SAN Elem Alg Syllabus Fall 2014 Math 30

THIS SYLLABUS IS TENTATIVE UNTIL 8/19/14. TYPOS AND MISTAKES MAY BE MADE AFTER THAT DATE.

FALL 2014 Elementary Algebra Math 30 section 1979 Syllabus San Elijo T/Th class

Professor: Julie Harland; 760-757-2121 ext 6387; email: jharland@miracosta.edu

Class Meets T/Th from 1 - 2:55 pm in room 304 at the San Elijo campus. TURN OFF MOBILE PHONES DURING CLASS.

Office Hours: TT online 12-12:30pm and TT 3-3:30 pm in room SAN 304; and by appointment.

Click Here to link to sections in the book, HW problems in the book, solutions to odd HW problems. You may print as needed. I suggest that at a minimum you print out and bring to class the Practice Problems (HW) over the sections we will be covering each day. YouTube YourMathGal videos to accompany each section will be added as well.

Each time you email or call, make sure to state your first and last name, which class you are in, and a phone number with times you may be reached. In addition to staying after class for office hours, I encourage you to email me if you ever have any other questions, or want to discuss something personal or related to math or about the class. IF YOU EMAIL or CALL ME asking questions, I WILL USUALLY GET BACK TO YOU WITHIN 24-48 HOURS DURING THE SCHOOL WEEK, and usually much quicker than that. If I don't get back to you within 48 hours M-F, I didn't get the email. In that case, call or email me again. If I contact you asking a question, please respond within 24-48 hours. CHECK YOUR EMAIL REGULARLY in case I send out info/attachment for your class, or a personal message to you!

I AM HERE TO HELP YOU! Please feel free to ask questions.

It is your responsibility to be respectful in class, to show up on time for each class, to stay for the entire class, to participate in class, to put in about 12 hours a week to learning the material and doing HW on time for each class, and to keep up with and do your own work and studying. If you do that and have questions, feel free to ask for help! If you miss class, make sure you get notes from one or more students who were in class. I may forget everything I said or did or announced in class, so it's up to you to rely on more than one source for info. Please don't ask me if you missed anything as the answer will always be YES (since of course you missed everything from class if you were not there) and I'll remind you to ask another student. I won't be able to reteach a whole class individually to you, but there are plenty of resources, including my videos and in the online materials, to help you learn what you missed. If you know you have to leave early or miss class, please don't ask if we're going to anything or if you'll miss something as the answer will always be YES. Please be in class!

I expect honesty from my students. Anyone caught cheating will earn a zero on an assessment if cheating occurs. This includes helping someone else cheat. Please do your own work.

Materials: CLICK HERE FOR REQUIRED MATERIALS AND BOOK OPTIONS. In my quest to save students money and be able to work on the material from Day 1, I am using a free open source book that you can read online, print on your own, purchase in the bookstore, or purchase through Lulu. Required written material you must print out or purchase in the bookstore is a HW packet (about 60 pages) that I wrote. It is written HW where you show all of your work that you must turn in for credit for the second test. There is also other assigned book HW for that test.

There is free software for this class where you may watch videos that go along with the book HW, and try problems online. Using the free software is optional. I do not monitor it and it is not part of your grade. But it is a great resource. Go to www.MyOpenMath.com (MOM) to create an account. Then click on Enroll in a New Course, and enter course ID 3219.

To watch videos by the author and see what videos I have made to go along with each section to better help you learn the material in the course, log in to MOM and our course. For most sections of the text, you will find two assessments.

Online Videos and Problems: These assessments contain video lessons. The videos are short and then you try a couple of problems that correspond to the examples in the video.
Online Homework: These contain problems beyond the types covered in the video lessons. There may be a few application problems into some of the homework sets.
Usually in the Videos and Problems or in the HW there will be links to some of my YourMathGal Youtube videos that I recommend you watch. These contain more instruction and examples for problems from that section.
Reading the textbook pages (online or in printed form) is also highly recommended.

Go to http://www.wallace.ccfaculty.org/book/book.html to read/print the section assigned for HW, homework problems (called Practice Problems), or check solutions online. If you want to print out the minimal pages, print the Practice Problems for each section assigned.

Calculator: You will need a scientific calculator for this class. The calculator should have buttons for square roots, exponents, and parentheses. Calculators may be used on quizzes and tests, but most homework should be done without a calculator. Only use a calculator when necessary. I recommend TI-30-XS (around $15-$20) since it is what is used in the Math Learning Center (MLC). Use of cell phones as calculators on tests and quizzes is not allowed.

Attendance and Drop Policy: Attendance is required and you may be dropped if you miss any class the first two weeks of class to allow crashers to add, or if you miss more than 2 classes during the course of the semester. You must also take each test in class when given, or you may be dropped. If you miss a class the first two weeks or miss a test, email me immediately if you do not want to be dropped. If you DO want to drop the class, make sure you take care of that yourself, and drop by the deadlines shown under Important Dates. Do not wait for me to drop you on time. That is your responsibility.

