Mathematics for Elementary Teachers

Mathematics 157-C02W (Web Based)

Course Syllabus

3 Credit Hours

 

 

Spring 2007                                                                               Office: Shields 207-D

Instructor: Constance Meade                                            Office Hours:  2:00-2:50 MWF

E-mail Address: cmeade@csi.edu                                                           12:00-12:50 T

                                                                                                                       

Lab Hour:        2:00-2:50 Monday

                                                                             Office Phone:   732.6809

                                                                                                1.800.680.0274 x 6809

                                                                            

 

Course Description:

            This course covers problem solving, set theory, functions, numeration systems, integers, number theory,

            rational numbers, exponents and real numbers.

 

Pre-requisites: 

Mathematics 143 with a grade of “C” or better  (Pre-requisites will be enforced.)

 

Required Textbooks and Supplies:

The required materials listed below can be purchased as a package through the CSI Bookstore.  To order these materials from the CSI Bookstore, call (208) 732-6550 or (208) 732-6551 or 1-800-680-0274, ext 6550 Toll free in ID and NV.  Fax: (208) 736-3015.  The ISBN number for this package is 0-536-16223-9

                The contents of the package are:

·          Mathematical Reasoning for Elementary Teachers, Fourth Edition by Long & DeTemple

·          Mathematics Activities for Elementary School Teachers, Sixth Edition  by Dolan, Williamson, and Muri

·          Digital Video Tutor, Fourth Edition

·          Students’ Solutions Manual

 

Hardware/Software Requirements:  Pentium II 300 MHz processor or better, 64 MB RAM, Video Card capable

            of 800 x 600 resolution, Soundcard, Windows 95 or later operating system.  Internet Explorer 6.0 or

better, Adobe Acrobat 6.0 (4.0 or higher should work), RealOne Player (see What to Do First below)

 

  Expected Outcomes and Outcomes Assessment:

Outcome 1:         The student will master course content as presented in lecture and assigned homework.
Assessment 1:     The student will demonstrate their understanding of this material by completion of

 weekly assignments. Student performance will be further measured by unit exams and

 a comprehensive final exam.

 

Outcome 2:        The student will apply mathematics to real world situations.
Assessment 2:    The student will demonstrate this skill by completion of individual or group projects that

require mathematical reasoning.

 

Outcome 3:        The student will be able to communicate mathematically.
Assessment 3:    The student will explain mathematical concepts and procedures by answering essay

questions.  Complete sentences will be required as well as proper sentence structure.  The student will provide a simple example of its use as well as a more complex illustration, if possible.

As part of departmental analysis of outcomes in this course and its place in the Mathematics program, student completion of the pre-requisites, success in the current course, success in subsequent courses and student satisfaction will be reviewed by the instructor.  A report containing this information will be submitted by the department faculty to determine what, if any, changes can be made to improve the course in terms of content, focus, and instruction.

 

Policies and Procedures:

            THIS IS NOT AN INDEPENDENT STUDY CLASS.  The course is paced through a normal semester

          with quiz assignments and exams which must be done on time in accordance with the syllabus and

          the instructions for each in Blackboard.  Weekly assignments are not available on Blackboard after

          the due date shown on the syllabus.

 

            Consistent Effort is important for your success in this class.  You will be required to complete

            assignments on time in order to get credit.  Plan now to spend at least nine hours per week on this class.

You will need to use this time wisely.  If you are stuck on a particular subject, e-mail me and move on.

 

Assignments:  For each section that we cover, you should do the following:

·          Read the section in the book.

·          Watch the Digital Video Tutor mini-lecture.

·          Take the online quiz.  After you score the quiz, you can see detailed explanations of how to work each problem. If you didn’t score well the first time through, or just for extra practice, take the 2nd Chance Quiz. (You might want to try some of the exercises first to master the topics.)

·          Submit the written assignment as directed.  Some are required to be submitted online, and others must be sent via regular mail.  Directions are included with each written assignment.

           

Exams:  After every 1 to 2 chapters (see the tentative schedule below), you will take a paper/pencil

            exam.  If you live near CSI or one of CSI’s outreach centers, you can take the exam there. 

