MATH 124, Modern Elementary Mathematics II, Fall 2017 Course syllabus and tentative schedule Instructor: Ksenija Simic-Muller Office: MCLT 257 Phone: (253) 538-5699 e-mail: simicmka@plu.edu (the best way to reach me) Office hours: Monday: 10:20-11:15 (in the classroom), 12:30-2:30 (in my office) Tuesday: available via email only Wednesday: 10:20-11:15 (in the classroom), 12:30-2:30 (in my office) Thursday: 12:30-1:30 (in the Diversity Center) Friday: 10:30-11:15 (in the classroom). Additional office hours are available by appointment. Class time: MWF 11:15-12:20, MCLT 216. Text: A problem solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers, 11th Edition by Billstein, Libeskind, and Lott. We will cover parts of Chapters 9-14. The content of the course will be closely aligned to the Common Core Standards for Mathematics. COURSE LOGISTICS Topics covered: This class covers the strands of school mathematics not covered in MATH 123: probability and statistics, geometric sense, and measurement. In particular, we will study basic probability formulas, interpreting data, properties of two- and three-dimensional figures, symmetry, similarity, and measurement (length, area, volume, etc.), Why this class is important: Your MATH 123 course helped you explore numbers and operations in depth, but gave you no preparation to teach geometry and statistics, both of which are important topics in the elementary and middle school mathematics curriculum. Some content in this course is middle-school mathematics, which most of you will not teach, and so it may seem to you that it is not necessary to learn. However, geometry and measurement are strands that students are weakest in. To instill a better understanding of these mathematical concepts in older students, instruction must start in the early grades. You as a teacher need to have a deeper understanding of these ideas than your students; so even if you are not planning on teaching middle-level math, you should understand it well enough to be able to guide students towards mathematical success in later grades. It is also important to develop a big picture of mathematics, and understand how its different parts connect together, which is one of the goals of this course. What to expect from the class: In this class, it is secondary whether something will be on a test or not, because it will all be relevant to your future teaching, so it is in your interest to understand the entire material. There will be moments when you may be frustrated, because I will keep pushing you to think about why something holds, rather than how to do it (e.g. why the area formulas hold rather than how to use them), or because I will be asking you to do math in a different way from how you were taught. At the same time, I will do everything in my power to help you learn, giving you my time and attention both in and outside of the classroom. I will strive to make the class as enjoyable as possible, through hands-on materials, fun activities, games, and real-world applications of mathematics. There will be little lecturing involved. I do not follow the book closely, but instead teach through discovery. I expect from you to be ready to work on your own and with your peers and me on constructing new knowledge. In return, you can expect from me to guide you in this process, to answer your questions and try to minimize frustrations. My approach comes from the belief, based in research, that knowledge that students construct on their own is more solid and longer lasting. 1
Support: Most students find that class work, homework, the textbook, work with their peers, and help from the instructor are sufficient to succeed in the course. If you find that you are struggling with the material, other resources are available, including individual tutoring through Academic Assistance and online tutorials. PLU is committed to overall well-being of its students. If you are struggling academically, emotionally, psychologically, etc., be aware that The Center for Student Success serves as a campus-wide network of units dedicated to helping students succeed. The website is: www.plu.edu/student-success. Students can find out about Academic Advising and Degree Planning; Tutoring and Assignment Help, Career and Vocation Planning, Personal Health and Wellness, Financial Services and many affinity group connections. Students can make appointments with advising, the writing center, academic assistance, and many other forms of support. PLU has also established the Student Care Network (SCN) to work with students and partners for a successful academic, social, and emotional experience at PLU. Students, faculty and staff can submit a Care Form (available on the main page of the PLU web-site under EPass) if they have concerns (academic, emotional, physical or social) related to the well-being of a PLU student. The SCN will work with campus partners to support a culture of care and response for all community members. Please go to: www.plu.edu/srr/student-care-network to learn more or to submit a report. Alignment with PLU s mission statement: I will align the course with PLU s mission statement: PLU seeks to educate students for lives of thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care for other people, for their communities, and for the earth. The University s mission statement is highly relevant to this class: not only is inquiry of primary importance in approaching the course material, but the real-life applications of mathematics we will look at will be based in care for other people, their communities, and for the earth. We will look at real-life applications of math, and we will look at some social justice issues through the lens of mathematics, using primarily statistics and measurement. Required materials: Make sure you have a three-ring binder. It will help you organize the (numerous) handouts, and the different assignments. Because I will not be collecting book work, you can do all your classwork and homework in one notebook, keeping them all together. In any case, hold on to all your homework assignments. You will also occasionally need a calculator for the class; a scientific calculator will do. You may use your cell phone calculator during class work, but not on exams. We will not be using the textbook often in class, bit it would be helpful if your group had at least one copy for each class period. I will provide all tools and manipulatives. Classroom conduct: Building a classroom community is essential to me. In order to accomplish that, below are some rules for classroom conduct: Everybody is entitled to learn and everybody is entitled to a comfortable learning environment. There is no such thing as a stupid question (as long as it pertains to mathematics). I will always have patience for your questions, and I expect the same from you: I will not tolerate derogatory remarks directed at your peers abilities. We might have conversations about sensitive topics. While I want to provide an open space for differing opinions to be shared, as you do so, please be respectful of differences, including race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation, immigration status, and political beliefs. It is possible to disagree without offending. Actively listen to your peers when they speak, and to be mindful not just of your verbal reactions, but also of your body language. Remember to listen to understand. 2
