In many ways this course will be different from other mathematics
courses you may have had in the past.
It is not intended to develop a specific set of computation skills.
I will ask you to think, to analyze, and to "figure out"
rather than to work many routine exercises.
We will focus our attention on ideas rather than on computations.
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See me
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If you are having difficulty with any portion of the course, do not
hesitate to see me.
Do this as soon as possible, certainly well in advance of any
deadlines (like tests) so that we can work to fix the problem.
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Textbook
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The required text for this course is
The Heart of Mathematics: An Invitation to Effective Thinking,
by Burger and Starbird.
Additional readings may also be assigned from time to time.
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Grading
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Grading will be based on the following approximate weighting:
Tests 60% (Feb 26, April 4, May 7)
Final Exam 20% (Monday, May 14 at 9:00 am)
Other 20%
Other includes Homework, corse participation, and any other assignments made.
The final exam will cover material from the entire semester.
If your final exam is better than your worst test, then your final exam score
will replace your worst test score, (making the final worth 40%).
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Homework
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Homework will be assigned nearly every class period.
A calendar and a list problem sets
will be maintained online.
Prior to each assignment,
make sure you have read the corresponding material from the textbook. Read slowly
and think carefully about the ideas being presented. You may find the assigments in
this class to be somewhat different from what you have had in other mathematics classes
in that they will not all be routine repetitions of skills. There may be fewer problems
that you are expecting, but each one will require more thought.
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Joint Work
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You may find it pleasant and useful to work together on many portions
of this course. I encourage you to do so. BUT you must write up your own solutions
to each exercise (unless your have been instructed to work in groups).
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Attendance
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Attendance is required.
If you miss class, you are missing an important part of this course,
and it is your responsibility to find out what has happened in class.
In class we will be doing activities that reinforce the
ideas covered in the textbook, discussing readings and ideas, and
answering questions. These are difficult things to replace in any
other way.
Although I will not "take attendence" every day, failure to participate
in in-class activities will hurt your
participation grade.
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Preparing for class
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You should bring with you each day:
- any homework due that day or that you have questions about,
- your textbook (and any of the "extra stuff" that may be needed),
- any additional readings that have been handed out (put them in a folder
so that you can locate them easily),
- and any other materials I announce ahead of time.
Of course, you should have read (and thought about) any assigned readings
prior to coming to class. You may want to have your notes handy, especially
if you have questions regarding the readings or homework.
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Special Circumstances
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Occasionally there are special circumstances that require that the rules
and guidelines above be adjusted for a particular student.
In such cases, it is the responsibility of the student to inform me
of the situation as soon as possible, so that the appropriate
arrangements can be made. This includes, but is not limited to,
students with documented disabilities.