given. You must then makeup the quiz THE SAME DAY before I leave. If there is an emergency that does not permit you to contact me before the assessment, contact me as soon as possible on the same day so that we can work out arrangements.

This makeup policy is created for last minute emergencies (snow day, missed bus, etc.) or short-term problems known in advance (day care problems, doctor appointment, etc.). It is not meant for sickness or whole-day absences. If you cannot makeup the same day, you will be given zero points regardless of circumstances.

In case you miss one or two homework assignments, I drop the lowest two homework grades.

In case you miss one quiz, I drop the lowest quiz grade.

If more than one quiz is missed, you should drop the class.

If you miss a daily assignment, homework assignment, group assignment, or the final exam,

there are NO makeups.

Daily Assignments

On most days, you will be given a “daily assignment” of 2 to 4 problems from the text or a handout. You are required to complete this “daily assignment” outside of class and hand it in at THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT CLASS. I will grade these problems in one to two days and return them to you with points and comments. Each daily assignment is usually worth 2 points. No late daily assignments accepted. The assignment will be graded on neatness, completeness, and correctness. It also must be labeled with the following information in the upper-right corner:

Your name

MAT 084

The time your class meets (eg.10 AM)

The date when the Daily assigned (not when it is turned in)

  • Section Number and Problem Numbers

See an example of the Daily Assignment format on the class website.

Homework

Homework is not a form of torture but as a means by where you do the MOST learning in this class. LEARNING MATH MEANS DOING MATH, doing it until you do it accurately, doing it in a timely manner. You need lots of practice, so I assign a lot of homework, about 10 hours a week. This does not mean that this is all the homework you need to do to pass the course; if you struggle with certain types of problems, you will need to do more than the daily assignments and homework required.

On most days, you will be given a daily homework assignment. You are required to complete it as soon as possible outside of class. Before the beginning of a quiz, you will turn in the week’s worth of homework assignments as a homework set in chronological order. The set is worth 5 points and is corrected by a grader. You will receive the half of the 5 points if your assignment is neat, complete, in order, and is labeled with the following in the upper-right corner ON EACH DAY’S HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

Your name

MAT 084

The time your class meets (eg. 10 AM)

The date the homework was assigned (not the date the set is due)

Homework Set #

See an example of the Homework Assignment format on the class website.

Any late homework will NOT be accepted.

Group Assignments

Occasionally I will give an in-class assignment that a table of students must complete or attempt to complete in a certain amount of time. I will collect this assignment with all student names on the paper and I will give group members the same grade based on completion and effort. No makeups for missed group assignments. NOTE: I may also be moving people to different groups throughout the quarter in an effort to have you meet as many people as possible and to better match you with compatible students.

Disputes about Grading

In this high stress job, sometimes I miscalculate (I never could do arithmetic very well) or misassign points in assessment. There may be a time when you think I was too harsh on my grading or I didn’t see your correct reasoning. The most objective way for me to review your disputes is for you to adhere to the following procedure:

  • Staple a separate sheet of paper to the assessment and on it describe in a brief paragraph where I had made a mistake and why I should reconsider the score.
  • Give this to me within one week of getting the assessment back fromme – I will not consider regrading stuff assigned at the beginning of the quarter for extra points at the end of the quarter!

ADA Statement

Students with documented disabilities who need course accommodations, have emergency medical information, or require special arrangements for building evacuation should contact the instructor outside of class as soon as possible.

Rules and Guidelines

Past experience has shown that I need to make myself very clear about certain issues in order to:

  • insure the smooth running and positive environment of the class.
  • insure that you, me, and fellow students are respected in the class.
  • make clear my expectations of you.

To this end I list a few obvious but important rules and guidelines that you must read and agree to.

0. No cheating, period. However, I need to make it clear that my definition of cheating extends to where one person or persons provide help to another person or persons during a quiz, test, or final exam. I will give all of these persons zero points on the assessment. I do encourage people to work together on overnight assignments and homework but each student should do their own work and no blatant copying should occur. Believe me, I can tell when students copy homework!

1. Do not talk when other students or the teacher are addressing the class. Sometimes a little discussion about a math problem with a confused neighbor is tolerated in a soft voice. But I have no tolerance for obtrusive talk, especially if it is about something that does not relate to math. When class starts, all of us should be focused on math for our too-short 50-minute session. If you have a question or know an answer, please raise your hand. Unnecessary talking is the number one complaint I receive from other students.

2. If you have to leave early from class, please let me know before class. It is obtrusive and disrespectful to the teacher and other students to just pick up and leave.

3. If you are unexpectedly late for class, quietly enter without talking, sit in the nearest available chair to the door (not your usual chair), and quietly get your materials out.

