6/19/17 Info
Welcome to the first day of class. Most of you have completed H0. Excellent! Keep up the pace. Remember to set aside and devote several hours daily to this class (more info below) to keep up with the requirements. I wanted to bring your attention to some important info in case you haven't read this info. First, you need to schedule an appointment to take Test 1. Do this ASAP. You can make appointments for all 4 tests right now. The possible dates are 6/23-6/29. See Test Info for more info. Also, read the Instructions for this Class.
Note: You have the opportunity to earn full credit on each online HW assignment. If you miss a problem after 2 tries, click on try another similar question. After you earn credit on a problem, you may still click on try another similar question for more practice. Once you have credit, you don't lose credit if you try a new problem and get it wrong.
Click here to read info about how HW and Late Passes work.
6/20/17 Math 64 Schedule
Welcome to Day 2! I hope all of you are transcribing the videos and doing the problems in the Unit 1 packet. H1 over 1.1-1.4 is due Wed, 6/21, and you need to complete it or have made good progress on it by then to remain enrolled. As you are probably aware, there is a lot of material to learn each day, and it crucial not to get behind in this very fast-paced summer class. I spent a lot of time pairing most online HW questions with a video in case you get stuck while doing the online HW, but for the most part, you should not be needing to use those if you did the "learn" part of the class (videos, packet) first. To be prepared for a test, you'll need to be able to do any problem without help! So practice doing problems in random order. Read the Schedule for this summer in MyOpenMath. You might want to print it out. Lastly, schedule your appointment to take Test 1 ASAP before all the good times are taken! You can schedule all 4 tests now. July 20 is the very last day you may log in or call to set up an appointment for the final exam. Click this link to Academic Proctoring Center to schedule test appointments. HAVE FUN!!!! Algebra is really fun when you understand it!
6/21/17 Info
Welcome to day 3 of our Math 64 class! I hope you're fully engaged and having fun! This is a reminder that H1, your first online math HW, is due by 11:59 PST tonight, 6/21/17. You need to make good progress on it to assure you won't be dropped. If you don't earn full credit on all questions by tonight, click on Late Pass so you may continue working on it past midnight. Make sure you read all info about HW, Review Mode, Late Passes so you understand how they work. Click here to read info about how HW and Late Passes work. If an assignment says review mode, and you open it in review mode, no work is saved. If an assignment says review mode and there is an option to click Late Pass, click on Late Pass if you want to continue working on it for credit. Also, I have posted a Review and Practice Test for Test 1, but these are optional and not part of your grade. For you early birds, you may take Test 1 as early as this Friday, 6/23/17. The latest appointment date is 6/29. If you haven't yet made your appointment, do so immediately by clicking this link to schedule an appointment. Keep up the good work! There is no time to lag, so go for it! I'm always here if you have questions!
6/23/17 Info
We are already at the end of the first week! Some important date reminders: Today is the first day you can take Test 1. It's also the deadline to drop the class, get a refund and have no record of taking this class on your permanent record. See these important due dates coming up.
6/21: Transcribe videos for 1.5-1.7, complete those sections in packet. HW 2 due 6/23.
6/23: Transcribe videos for 1.8-1.10, complete those sections in packet. HW 3 due 6/26.
6/26: Transcribe videos for 2.4-2.5, complete those sections in packet. HW 4 due 6/30.
6/23-6/29: Take Unit Test 1 in APC. Appointment required. (If you haven't made your appt, make it immediately. If you can't get an appt, you will earn a zero, so take care of this! All arrangements are made with the APC, not with me.
Most of you are on board and keeping up with the assignments. In that case, keep up the great work!
If you are behind, it's going to be hard to recover as we are clipping along at breakneck speed. What I want is for everyone who stays in the class to succeed. But that takes a LOT of time, especially in a summer school college math class that is only six weeks. Taking this class in six weeks is like having a full time job. If you are already working full time, taking other classes, or are very busy doing other things, decide if it is realistic that you will find the time to devote the number of hours you need to learn, do the HW, fully understand the material, and pass the tests or not. If you don't have time in your schedule to do what it takes, it's going to be hard to succeed. So be realistic. Other options are to learn on your own at your own pace without being in a class. Also, there is the bridge to success math program where you can prepare to take the placement test to test out of Math 64. In any case, think about your options, and what you have to give to this class. If you decide to drop, log in to SURF and drop by 6/23. If you decide to go for it and give it your all, that's awesome!