            Otherwise, we’ll need to arrange to have the exams proctored at some other location.  It is CSI

            policy that students who cannot take exams at CSI or one of its outreach centers must pay any

proctoring fees.  Please contact me early on if you can’t take the exam at CSI or an outreach

center.  I reserve the right to change testing accommodations if I feel it is necessary.

 

            Calculators:  Calculators will not be allowed for most of the exams.

           

            Student Email Account:  If you don’t currently have an e-mail address, every registered student has a

                        web-based student e-mail account.  To access it, go to http://students.csi.edu  . Your username is

the first two letters of your first name, your middle initial, the first two letters of your last

name, two digits for  your birth month and two digits for your birth day (no spaces anywhere.  If

you do not have a middle initial or did not use it when registering at the Records Office, you

need to use an x instead.)  Your password is your full Social Security Number as given to CSI, no

spaces or dashes.  Example:  John Doe who was born May 7th with social security number

555-00-1111  username:joxdo0507   password:  55500111  John Doe’s CSI e-mail address:

joxdo0516@students.csi.edu . You can access this account anywhere that you can find access to

the web:  at home, in a public library, in a computer lab, etc.  The same username and password

(until you change it) give you access to the course through http://blackboard.csi.edu . 

 

Grading:  Each section has a “First Quiz” and an optional “2nd Chance Quiz.”  At the end of the semester,

 I will select your highest quiz score from each section and average them.  For some sections,

 there will also be a written assignment and/or a Mail-In assignment.  At the end of the

 semester, the written and Mail-In assignments will be averaged.      

 

 

Exams (4) 100 points/exam                       400

                                    Quiz Average                                         100

                                    Written/Mail-In Assignment Average        100      

                                    Final Exam                                             100

                                    Total Points                                           700

 

                                    Your percentage will be calculated as follows:   Your Total Points = %

                                                                                       7                                                                                                                                                    

Although I reserve the right to revise this scale downward, 90% of the possible points, or above, will always be an “A”, 80%-89% a “B”, etc.

 

If your lowest exam score is lower than the final (for example, if you miss an exam) I will replace your lowest exam score with the final.  Blackboard will automatically score most of the quizzes, but it cannot automatically choose the highest score.

 

Coverage:        Sections 1.1-1.4, Chapter 2, Sections 3.1-3.5, 4.1-4.3, Chapters 5-7

 

           

Aids for the Course:

·          Math Lab - The math lab will be open the first week of the semester from 8:30-12:30. These hours will be extended beginning the second week of the semester, and these hours of operation will be posted on the door there.  The Math Lab is in Shields Building, room 207.

 

·         Study Groups – Form a study group with others in the class.  To reserve a room in the library, call 732.6500.

 

·          Student Solutions Manual - The students’ solution manual comes pre-packaged with the textbook.  This contains detailed, worked-out solutions to all of the exercises that are answered in the back of your text.

 

·          Mathematical Reasoning for Elementary Teachers Videotapes

These videotapes are available for check-out through the Library and are an excellent supplement to the course.  Ask for them at the circulation desk.

 

·          Instructor – E-mail, call, or visit the instructor with your questions.  You are supposed to do this.

 

Topical Outline:

·          Sequences

·          Problem solving process

·          Algebraic thinking

·          Describing sets

·          Set operations and their properties

·          Operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers

·          Functions

·          Numeration systems

·          Algorithms for whole-number addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers

·          Mental mathematics and estimations using whole-number operations

·          Integers

·          Operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division for integers

·          Divisibility

·          Prime and composite numbers

·          Greatest common divisor and least common multiple

·          Clock and modular arithmetic

·          Rational numbers

·          Operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division for rational numbers

·          Proportional reasoning

·          Decimals

·          Operations on decimals

·          Non-terminating decimals

·          Percents

·          Computing interest

·          Real numbers

 

 

Course Evaluation:

Students are strongly encouraged to complete evaluations at the end of the course.  Evaluations are very important to assist the teaching staff to continually improve the course.  Evaluations are available online at: http://evaluation.csi.edu.  Evaluations open up to two weeks prior to the end of the course.  The last day to complete an evaluation is the last day of the course.  During the time the evaluations are open, students can complete the course evaluations at their convenience from any computer with Internet access, including the open lab in the Library and in the SUB.  When students log in they should see the evaluations for the courses in which they are enrolled.  Evaluations are anonymous.  Filling out the evaluation should only take a few minutes.  Your honest feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

 

Disabilities:

Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for related accommodations.  To determine eligibility and secure services, students should contact the coordinator of Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration of a class.  Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the Taylor Building on the Twin Falls Campus: 208.732.6260 (voice) or 208.734.9929 (TTY), or e-mail aflannery@csi.edu .