4. If you know you will be absent, please let me know ahead of time. If you missed days unexpectedly, be sure to get notes and assignments from fellow students. Even if you missed a makeup opportunity, I would appreciate if you could let me know why you missed class. If you need to talk to me about anything, feel free to call me or see me in person. All discussion will be confidential and, who knows, maybe I can help!

5. Turn off all pagers and cellphones before class starts. If a phone or pager goes off, I will stop the class and take the phone or pager away. I will then keep it until the owner comes to my next office hour for a little lecture. If a pager or phone goes off during a test, quiz or the final exam, the owner will receive zero points on that assessment. Fellow students’ concentration is disturbed when these device go off and can cause these people to miss material and points. This is not fair and it will not be tolerated.

6. Never be afraid to ask questions! The only dumb question is a question never asked. Never, ever make fun or ridicule a person who asks or answers a question. Every one of you will have a chance to answer a question in front of the class or at the board. Respect others as you would have them respect you.

7. Homework has the work “home” in it for a reason: all overnight assignments and homework should be done OUTSIDE of class. We only have 50 precious minutes to plough through vital material. I would also suggest that you don’t do homework between classes just to get through it. You need to find a suitable study spot after school with no distractions and be able to work problems with your full attention. Make it a point to learn something from the homework; don’t view it as an obstacle. Ask yourself: what is the point the teacher is making here? What am I supposed to be learning? If you are bored in class because you have mastered the topic being discussed, make it a point to help someone who is struggling or needs encouragement. Be a mentor – in fact, you don’t truly learn something until you are able to teach it. Empower someone else and you empower yourself.

8. This is more of a favor than a rule. I am allergic to various scents including perfumes, aftershave, and tobacco smoke. Walking down Broadway (which I enjoy doing) has, in the past, triggered asthma attacks in me. If you could wear less scented materials or at least wait 20 minutes after a cigarette when you come to class or to my office, I and fellow students would greatly appreciate it.

Your Support Systems

When studying any topic, it is important to know what support systems are available and when to take advantage of them. Keep this sheet and refer to it when you start having problems and need help.

1. Your Book

It is amazing how many students pay $100 for a book and read only the homework problems in it! When you are stuck on a topic, read the appropriate section of the book. Cover up the answers of the examples and do them yourself, checking the answers and the steps taken after you have made an effort. Work on extra problems that you can check in the back of the book. Before a quiz or test, read the section over again and do problems in the chapter review and test at the end of each chapter. Everyday, bring your book to class, to your tutor, and to the Math Lab. You paid for it – now use it! P.S. The publishers of your textbook may have other ancillaries that you can purchase that may help you out (eg. study guides, solution manuals, on-line tutorials, etc). Though not required for this class, some students find them helpful and accomodating to their learning styles.

2. Fellow Students

These are the people who will provide you with the most help in this course. Befriend someone so that you have someone who can give you missed notes or assignments. Get phone numbers of people who can help you with a certain homework problem or who are willing to meet as a study group. Arrive early to class and ask your table mates about homework and compare answers. Encourage yourselves to put problems on the board before class. Then provide answers and explanations in a supportive manner when you know the answers to these questions. As I say, cooperate and graduate!

3. The Teacher

If I could, I would spend a bulk of my time with students outside of class. But the current system of education does not lend itself to this kind of inquiry. My time with you is limited but that does not mean I don’t want you to see me with questions. You should never fear me or think any question is too dumb. Feel free to stop by my office to express frustration, joy, anxiety, or just to say hi! The only thing you need to fear is ignorance – that is what we are trying to wipe off the planet here!

4. College Wide Tutoring

Did you know that the government pays for two half-hour tutoring sessions for you per week in each subject at this school? Did you know that most students don’t take advantage of this free service? This one-on-one tutoring can be used to help with homework (after you have attempted it), get another perspective on a topic in class, or to review for a quiz or test. In order to sign up, you need to stop by the StudentAcademicAssistanceCenter in Room 1106 to fill out the appropriate forms. You only need to sign up once for the whole academic year. Even if you don’t need a tutor at the beginning of the quarter, sign up so that tutoring will be there when the going gets tough. If the days and times they have available don’t work for you, talk to Brenda Kyler in the same office. You never know unless you ask!

5. Math Lab

Suppose you have one homework problem that you just can’t get. Or you need a place to study with a friend where you can get help when you get a little stuck. Then stop by the Math Lab in Room 5119 for drop-in help in math as well as other natural sciences. The tutors are former and current SCCC math students who have time to quickly answer questions and get you pointed in the right direction. NOTE: the Lab gets busy so limit the tutors’ time with particular questions. If you are really lost, sign up for the tutoring discussed above.

6. Study Seminars

The StudentAcademicAssistanceCenter also offers free hour-long seminars aimed at student self- improvement. These talks range from test and note-taking skills to solving story problems to dealing with math anxiety. Again, why not take advantage of these opportunities and meet other people who can help you at this school? I will try to announce these seminars in class during the quarter.