6/25/17 Info
If you haven't already taken Test 1, remember to take Test 1 during your scheduled appointment time this week. If you aren't sure when it is, log in to the APC website to review your appointments. Review and study for it. There is an optional review and practice test in the Online HW folder. You need an appt. to take the test. Get there a little early, especially if you haven't been to the APC before. You want to give yourself time to park, to find it, to breathe and relax before starting the test. Bring a photo ID. Make sure you read all the info in the Test Info link when you log in to MyOpenMath. I am attaching the Test Directions you will get when you take your test. Review the directions ahead of time, and open the optional Practice Test in the Online HW folder called Test 1 Practice Test - not part of grade before you take the real test to get a feel for what it will be like to take the real test. Tests are on a computer. You have 90 minutes for Tests 1-3, and 2 hours for the final.
Below are reminders for what to do this week. If you have math questions or questions about the class, please use the forums in MyOpenMath. If you have more personal questions, please email me and sign your first and last name.
6/26: Transcribe videos for 2.1-2.3, complete those sections in packet. HW 4 due 6/30.
6/26: Schedule an appointment to take Test 2 in the APC during test window. Click this link to Academic Proctoring Center to schedule test appointments.
6/23-6/29: Take Unit Test 1 in APC. Appointment required. Test 1 is over problems in the videos, Unit 1 packet, and H1-H3.
6/30: Transcribe videos for 2.1-2.3, complete those sections in packet. HW 5 due 7/3.
I hope all of you ACE the first test! Go for it!
6/28/17 Math 64 Reminders, Attendance Policy, etc.
This is a reminder that the deadline to take Test 1 is 6/29. Photo ID required. Arrive early. Everyone should be working on Packet 2 which we finish next week. HW 4 (2.1-2.3) is due 6/30. HW 5 (2.4-2.5) is due 7/3, HW 6 (2.6-2.7) is due 7/5, HW 7 (2.8-2.9) is due 7/7, and then it's already time for Test 2. Schedule your appointment now to take it 7/5-7/11. I also want to remind everyone of the attendance policy below. Most of you are keeping up. If you are not, note you may be dropped without notice for not following it. Basically, you need to be logged in and working on HW problems in MyOpenMath 10 hours a week unless you are ahead, and you need to take tests by the due date.
Attendance Policies: Attendance is monitored by your verified participation in class each week in the following ways. You may be dropped WITHOUT NOTICE if you do not follow the requirements below. Contact me any time you are unable to fulfill these policies.
1. Log in to our MOM class every 1-2 days to read announcements, open and submit answers in the online HW (unless you are ahead) and check for forum posts or messages. You must submit some answers to each online HW assignment by the due date(s) for each one to be considered attending class. Logging in without submitting answers, using a late pass, clicking other links or watching videos does NOT count toward this requirement. You should spend at least 10 hours each week actively working in MOM (daily or at least every other day--it's daily on campus) unless you complete HW before the due date.
2) Show up and take tests during your scheduled appointment time. Be on time with your valid photo I.D. If you do not take a proctored test by its deadline, you may be dropped unless I am notified within a day of the deadline.
6/29/17
You can review your test now. Many of you did very well. Keep up the great work.
Remember that H4 is due 6/30. Test 2 starts next week, and 7/11 is the deadline to take that test.
If you did not do well on Test 1, ask yourself if you followed the Instructions for the class. See first link in MyOpenMath. Are you regularly setting aside and devoting 6-8 hours a day to this class? To begin, you need to FIRST watch/transcribe and then try on your own all the problems on the assigned videos for each assigned section for your own Video Notebook. Next, you need to do ALL the problems in the packet for those sections, and you should check your answers. Then you should be ready to open the online HW and do the problems WITHOUT having to watch the help videos. Some students are needing to watch a lot of help videos which means they haven't done the prep work to be ready to do the online HW. The prep is watching the videos and doing the problems in the packet. Do not skip those steps! It's important to be able to do the online HW problems without having to reference notes or videos. Think of it as a quiz but you get extra chances. The trick is being able to do any problem in any order without help. If you are watching how to do one problem at a time, it's probably not going to stick with you. Lastly, you should all do the Review and Practice Test to prepare for the real test. There aren't any short cuts. It takes a lot of time.
Remember that if you do better on the final exam than your lowest test, the final exam score can replace the lowest test score. So, there is still hope no matter what you earned on Test 1. But if you did not do well, you'll need to change your study habits dramatically. Feel free to ask questions by posting to the forum. Also consider free tutoring appointments or getting help in the Math Learning Center. It's all up to you to do whatever it takes to pass the tests. You need to pass the tests to pass the class.
I am here to help you but the main ingredient is putting in the time it takes to learn, absorb, and review--all the while keeping up new material and due dates. Go for it!
