Math 150

FaLL 2023 | MESA COLLEGE | KELLY SPOON

WElcome!

If you've made it here, you should be signed up for my Calculus class. This is the first semester of offering a Math 150 without requiring 141 and I'm stoked (that's geriatric millennial for excited) to have you in class. The idea of this course is that we will use the extra time to learn the algebra, trig, and precalculus skills necessary to be successful in calculus as we go.

One of the ways I'm hoping to make this class accessible to students who may be missing some skills is using standards-based grading. This means that each week, we will focus on a given topic and you will have a few ways to demonstrate your understanding. If you need a bit more time to learn that material, you can retake quizzes or redo other assignments until you've got it down. My hope is that I've designed the course in a way that lets you focus on learning the skills necessary to be successful in future courses. A few caveats:

I do want us to be on the same page when we come to class so we can challenge each other and have good conversations, so there will be an assignment (done on an online platform called DeltaMath) due before class each week.
Students tend to prioritize classes with less flexibility than mine - that's OK! However, we still need to get through all the material in 16 weeks, so you will need to pace yourself.

Before we meet next week, you can read on to learn more about me and use the menu at the top of the page to learn more about the course.

The family!

Hiking Kwaaypaay with the kiddo who made me carry him the whole way.

When I'm not teaching (or thinking about teaching), here are some of the things I do for fun.

Speed Jigsaw Puzzling - No joke. My friend got me into it and we compete each month at events hosted by Pacific Puzzlers. The events are always at breweries, so I get to combine my love of puzzles, beer, and competition into a single night of ridiculousness. At the risk of you losing all respect for me before our class even starts, I've uploaded one of my puzzling time lapse videos for the USAJPA Speed Run to the left. 🧩

Fantasy / SciFi - I’m a giant nerd, obviously since I’m a math professor who speed puzzles for fun, but I also LOVE sci-fi and fantasy books. I'm currently reading the Dandelion Dynasty series by Ken Liu. 🚀

Soccer - I try to play as much (free) soccer as possible. You'll probably find me subbing on an indoor field most nights of the week. If you play at Toby Wells YMCA (before it got set on fire), La Mesa Indoor, or Santee Sportsplex or if you used to play at the water tower in North Park, we've probably played against each other. And because someone will ask, I don't really watch sports - so I don't have an EPL team. I do attend Wave and Loyals games on occasion, but mostly to hang out with friends. ⚽

Being Active - In addition to soccer, I try to be as active as possible. I love running, hiking, and am oddly motivated by obtaining Peloton badges. If you have a Peloton account, feel free to add me (kellymspoon) cause I'm still working on that 'swarm' badge. 🏃🏻‍♀️

I'm also a mom to an almost 5 year old, but I don't do that for fun...

My Commitment to us

We all come to this course with a variety of experiences, responsibilities, and interests. This means we have a lot we can learn from each other, but it also means that we may all learn differently and at different paces. I practice a “whole learner” approach to instruction. This means that all learners in our classroom (myself included) are not just students/instructors, but people with outside lives that will both inform and possibly sometimes interfere with this class. As such, the course policies below offer flexibility, but also ask for accountability. Both are integral to creating a productive learning experience for our entire classroom community.

Suggested 'best by' dates - nearly ALL assignments can be submitted late, if that is necessary... I will reach out before items are due (and after) to try to support you. Last semester, this was all assignments, but it hurt our time together in class. So this semester, we will have a pre-class knowledge check to be completed before our class meeting.
Opportunities to show growth - ALL assignments can be revised and resubmitted. Learning is a process and I want to help you on that journey.

Here's the deal: If you miss a deadline or perform poorly on an assessment, I will always assume you had a reason for doing so. You can choose to let me know or not. Just know I will never think it is because you are lazy or unmotivated, but even if it is... that's okay too.

Go learn more about our course here!

An oldie, but goodie with some high school friends that I still play soccer with.

Board games are one of my favorite things to do. Here I am at the AP Stats reading (nerd camp) with some of my favorite stats teachers from across the US. My newest game is a Disney version of Codenames.

Some pictures with my puzzling team 'Puzzling Past Our Bedtime' - you may recognize Professor Abbiate.

Questions? Reach out at kspoon@sdccd.edu

I check email every morning and try to clear my inbox. If you haven't heard back from me within 24 hours, don't hesitate to resend to put yourself back at the top of my stack!