 

 

Note 1:  Mathematics is not a spectator sport.  You must be actively engaged in the course work

                on a daily basis to be successful.  Sporadic and/or occasional engagement most generally

                results in a failing grade for the course.

 

Note 2:  I reserve the right to correct errors or omissions in this syllabus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following schedule is TENTATIVE and subject to change.

 

Week             of

Due Date for               Quizzes and Other Assignments

Sections to Cover and/or Test to Take before Due Date

15-Jan

Sun. Jan. 21 Midnight

1.1,  1.2   (Introduction to Problem Solving; Polya's Problem-Solving Principles)

22-Jan

Sun. Jan 28 Midnight

1.3. 1.4   (More Problem-Solving Strategies; Additional Problem-Solving Strategies)

29-Jan

Sun. Feb 4 Midnight

2.1  (Sets and Operations on Sets)  Take Test 1 (covers 1.1-1.4)

5-Feb

Sun Feb 11 Midnight

2.2, 2.3  (Sets, Counting, and the Whole Numbers; Addition & Subtraction of Whole Numbers)

12-Feb

Sun feb18 Midnight

2.4, 3.1  ( Multiplication & Division of Whole Numbers; Numeration Systems Past and Present)

19-Feb

Sun Feb 25 Midnight

3.2, 3.3  (Nondecimal Positional System; Algorithms for Adding and Subtracting Whole Numbers)

26-Feb

Sun Mar 4 Midnight

3.4, 3.5  (Algorithms for Adding & Subtracting Whole Numbers; algorithms for Multiplication & Division of Whole Numbers)

5-Mar

Sun Mar 11, Midnight

4.1, 4.2  (Divisibilty of Natural Numbers; Tests for Divisibility)  Take Test 2 (covers 2.1-3.5)

12-Mar

Sun Mar18  Midnight

4.3, 5.1  (Greatest Common Divisors and Least Common Multiples; Representations of Integers)

19-Mar

Sun Mar 25 Midnight

Spring Break!!

26-Mar

Sun Apr 1 Midnight

5.2, 5.3  (Addition & Subtraction of Integers; Multiplication & Division of Integers)

2-Apr

Sun Apr 8  Midnight

5.4, 6.1  (Clock Arithmetic; The Basic Concepts of Fractions and Rational Numbers) 

              Take Test 3 (This covers  4.1-5.4)

9-Apr

Sun Apr 15  Midnight

6.2, 6.3  (The Arithmetic of Fractions; The Rational-Number System)

16-Apr

Sun Apr 22 Midnight

7.1, (Decimals)  Take Test #4  (This covers 6.1-6.3)

23-Apr

Sun Apr 29 Midnight

7.2, 7.3   (Computation with Decimals; Ratio & Proportion)

30-Apr

Sun May 6  Midnight

7.4  (Percent)

7-May

Wednesday

May 9,

  Midnight

Take the final in your regular testing place.  The final will be comprehensive, i.e. it will cover all of the sections discussed during the entire semester.  Due to the slow nature of the mail, I may not receive finals taken after Monday May 7 before grades are due in the Records Office.  If I don't receive your final in time, I'll calculate your grade with a zero for the final.  After the break, I'll grade your final and then change the grade up as necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What to do first:

1.        Obtain the required materials (see above).  To order books from the bookstore, call 1-800-680-0274 ext. 6550 (208-732-6550).

2.       Install Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 (or higher) which can be downloaded for free from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html  .  If you have an older version (4.0 or higher), you technically shouldn’t have to upgrade, but if you have any trouble viewing PDF files, you should try upgrading first.  The file is about 8.5 MB, and will take about 50 minutes with a 28.8 kbps modem.

 System Requirements:

·          Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0 with service pack 5, Windows 2000, or

Windows XP

·          64 MB of RAM

·          24 MB of available hard-disk space

3.       Install RealOne Player

If RealOne Player is not installed, download it for free from RealPlayer's Website. at http://www.real.com/realplayer.html?pp=home&src=022703realhome_3 The link to the free RealOne Player is located at the bottom right corner.