7/4/17 Happy 4th of July!
I made an exception so anyone may open H1-H5 and do any problem for full credit up through this Friday, 7/7/17. So if you got behind on any of those assignments and want to catch up, you have until this Friday. H6 is due 7/5 and H7 is due 7/7. You'll need to use a late pass for those if you need more time.
Take Test 2 (over H4-H7 and Unit 2 packet) during the test window dates of 7/5-7/11.
Unit 3 starts this Friday--time is marching by quickly this summer!
7/7/17
July 11 is the deadline to take Test 2. All arrangements for appointments must be made directly with the APC. Call or email them if you need assistance with appointments. See Test Info for all regarding tests, appointments, policies, etc.
H7 is due tonight, July 7. Below is info from the Schedule you should be following. Today, you should begin working on the Unit 3 videos and schedule your test appointments for Test 3 and the final. Appointments fill up quickly. If you put this off and can't get an appointment, you'll earn a zero! Don't put it off!
7/7: Transcribe videos for 3.1-3.3, complete those sections in packet. H8 due 7/12.
7/7: Schedule an appointment to take Test 3 and the Final Exam in the APC during test window. Click Here to schedule test appointments. July 20 is the LAST DATE the APC allows you to schedule a final exam appointment.
7/5-7/11:Take Unit Test 2 in APC. Appointment required.
7/12: Transcribe videos for 3.4-3.6, complete those sections in packet. H9 by 7/14 due date.
7/14: Transcribe videos for 3.7-3.9; finish packet. H10 due 7/17.
7/17: Transcribe videos for 4.1-4.4, complete those sections in packet. H11 due 7/21.
7/14-7/20:Take Unit Test 3 in APC. Appointment required.
NOTE: July 20 is last date you can schedule an appointment for final exam! Click Here to schedule test appointments.
7/21: Transcribe videos for 4.5-4.7, complete those sections in packet. H12 due 7/24.
7/24: Transcribe videos for 4.8-4.9, finish packet. H13 due 7/26.
7/21-7/29:Take Final Exam in APC. Appointment required.
7/12/17
You can review Test 2 now. For those of you who did well, keep up the great work.
H8 is due today, 7/12. H9 is due 7/14. H10 is due 7/17.
Test 3 must be taken July 14-20. If you haven't already done so, Click Here to schedule test appointments for Test 3 and the Final Exam. July 20 is the LAST DATE the APC allows you to schedule a final exam appointment. The final exam must be taken July 21-29. The final is cumulative over the whole semester.
If you did not do well on Test 2, read the info in the email and announcement from 6/29. If you are considering dropping, keep in mind that the last day you may drop this class with a W is 7/19. If the pace this summer is too fast or you are too busy to keep up, dropping and taking this class during a regular semester may be a better option. If you are planning to take Math 103 (Statistics) as your transfer-level math course, click this link to learn about the Bridge to Success in Math Program (BTSM) this August , or consider taking Math 95 instead of retaking Math 64. Math 95 is designed to prepare you for Statistics, and has less algebra in it. If you have questions, see a counselor.
7/14/17
H9 is due 7/14. H10 is due 7/17. We start the last unit on Monday. Only 2 weeks left! Test 3 dates are July 14-20. The last day to drop this class is 7/19, so if you are considering dropping but want to know your grade on Test 3 before deciding, you'll need to take the test by 7/19. You should have made appointments for Test 3 and the final already. Appointments fill quickly, especially for the final.
It's a good idea to start reviewing for the final soon, even as you work on new material. Review is key so you don't forget what you've learned. You can open any homework or test in review mode after the due date. (If you plan to use a late pass on HW, do not open in review mode.) When an assessment is in Review Mode, you will see this note: This assessment is in review mode - no scores will be saved. That means you may open it and practice doing any problems you want but not for credit. Nothing is saved. Click Create new versions of all questions to try newer versions of questions. That's especially a good idea for tests. Practicing all the questions on previous tests is a good start for review. When you open an assignment in review mode, you will not see any answers if you already took it, or how much credit you earned. That info is only in your gradebook.
Make sure you continue to log in to MyOpenMath and submit problems in H9 and H10 by Monday as I'll be dropping students who appear to have stopped working on the class.
I'm here for you if you have questions. You're almost there! Go for it!
7/17/17
We are in the final stretch! H10 is due today, 7/17. And 7/20 is the deadline to take Test 3. I suggest doing the Review and/or Practice Test in the Online HW folder to prepare for it. We start Unit 4 today! The schedule for the rest of the semester is below.
