We cannot hope to completely answer these questions in one semester. We will try, however, to use mathematics to provide insights not obtainable in other ways and, at the same time, in what for many of you will be your last math course, reveal the true nature of mathematics as no course you have taken previously has. My hope is that you will find the course intellectually and philosophically challenging and, at the same time, a highly rewarding one.
Our text is “The Heart of Mathematics,” by Burger and Starbird. We will cover all or parts of Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7. Other topics will be explored as time allows.
Homework (13%) will be assigned daily and, usually, collected in the next
class period. On at least one occasion, the assignment will last
over a period of days. You will be required to write several essays (9%),
and a 6-10 page term paper (13%). In addition, there will be three
in-class exams (14% apiece), and a cumulative final exam (20%). All of
these, along with class participation (3%; see below) will contribute
to your overall grade.
Homework will be due on the school day following the class period
which follows the day the assignment was made. (So, if a set of
problems is assigned on Monday, then you must hand it in by
Thursday; if assigned on a Wednesday, your work is due on Monday.)
You may submit it to me in class before the due date, or place it
in the MATH 100 New Homework folder in the box outside
my door at any time up until it is picked up by the grader, who will
not pick it up before 3 pm on the due date. Homework submitted
after the set has been taken will be considered late and not accepted.
Homework will be graded for correctness, and returned to the
Graded Homework outside my office, where you may pick it
up at your leisure. While some class time may be spent discussing
problems before they are due, you should expect to need to
collaborate (see the section on group work
below) with classmates and/or seek out the professor anywhere
from occasionally to frequently.
You can easily earn the full credit on the participation part
of your grade by attending class regularly (and, of course, being
alert) with book, notes, and any other relevant material in hand,
demonstrating your curiosity with questions (either on topics
being discussed in class or in the text), taking an active role in
a regularly-meeting study group, etc. It is only in noting an
obvious lack of these, a lack of respectful behavior in class on
your behalf, your use of class time to complete homework, or some
other type of problematic activity (if in this last category then
I will speak with you about it) that I will begin to deduct from
your participation grade.
You are expected to take exams on the day they are given.
If extraordinary circumstances arise (health problems, for
example), speak to me beforehand.
Cheap airfares, early departures for vacations and the
like are not valid excuses for missing an exam at its scheduled
date and time.
I may be reached by phone at x66856, but a better way
to reach me for a non-technical question is by email.
If you require my approval for something, do
not consider having left a message for me
as equivalent to having obtained that approval.
Please speak with me about problems or issues as they arise during
the semester. I am still growing as a teacher, and if you have
concerns, it is simply a matter of “building one another up”
that you should raise them in an appropriate moment, preferably
while adjustments may still be made that affect your class.
This page maintained by: Course Objectives
Class Meetings
Our class meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 am.
Unless otherwise noted, our meeting place is NH 251.
Reading your Textbook
While our textbook may be geared to a wide audience,
it still contains big ideas and is not for casual
reading. You must be inquisitive as you read.
Here are some specific suggestions:
If you are not already accustomed to reading mathematics
in this fashion, be aware that it will, at least initially,
increase the amount of time you devote to
reading. At the same time, however, it very likely
will decrease the amount of time you spend scratching
your head on homework, and will assuredly help you
to get more out of the course. (It will probably improve
your grade as well, for those who need that incentive.)
Use of Technology
A good deal of computer use will be expected of you in this
course. Generally speaking, daily homework assignments are available
on the the web, and it is your responsibility to visit
the homework page to find out what they are.
While many announcements, hints, etc. may be given in class, things
that cannot wait until the next class period will be
sent to you as email messages. Thus, it is important that
you be checking your email at least once daily.
Grading
Group Work
Your write-ups for all assignments must be in your own hand and words,
except when otherwise noted. This, however, does not mean you are
to work in isolation. Quite to the contrary, I encourage you to come
together with other members of the class to form a study group, and
schedule regular meetings. I strongly believe that students can
earn as much as one letter grade higher by building one another up
in this fashion. Read
this page for more on why I think participating in a study group
is important, my vision of how it might function in order to be of
most benefit to all who participate, and what pitfalls one should
avoid when working with others so as to maintain personal
accountability for the material.
Contacting the Professor
My office is NH 281. If you are having trouble in the course —
if you do not understand something important or have some special
circumstance that impedes your performance — see me about it
right away. Do not put things off. The hours
I am intentionally in my office for
meeting with students are posted on my
homepage, as they are subject to change during the semester.
If we cannot hook up at one of these times, feel free to
talk with me about an appointed time to meet, or swing
by my office and see if I am available to help.
Accomodations
Reasonable academic accomodations will be made for individuals with
documented disabilities. Any student who this concerns should
notify one of the Coordinators for Services for Students with
Disabilities located in the Student Academic Services office, HH 455.
That student should also meet with me during the first two weeks of
the semester to discuss academic accomodations.
Citizenship
The type of concentration required for mathematics calls for
a distraction-free environment. Please do your part in making
the classroom one conducive for learning by arriving
for class on time, not working on homework assignments during
class on the day they are due, refraining from frivolous talk,
and actively participating in in-class discussions/activities.
Thomas L. Scofield
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Calvin College