Please refrain from deficit language (focusing on the lacks rather than assets) when discussing students you will be working with and their communities. It is natural for everyone to have biases, especially about people and communities we are not familiar with, but it is essential for you as future teachers to acknowledge these biases, understand how they affect your behaviors, and work on overcoming them. You and your peers will often present your solutions and strategies to the class, and I expect you to listen, assist, and ask pertinent questions. Come to class on time (though I prefer your being late to not coming at all), turn off your cell phones and computers, and refrain from all side conversations. Do not text during class. If you have to take an important phone call, you may step out of the classroom at any time. You may bring food and drink to class, within reason. This means that coffee and muffins are okay, but a double cheeseburger is probably not a great idea. If you bring food to class, make sure to clean up after yourself. Attendance: I will not be taking attendance in this class and will not penalize you if you are absent. However, if you are not in class, then you miss in-class assignments, quizzes, and discussion; you lose sight of the big picture of the course; do not form relationships with your peers; and generally have a lesser chance to do well. For this reason, I urge you to attend every class period. Communication: For success in a class, regular communication between the student and instructor is crucial. Please talk to me about any problems and/or concerns you have about this class, your performance, or my teaching. The best way to get in touch with me is via email, or to stop by my office. I will also keep a blog for this course that I will update daily, with detailed explanations of activities and ideas from class, as well as assignments and schedule. I strongly recommend subscribing to receive blog posts via email. Ask me if you are not sure how to do this. Grades and readings will be posted on Sakai. Remember that mathematical communication is a crucial part of this class, as will be in your teaching, so make sure to communicate your ideas well in all your assignments. This means writing complete sentences and explaining all your reasoning, even if a problem doesn t explicitly ask you to. My grader and I will give you feedback about your explanations. There is also a great article linked on the course blog about writing in mathematics. Group work: Much of class work will be done in groups. Research shows that material is better learned and retained in a group environment: working with others helps develop original ideas, helping others solidifies your understanding, and peer explanations might be clearer than those of the instructor. I will change seating assignments, while keeping a table arrangement with students sitting in groups of 3-4. If you have persistent problems with group members, please talk to me. While all class work is done in groups, each group member writes on a separate sheet of paper. This ensures that all students have all materials needed to study for tests and quizzes. We will discuss group work guidelines in class, but please note that working in a group does not not release you from individual accountability, nor does it allow for off-topic conversations during class. Office hours: I strongly encourage you to attend office hours, especially as I will not be going over homework in detail during class. Since our class is at 11:15, I strongly encourage coming to class early if you have questions. I will be in the classroom starting at 10:20. If I am not in my office and you need to meet with me, just email me. Chances are that I will respond very quickly. If there is sufficient interest, I will also schedule regular online office hours. Note that one office hour a week will be held at the Diversity Center. The Diversity Center is a space for everyone who is interested in critical reflection, willing to take different perspective, and invested in community. Please feel free to come to the Diversity Center for my office hours and at other times. 3
COURSE CONTENT Homework: Homework is a crucial component of the course. It will consist of book work and written, and longer, in-depth assignments. Book work will consist of both simple and more complex questions and will be checked for completeness in class, but will not be collected. I will give homework quizzes on many Fridays, typically covering book homework. I will also give more complex homework assignments, to be done individually or in groups, which will often use mathematics to examine a real-life issue. They will be worth more points than book homework assignments, and will be collected and graded. Material from these assignments is likely to appear on tests, so make sure that if you do the assignment in a group, all group members understand the material. I will gladly answer homework questions during office hours, over email, or in class pull-out sessions during which all students who need help with homework can discuss it with me at the board while other students are working on class work. I also encourage you to help each other with homework, either through scheduling homework sessions with other students in the class, or meeting before or after class. Note that helping with homework is different than copying homework. This will be discussed more in the section about academic dishonesty. Handouts and computer labs: We will frequently work on handouts and computer activities in class. These will be done individually or in groups, and will occasionally be graded, as part of your quiz grade. Quizzes: I will give individual and group quizzes on some Fridays. These quizzes will usually consist of 2-3 questions similar (or identical) to the ones from homework. The purpose of a quiz is to give you immediate feedback on your understanding of the material. Journal: You will occasionally write reflections on what you learned in class or book readings, and sometimes I will ask more specific