7/17: Transcribe videos for 4.1-4.4, complete those sections in packet. H11 due 7/21.
7/21: Transcribe videos for 4.5-4.7, complete those sections in packet. H12 due 7/24.
7/24: Transcribe videos for 4.8-4.9, finish packet. H13 due 7/26.
7/21-7/29:Take Final Exam in APC. Appointment required.
NOTE: July 20 is last date you can schedule an appointment for final exam! July 19 is the last date you can drop the class with a W.
7/18/17
If you haven't scheduled your appt for the final, do it immediately. There aren't a lot of time-slots left, and Thursday, 7/20 is the deadline to schedule. Click Here to schedule.
Once in awhile, there might be a glitch in MyOpenMath where math symbols or graphs do not show up correctly. If this happens while taking a proctored test, click Message instructor about this question and let me know the problem. If it's for a graph, let me know what points (giving me the ordered pairs) you would plot if the graph was showing. If this happens while do HW, log out and in again, or try a new browser to see if that clears it up. If not, then click Message instructor about this question and let me know the problem. If it's for a graph, let me know what points (giving me the ordered pairs) you would plot if the graph was showing.
7/19/17
Here are some important reminders.
Today, July 19, is the last date you can drop the class with a W.
July 20 is the deadline to take Test 3, and also the last date you can schedule an appointment for final exam, which must be taken July 21-29. If you have questions, make sure you ask them by 7/26.
H11 is due 7/21, H12 is due 7/24, and H13 is due 7/26.
You're almost there! Keep up the pace!
7/20/17
Even as you are learning material from the last packet, it's also time to start reviewing for the final exam. Anything from the entire semester may be on the final exam.
To study for the final, first make sure you keep up with the new material and complete HW on time. Also do the online review and practice test. Open Tests 1-3 in review mode, and practice taking them again in a timed setting without using notes.
Another excellent way to study for the final is to copy each question from previous tests on a separate index card (or half sheet of paper). You can label each card by test and problem number to refer back to the problem. So for Test 1, problem 3, you could write T1-3. You can also make index cards from problems that are on a video. Copy the instructions and problem on one side, and put the full solution to that problem, showing all the steps for the answer. Mix up all the index cards, pick about 30 cards at random, set a timer for 2 hours, and pretend that is the final. Sit down without interruptions as if you were in a proctored test setting. Do this procedure (practice taking a test of 30 random problems) until you easily do them correctly and feel confident. This is a start to studying, but other types of problems similar to any homework problem or example or video may be on the final, or even one that is a little different where you may have to use critical thinking skills using what you learned to do a new problem.
Even though you may not use notes for a test, an excellent way to prepare is to write a page of notes with important information and any formulas. Study notes, and rewrite the notes. When you get your test, take a piece of scratch paper and write all the notes you remember on the scratch paper. This is called a memory dump onto the paper to help you as needed throughout the test.
7/21/17 Percent needed on final exam
Some students ask what percent they need on the final to get a B or C or whatever. I created a document so you can figure it out for yourself. It's the first link when you log in to MyOpenMath.
Everyone can still pass this class with a C or better regardless of their current grade. I employ a special option for students who did not do well throughout the semester but make a big comeback on the final exam. Anyone who earns at least 80% on the final exam will pass the class with a grade of C or better, even if their overall percent in the class is below 70%. So if you haven't been doing well, go for it, and ace the final!
Note: I do not round up your percent at the end of the semester. You need at least 80% on the final for me to use the special option above. Or your total points in MyOpenMath require these minimums: 450 points for an A, 400 for a B, 350 for a C, or 300 for a D. Study and do your best on the final exam!
7/24/17
Wow! Here we are in our last week! H12 is due today, 7/24. Your last regular assignment is to transcribe videos for 4.8-4.9, finish the packet, and complete H13 by 7/26. Take the Final Exam in the APC this week during your appointment. It is cumulative, but heavy emphasis is on the new material.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, please ask me at least 24 hours in advance and no later than 7/27/17. It's been a pleasure being your teacher this summer. I hope you all do well on the final and enjoy the rest of the summer!
7/30/17
I submitted grades in SURF. To see your final grade in the class, click on Final and then on Feedback. I entered your grade.
To see your final point total in the class, open your gradebook in MyOpenMath. (There is a 5th test listed as Final Copy. That's because I only count the best 4 grades out of 5 tests--Test 1, Test 2, Test 3, Final, Final. The final only counted twice if it raised your grade by replacing the lowest test grade.)
I enjoyed teaching this class, and there were a lot of high grades on the final and in the class. I wish all of you the best in your education and personal life. Take Care and enjoy the rest of summer!