Homework and YourMathGal videos: HW is in the printed book or you may access it online at http://www.wallace.ccfaculty.org/book/book.html. You can read/print the section assigned for HW, access the HW problems (called Practice Problems), or check solutions at this site. HW is usually assigned at each class meeting and should be completed before the next class. Start each new section on a new page. At top of first and every page for that section, label the section. Write problem numbers assigned for that section at top of first page for that section. For each problem, write problem number, directions and problem; then show work leading to the answer. HW credit will be based on completion, organization, neatness, and work shown. Sloppy, careless, messy answers may lower score. There are many YourMathGal YouTube videos I personally made to explain the concepts and to provide examples showing all the steps. In MyOpenMath, there are also short videos by the author of the textbook. Use the resources available and make sure you can do all of the problems correctly on your own without assistance. HW will be collected as a packet according to the schedule. You may turn full packet in early. If one HW packet is not turned in at the beginning of class on the due date for any reason, including emergencies, you may turn it in by the beginning of the next class meeting ONCE without penalty. It may not be turned in later than one class late. If you already turned in a packet late, any other late ones will have a 50% penalty. The percent you earn on HW over the semester counts as 100 points toward your final grade in the class.

QUIZZES: Quizzes may be given during or at the end of any class meeting. All work leading to the answer must be shown on quizzes. Quizzes are not announced ahead of time. A scientific calculator is allowed on all quizzes but are not needed. You may not use a mobile phone. You must be in class at the time I give the quiz to the entire class. A quiz may not be taken early or after I give it in class, even for emergency situations. There will be eleven 10 point quizzes, but your lowest score (including a zero for a missed quiz or emergency) will be dropped. You quiz grade counts as 100 points toward your final grade in the class.

TESTS: There are 3 tests, each worth 200 points (each derived from 2 times the percent you earn on that test) toward your final grade in the class, and a cumulative final exam worth 300 points (derived from 3 times the percent you earn on the final exam). All work leading to the answer must be shown on tests. A scientific calculator is allowed on all tests but is not needed. You may NOT use a mobile phone for a calculator. Notes are not allowed on tests. Test may not be taken after I give it in class, even for emergency situations. If you know ahead of time you will be unable to take a test when I give it in class, contact me a week ahead of time about taking it early. If it is printed and ready ahead of time, I will work with you to take it early. If you miss one test for any reason you will earn a zero on that test. However, the percent you earn on the final exam will replace the zero earned on that test. If you miss two tests, one will remain with a score of zero. The final exam is mandatory and must be taken to pass the class. Nothing replaces the final exam.

Studying: Doing your homework and studying are not the same thing. You have to review a concept or a procedure many times before it becomes familiar. Schedule at least 12 hours a week (2-3 hours a day) for working on this class. You may need more time. I encourage you to frequently go back and review older material to make sure you still remember and do the problems. I encourage you to watch my YourMathGal videos as well.

Grading: A point earned in one category is not worth the same as a point earned in another category. 1100 points total.

If you do not miss a test, and your percent score on the final exam is higher than your lowest test score percent, your final exam percent will replace that test score. Students must earn a minimum of 50% on the final exam to pass the class with a C or better, as well as earn the overall point total listed below for each letter grade.

HW: 100 pt (Points earned: overall percent earned on all HW.)

Tests: 600 pt (Points earned on each test: 2 times percent earned on each test.)

Quizzes: 100 pt (Points earned: total points from scores earned on 10 best quizzes.)

Final: 300 pt (Points earned is 3 times the percent earned on final exam.)

Grades are calculated using this point scale. A: 990-1100 B: 880-989 C: 770-879 D: 660-769 F: 0-659

SOME OTHER RESOURCES

Aides and tutors in the MLC are available to answer HW questions that you may have. Find the locations and hours at the MLC webpage

at http://www.miracosta.edu/instruction/mathematics/mathlearningcenter.html

Free tutoring and other services are available on both campuses and online in the Tutoring Center. For hours and locations go to the Tutoring Center webpage at http://www.miracosta.edu/studentservices/tutoring/index.html

If you have a disability that may require accommodations in this online delivery format or require test accommodations, please notify me by email before the end of the second week of class. If you have a not already done so, please register with Disabled Students Programs & Services at 760-795-6658. Their office is located in Building 3000, adjacent to parking lot 3C. Go to http://www.miracosta.edu/studentservices/dsps/index.html for more information.

IMPORTANT DATES are at http://www.miracosta.edu/studentservices/admissions/importantdates.html

Below are important ones for our class. Refer to official dates and sometimes there are changes and also there may be typos.

FRI, 8/29/14: Last Date to drop class and receive a refund with no grade placed on permanent record

MON, 9/22/14: Last day to petition for pass/no pass. You do not need my permission and I do not need to be notified. Go to the Admissions and Records office to fill out and turn in the required paperwork if you want this option.

TUES, 11/11/14: Campus closed for Veterans Day

FRI, 11/14/14: Last Day to drop class with option of "W" grade

THURS, 11/27: Campus closed for Thanksgiving

TUES, 12/9/14: Take final exam in class starting at 1 pm.

Student Learning Outcomes Math 30

1. Students will be able to make use of factoring techniques, solve quadratic equations by factoring, and make use of factoring to simplify rational expressions.
2. Students will be able to translate English phrases into algebraic expressions and equations, and solve applied problems.
3. Students will be able to perform operations related to linear equations in two variables, solve systems of linear equations, and solve applications which can be modeled using systems of linear equations.