Previews
An important aspect of this class is writing previews. You will often be required to preview sections in our textbook to be prepared for the next day's class. A preview is a quick summary of the information that is meant to create a foundation for the material learned in class and to determine where your questions are. The purpose of a preview is not to replace classroom instruction of that material.
Expectations of what should be in your previews
All vocabulary, terms, theorems, and formulas presented will be listed and defined in students' own words.
All identified examples will be read and summarized.
Guided practice sets will be attempted and/or accomplished.
Any questions on concepts in the preview will be written down so they can be asked in class the next day.
Why do we do previews?
This method of previewing the information in the section will help you to grasp the concepts that are taught in class because you have familiarized yourself with the vocabulary and notation, leaving all of class time to analyze the concepts and to apply the concepts, rather than formulas off the board. It will also allow more time in class for you to get your questions answered from the reading, and to practice the material. In addition, this method of previewing will serve as a critical skill when you take college courses and need to use the book as a resource. Previews and notes should be in the same section of your notebook, so that any additional notes given in class can be added directly to the preview.
An exemplary preview is attached below for reference. Another is displayed in the classroom and a third can be found in the Math Lab.