 

Getting Started in the Class:

1.        Make sure that you have installed the necessary free software (above).

2.       Open your web browser.

3.       Go to the CSI homepage at http://www.csi.edu and click on the “Blackboard” link OR go directly to http://blackboard.csi.edu .

4.       Click the “Userlogin” button.

5.       In the “Username” box, type the first two letters of your first name, your middle initial, the first two letters of your last name, two digits for your birth month and two digits for your birth day (no spaces anywhere; if you do not have a middle initial or did not use it when registering at the Records Office, you need to use and x instead)

6.       In the “Password” box, type your full Social Security Number without spaces or dashes (unless you have used this account previously and changed your password, in which case use the password you have selected.)  If you can’t login, send me an e-mail.  Be sure to tell me in the e-mail the exact username that you are trying to use.  For Example:  John Dow who was born May 7th with social security number 123-45-6789  username: joxdo0507  password:  123456789

7.       Once you are logged in, click on “Math 157…”.

8.       Click on the “Assignments” button.

9.       Do the weekly assignments as they appear.

 

How to See the Results of Your Quizzes

            As soon as you submit a quiz, the computer will grade the items that it can and then show you the

            corrected test.  Occasionally, some of the items need to be graded by me, so your correct score won’t

            show until after I’ve had a chance to grade quizzes.  You can see the results of quizzes you’ve taken

 before by clicking on “Tools” and then “My Grades.”  When the list of quizzes and scores is displayed,

click on the score to see the graded quiz.  If a symbol of a padlock is displayed, that indicates that you have opened the quiz but not submitted it.  Go back to the “assignments” folder, click on the folder where the quiz was assigned, click on the title of the quiz, complete your responses, and hit “submit.”

 

Common Problems and Frequently Asked Question

1.      My computer locked up in the middle of a quiz and now I cannot complete it.

E-mail me and let me know which section, which quiz (first or second), and which problem number.

2.      The computer scored a quiz incorrectly.  (From time to time quizzes are not programmed correctly or the feedback has errors.  I like to know about these so that I can fix them for future students.)

First, check to make sure that the item just wasn’t scored because it’s a “Short Answer/Essay”

question that I need to grade.  Next, check to make sure that you are looking at your answer and

not the feedback, then e-mail me and let me know which section, which quiz (first or second) and

which problem number.

3.      I just submitted a quiz that had a question of type “short answer/essay” or a writing assignment.  My answer is pretty similar to the answer in the feedback, but I didn’t get any credit.  Why not?

“Short Answer/Essay” questions have to be graded by hand.  I sit down and grade these all together a couple of days after the deadline.  Until then your score will not be correct.  After I grade the essay questions, you can see the result of the quiz by clicking on “Tools” and then “My Grades.”  When the list of quizzes and scores is displayed, click on the score to see the graded quiz.

4.      I took the second quiz instead of the first.  I am happy with my score on the second quiz, do I have to go back and take the first quiz?

No.  For each section, I take the higher of the two scores.  For example, if your first quiz score

is 0 or not taken and your second quiz is 93, your score for the section is 93.  Still, a little extra

practice never hurts, so I would prefer that you take both.

5.      I took the first quiz and I am happy with my score. Do I have to take the second quiz

No, but again extra practice never hurts.

6.      There are a bunch of gray boxes in my quiz (mathematical equations that are not displaying properly).

The mathematical equations require Java to load.  The equations are usually the last part of the page to load, so be patient.  It takes an extra long time for the very first equation to load, but if it still hasn’t loaded after 15 minutes, first try right-clicking somewhere on the white space of the page and choosing “refresh.”  If that doesn’t work, try uninstalling and reinstalling Java.  Here’s how:  Go to “Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs” and uninstall any Java parsers (from Sun or Microsoft) and reboot.  Then go to http://www.java.com and click on the “Get It Now” button.  That will automatically install the latest version of Java on your machine.  If that doesn’t work, send a detailed e-mail to csiwebmaster@csi.edu (and CC me.)  In your message, be sure to say what operating system your computer is using, what internet browser, and a complete description of the problem together with what you’ve tried and what happened.