Is Calculus Difficult?
All things are difficult before they are easy. ~Thomas Fuller
CALCULUS is the study of motion. One of the difficult parts of calculus is understanding the WHY while also learning the HOW. Many students tend to memorize the HOW without understanding the WHY. Without both, learning is lost.
How Much Reading? Every week, zero-cost readings via Canvas and lessons in class are carefully selected to ensure your learning is nurtured. The readings may be challenging, yet effective time management is part of the college experience.
How Much Weekly Work? Two assignments accompany the readings each week: Focused Notes and Practice.
Focused Notes are provided to help you organize your learning and to help follow along with the class meetings. Annotation is for you to make notes, as a class, on the readings in the textbook. As a class, you write notes "in the margins" of the text to help support each other and improve the textbook.
Practice is exactly what it is: Practice calculus. These are "homework" assignments.
How Many Tests? In this class, we refer to tests as assessments. There are 2 types of Assessments:
A Formative Assessment is a small and simple assessment designed to measure the process of your understanding of the course content. Feedback provides you guidance toward your summative assessments. Formative assessments are in-class work and homework.
A Summative Assessment measures your application of the unit course content. There are six summative assessments: four exams and one comprehensive final exam.
What is a Mathematician Presentation? To help us all learn about the history of mathematics and meet some interesting mathematicians, you will choose a mathematician from a provided list (or you can ask to get one not on the list approved) and create a short paper, video, or Slide/PPT presentation on that mathematician's life and work. You will only do one of these during the semester, but due dates will be staggered so we have about two presentations on Canvas per week. Those of you who don't have a presentation due that week should view it and provide comments on the discussion board.
Strict Grading? I grade on process, not correct answer. I need to see how you arrived at your solution, not just the solution (computers can give me a solution; I want to see your thinking!) I grade test problems based on showing your work and arriving at the answer. It is important to show all your steps!
Any Extra Credit? One opportunity for extra points on the final exam, you can attend three virtual Smart Shops for three points added to your final exam grade. You will need to make sure you complete the survey at the end of the Smart Shop to receive credit, and include my name as the only instructor. You won't be allowed to "double-count" a Smart Shop for two or more classes.
Course Calendar - Spring 2024
All the section numbers in the calendar are based on the OER textbook Calculus (OpenStax)
The Calendar is a TENTATIVE schedule of the lessons and exams for the course during Spring 2024 semester.
The calendar is always subject to change, including the dates for exams (though I try to avoid moving exam dates).
You can change the format of the calendar to weekly, monthly, or by agenda (list) with the upper right options.
You can also add this calendar to YOUR Google calendar! Click the blue plus at the bottom right if you want this course calendar showing up in your personal Google Calendar.
Final Exam: Tuesday, May 21 at 9:30am
Start where you are, with what you have. Make something of it and never be satisfied. ~ George Washington Carver
Media Credits:
Course Banner: Lego Stormtrooper on a Keyboard, Photo by James Pond on Unsplash
Bottom Quote Background: Small Plant in Can, Photo by Wilhelm Gunkel on Unsplash