questions about the material. The journal responses can be submitted through the blog, but if you would rather keep your comments private, you can email or turn in a handwritten response instead. You may also write the journal in your notebook for the class, in which case you will turn in the entire notebook. Journal responses are graded according to thoughtfulness and completeness, not correctness. Projects: There will be three mini-projects in the class. The first is an individual or partner project and will require that you create, administer, and analyze the results of a survey. The second is an individual or group project in which you will create a children s book about a geometric topic. The third is an individual project and is an opportunity for you to create a culturally responsive mathematics lesson or activity related to one of the themes of this course: probability, statistics, geometry, or measurement. Detailed information is available on the course blog (under Course Information). Exams: There will be two midterms, (tentatively) on Friday, October 13 and Friday, November 17. Final exam: The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13, 11:00am-12:50pm. The final is comprehensive, and covers material from the entire semester. Do not make travel arrangements before this date, as you will not be able to take the final at an earlier time. COURSE POLICIES AND GRADING Make-up policies: Make-up exams are given only when there is a valid excuse, such as a medical or family emergency, proof of which has to be provided. ( My alarm didn t go off will not qualify as an excuse.) Drop/Withdraw: The last day to drop the class without a fee is Monday, September 18. The last day to withdraw with the instructor s signature, is Monday, November 27. 4
Grading: Homework 15% Quiz 13% Journal 3% 2 tests @ 17% each 34% Mini projects 10% Final exam 25% Total 100% Grades will be no lower than the following: A: 93.00%-100% A-: 89.51%-92.99% B+: 87.51%-89.50% B: 83.00%-87.51% B-: 79.51%-82.99% C+: 77.51%-79.50% C: 73.00%-77.50% C-: 69.51%-72.99% D+: 67.51%-69.50% D: 63.00%-67.50% D-: 59.51%-62.99% E: 0%-59.50% Borderline grades will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In particular, students who do exceedingly well on tests but not on other parts of coursework may have their grades increased on the basis of their test scores. Special accommodations: Students with medically recognized and documented disabilities, or those who have been victims of gender-based violence, and who are in need of special accommodation should contact the Office of Disability Support Services (x7206). If you need special accommodations, please schedule an appointment to meet with me, so we can make the accommodations necessary. I will try to accommodate your needs to the best of my ability. Title IX: Title IX prohibits sex discrimination to include sexual misconduct: harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. I also have a mandatory reporting responsibility, as do all PLU faculty and staff, as well as RAs and Campus Safety employees. In other words, I am required to share information regarding sexual misconduct with the university. Information is shared in a confidential manner so that student privacy is respected, and identities and details are only shared with those essential to support and address the situation through university processes. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, but are not ready to report the event or situation, you can receive confidential support and academic advocacy through the Health Center, Counseling Center, Campus Ministry, and PLU Victim Advocacy Services. Academic honesty: As stated in the Faculty Handbook, PLU s expectation is that students will not cheat or plagiarize, and that they will not condone these behaviors or assist others who plagiarize. Academic misconduct not only jeopardizes the career of the individual student involved, but also undermines the scholastic achievements of all PLU students and attacks the mission of the institution. In this class, cheating includes, but is not limited to: submitting material that is not yours as part of your course performance, such as copying from another student s exam, or allowing another student to copy your exam; helping another student to cheat; altering exam answers and requiring the exam to be re-graded. Much work in this class is done in groups; however, if an assignment is to be done individually, then copying any part of another student s assignment will be considered cheating. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: representing an idea or strategy that is significant in one s own work as one s own when it comes from someone else. In written assignments, all sources used need to be properly cited. All cases of cheating and plagiarizing will be dealt with as specified in the Student Code of Conduct, which can be found at http://www.plu.edu/srr/code-of-conduct/home. In particular, if I suspect cheating or plagiarism, it is my duty as your instructor to report it to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. 5
Inclement weather: Make sure to call ahead to confirm whether class is meeting if you have any concerns about snow accumulations or icy roads that would make travel to campus unsafe. You can call the University s hotline after 6 a.m. (535-7100) or access the PLU website (www.plu.edu) to see if school has been canceled. In the case that classes get canceled, I may still assign work in order to keep up with the material. Tentative schedule: Below is a tentative schedule for the semester. Note that sometimes we spend more time on certain topics and the schedule might get pushed back. The test dates do not depend on coverage of material. Refer to the course blog for more accurate information for what sections are covered and what assignments are due each day. Weeks are listed by the first school day of the week: the semester begins on Wednesday, September 6. All other dates in the table are Mondays. Week Sections covered Notes 09/06 Syllabus, 9.1 09/11 9.1, 9.2 No class Friday, long probability assignment 09/18 Chapter 9 review, 10.1 09/25 10.2, 10.3 10/02 10.4, 10.5 Survey homework assigned 10/09 Chapter 10 review, Test review, Test 1 10/16 11.1 No class on Friday, survey due Wednesday 10/23 11.2-11.4 Children s book proposal due Friday 10/30 11.2-11.4 Children s book draft due Friday 11/06 Chapters 12 and 13 Children s book final draft due Friday 11/13 Chapter 12 and 13 review, Test review, Test 2 Culturally responsive lesson assigned 11/20 14.1, 14.2 No class Friday Culturally responsive lesson draft due Wednesday 11/27 14.2, 14.4, 14.5 Culturally responsive lesson due 12/04 Review I wish you a great semester! 6