Section O meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:25-10:40, in Pasteur Hall 109.
A. INTRODUCTION
The pedagogy of this course is based on discovery learning and cooperative groups. It will rely heavily on your efforts, through working with other students. The most important component of this course is the work you do outside of class; of course, the work in class will contribute to your outside efforts.
Why am I teaching this course with cooperative learning? There are many benefits to working as a team. Working together on homework and during class keeps everyone actively involved, which improves learning. Having a group gives you a great resource when you have questions. And even if you feel you understand a topic, explaining it to the others in your group will improve your understanding.
Every student in my mathematics classes has four freedoms:
I am serious about these. I believe that the best learning takes place when students have ideas, try those ideas, refine their ideas, and understand how these new ideas fit into what they already know. Most mathematics problems can be solved in more than one way, and I am happy to see new approaches; this shows real understanding.
B. CONTACTING ME
My office is Pasteur 006-F, phone number 452-8430. My office hours this semester are 12:30-1:30 and 3:00-3:50 TTh, but I will be in my office most days and you are welcome at any time.
My Web address is: http://www.bellarmine.edu/faculty/fenton
Messages may be left in my mailbox. I encourage you to contact me electronically either through the campus email system or at wfenton@bellarmine.edu. Feel free to call me at home 454-7855 (but not after 9:00 p.m. please).
C. MATERIALS NEEDED
Mathematics for Elementary Teachers via Problem-Solving by Masingila, Lester, and Raymond. You will need both the Student Activity Manual and the Student Resource Handbook. (These are the same books that are used in MATH 101.)
D. PREREQUISITE
There is no prerequisite for this course. In particular, MATH 101 is not a prerequisite.
E. COURSE DESCRIPTION (from the University catalog)
“This course begins with an investigation of ratios, rates, and proportions, leading to percentages, uncertainty, and chance. This is followed by an examination of geometry. A study of the basic shapes of one, two, and three dimensions is followed by an investigation of the basic ways these shapes can be transformed: translation, reflection, and rotation. Length, area, surface area, and volume complete the geometric content of this course.”
F. LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course examines a variety of topics that are important for elementary and middle school curricula. Specifically, we will cover Chapters 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 from the text, though Chapter 8 will come last.
At the conclusion of the course a successful student should be able to:
The homework and class discussions will address these goals. The primary assessment tools will be the homework, the two exams, and the final exam.
MATH 102 addresses the following goal of General Education:
Goal 7: Quantitative reasoning using graphical and symbolic representations.
G. ATTENDANCE
(See also the Travel Policy in the section on University policies.) Part of your grade will be based on group participation in class. If you are not there when your group is called on, you will not get credit. Also, you are responsible for all material discussed in class.
H. ACADEMIC HONESTY
(Also see the more complete statement in the section on University policies.)
“ All members of our community have an obligation to themselves, to their peers, and to the institution to uphold the integrity of Bellarmine University. In the area of academic honesty, this means that one’s work should be one’s own and that the instructor’s evaluation should be based on the student’s own efforts and understanding .”
While this may at first seem inconsistent with the notion of group work, the principle still applies: you are expected to contribute honestly to the intellectual work of your group and of the course. Copying the work of others does not contribute to your learning; you need to put in the time and effort yourself to really understand the concepts.
I. GROUP WORK
Most of the work you do in this course will be in cooperation with other people. The homework assignments, part of the first test, and a final project will be done in groups, working together.
Here are some things to think about while you decide who you want in your group:
You must choose your group by Thursday, January 18.
J. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Note that the dates for the tests are tentative. I will make every effort to stick to this schedule.
HOMEWORK: 140 points
There will be seven assignments, one or two per chapter, worth 20 points apiece. These assignments will be posted on the course Web page. Each group will turn in one assignment together. The Exercises are to show what you have learned from that chapter, so they will be graded on correctness and clarity. Late homework will not be accepted. If your group has some difficulty meeting a deadline, please talk with me before the assignment is due.
CLASS PARTICIPATION: 40 points
The discussions in class are primarily responses to questions that I will ask. I will call on a group at random and a reasonable answer earns that group one point. You must be present to earn these points! (20 possible)
Also, each group is expected to meet with me twice during the semester. Each meeting is worth 5 points, but again you must be present to earn the points.
In addition, I will ask you a question about once a week via email. Your response is worth 1 point each time. (10 possible)
GROUP PROJECT: 50 points
due Thursday April 26
Your group is to write a final exam for this course. Details will be posted on the web site.
REFLECTIVE JOURNAL: 50 points
due Monday April 30
This will have several components: a mathematical biography, a summary of an article that I will pass out, and reflection questions from each chapter. This will be discussed in class and details will be posted on the web site.
TEST 1, Chapters 5 and 7: 100 points
tentatively Tuesday February 13
The test is in two parts. The first part is a group test worth 50 points. Your group will work together and turn in one paper. Everyone in the group will get the same grade on the group part. The second part is an individual test worth 50 points.
TEST 2, Chapter 9: 150 points
tentatively Thursday March 22
The second test is an individual test worth 100 points. In addition you will receive half of the mean of the scores in your group.
FINAL EXAM: 150 points, cumulative
Thursday May 3, 8:00 – 11:00
The final exam is an individual test. Everyone will work alone and you may take up to three hours.
Make-up tests will be given only in extreme circumstances and only if I am contacted on or before the test date. You must take both tests and the final exam to pass the course.
K. GRADING
Grades will be assigned as follows:
A 92 - 100 %
A- 88– 91 %
B+ 84– 87 %
B 79 - 83 %
B- 75 – 78 %
C+ 70 - 74 %
C 60 - 69 %
D 50 - 59 %
F 0 - 49 %
Homework 140 points
Participation 40 points
Group Project 50 points
Journal 50 points
Test 1 100 points
Test 2 150 points
Final Exam 150 points
Your course grade will be your point total as a percentage of the 680 possible points.
L. UNIVERSITY POLICIES
University Mission
Bellarmine University is an independent Catholic university serving the region, nation and world by educating talented, diverse students of many faiths, ages, nations, and cultures, and with respect for each individual’s intrinsic value and dignity. We educate our students through undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts and professional studies, within which students develop the intellectual, moral, ethical and professional competencies for successful living, work, leadership and service to others. We achieve these goals in an educational environment committed to excellence, academic freedom, and authentic conversations that are not dominated by particular political or other narrow perspectives. Here we seek to foster a thoughtful, informed consideration of serious ideas, value and issues – time-honored and contemporary – across a broad range of compelling concerns that are regional, national and international. By these means, Bellarmine seeks to benefit the public interest, to help create the future, and to improve the human condition. Thus we strive to be worthy of our foundational motto: In Veritatis Amore, In the Love of Truth.
Academic Honesty
I strongly endorse and will follow the academic honesty policy as published in Bellarmine’s Catalog 2005-2007 (pp. 55-56) and in the 2006-2007 Student Handbook (pp. 17-20); both documents are available online via the student portal on the University’s intranet. Students must be fully aware of what constitutes academic dishonesty; claims of ignorance cannot be used to justify or rationalize dishonest acts. Academic dishonesty can take a number of forms, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, aiding and abetting, multiple submissions, obtaining unfair advantage, and unauthorized access to academic or administrative systems or information. Definitions of each of these forms of academic dishonesty are provided in the academic honesty section of the 2006-2007 Student Handbook. All detected instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Provost, and sanctions will be imposed as dictated by the policy. Penalties range from failing an assignment or test to dismissal from the University, depending, in part, on the student’s previous record of academic dishonesty. On the second offense during a student’s academic career, as a minimum additional penalty, the Provost will immediately suspend the student for the semester in which the most recent offense took place. On the third offense, the Provost will immediately dismiss the student from the University.
Disability Policy (from the Student Handbook)
“Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Disability Services Coordinator (Room 225 Horrigan Hall or 452-8150). Please do not request accommodations directly from the professor.”
Severe Weather
Refer to the current student handbook for details regarding changes in schedule due to bad weather. Faculty will arrange class schedules to meet learning outcomes in the event classes will be cancelled.
Travel Policy
The University requires students who will be absent from class while representing the University to inform their instructors in two steps. During the first week of the course, students must meet with each instructor to discuss the attendance policy and arrangements for absences related to University-sponsored events. Second, students must provide the instructor with a signed Student Absentee Notification Form, available via the student portal on the University intranet, at the earliest possible opportunity, but not later than the week prior to the anticipated absence. The Student Absentee Notification Form does not serve as an excused absence from class. Your instructor has the final say about excused and unexcused absences and it is the student’s responsibility to know and abide by the instructor’s policy.
Suggestions for Working in Groups
• Let everyone know that their ideas are of value, that no question is too trivial to ask, and that everyone makes mistakes. Criticism should be directed at ideas, not at individuals.
• Cooperate with other group members. This means listening to the ideas of others, trying methods that may be different from yours, and then coming to an agreement on a group solution.
• Be flexible, especially about finding time for the group to meet. Cooperation includes compromise. Remember that you are expected to work 6 - 8 hours a week outside of class. Work together as much as possible.
• Make sure that everyone participates. If someone is not offering her/his ideas, stop and ask for their perspective on the problem.
• Make sure everyone understands the solutions that are submitted for grading and be sure that everyone has written up some of these solutions.
• The most important thing is that the work must be done cooperatively! Dividing up the set of problems without ever coming together to discuss them is not an effective way to learn. Everyone needs to understand the questions asked in all of the problems and the ideas involved in solving them.