I recognize that this is a very stressful time for you. COVID-19 has added significant stress and trauma to our lives. That stress affects your ability to learn. Give yourself grace as you try your best. I will be flexible throughout this course to support you towards your academic success. I believe in you!
I welcome your questions any time and I'm happy to help you think through your ideas so you can successfully complete an assignment. Sometimes just a five minute conversation in Zoom or on the phone is all you need. Struggle is a natural part of learning, but if you're feeling frustrated that means it is time to reach out for some assistance. You know how to reach me, right?
Grades are a reflection of your learning progress. Each week, you should click on the Grades button in our course navigation and review your scores and my feedback. There are no hidden points in this class. You do the work, show that you've learned and you get points. It's that simple. If something seems not right, reach out and let me know.
You will be evaluated based on the following components:
Online Homework: 10%
Problem Sets: 10%
Activities: 5%
Project: 5%
Exams: 60%
Portfolio: 10%
Final Grade:
90 -100% = A, 80-89.9% = B, 70-79.9% = C, 60-69.9% = D, 0 - 60% = F
Start by watching the lecture videos for each lesson. If it’s helpful for you, print out the blank lecture notes file and take notes as you are listening to the video. Pause the videos and try out the problems before I do them and then watch my solution. If you scan and submit your completed lecture notes you get activity points.
After you watch the videos, do the online homework assignments. You have an unlimited number of tries for each assignment and these are meant to get you to practice math skills. If you get stuck for too long on a problem, skip it and come back to it later. Bring those problems to the live session or email me or put them in the discussion board. If you are spending more than a few minutes on one problem and keep getting it wrong, you probably need some clarification.
These problems are definitely more challenging that regular homework problems and expect to get stuck often. You should work on a few of these problems everyday. Try not to do them in one sitting because your brain will explode : ) This kind of problem solving is best done collaboratively, so attempt the problems by yourself first then use the discussion board to collaborate with each other and come to the live Zoom meetings for problem solving sessions.
Choose problems for the Problem Sets and submit a video solution in the discussion board. These videos will count for activity points. You can write out the steps to the solution first, scan your solution and then use Canvas Studio, ScreenCastOMatic or FlipGrid to make a video of your shared screen and talk over the solution to your problem. Each problem will be solved by more than one student. I encourage you to collaborate in the discussion forum to arrive at the solution. Look at your fellow students video solutions if you get stuck and please point out mistakes gently if you notice any.
The most important thing for these assignments: Be kind to each other and yourself! Mistakes are common in math. I make them all the time! However, you learn more from mistakes than from anything else IF you take the time to understand why you made the mistake and how to correct it.
There will be five exams in this course. Three exams need to be taken in person at Miramar College and two exams will be take online. The exams are short-answer and you need to show all work for each problem solution. You are allowed a scientific calculator and a sheet of notes. The exams are individual assignments and you should not collaborate with other students or obtain help from any individuals or resources outside of the classroom materials.
These investigations are a chance to extend what you learned from the lessons in this class to solve puzzle problems, logic problems, or learn about the historical background of some of the concepts we learn in class. These investigations will count for activity points.
These assignments will allow you to put discrete mathematics in practice and discover its applications. You will be able to choose whether to do a writing assignment, a technology assignment or both. These writing/tech assignments will count for activity points.
The Cryptography project will allow you to put discrete mathematics in practice and discover its applications.
The portfolio is a collection of assignments that will showcase the work you completed in this class. You will include samples of your work, such as: Videos, Investigations, Writing/Tech assignments, Project, Exams, and a Video Lesson of your favorite topics in this course.
Your activity grade is worth 5% of your total grade for the course. You need to collect 50 points by completing a mix of assignments. There are LOTS of available points so you can choose according to what you like to do and what fits with your schedule. You can earn up to 50 extra credit points (10 points = 1% of the final grade) by doing extra assignments.
1. Tutoring (2 points for attending any sessions that last more than 30 minutes)
2. Required Discussions and Surveys (5 points each)
3. Lecture Notes Assignments (2 points each)
4. Problem Set Videos posted in the discussion forum (2 points each)
5. Investigation Assignments (10 points each)
6. Writing Assignments (10 points each)
Each of you will figure out how to structure your schedule to complete your assignments for this class. I know that you have other commitments besides my class (Really?! No, Ms. Anne, your class is my top priority and this is all I want to do this semester : )).
Exams: need to be completed on campus on the posted dates. If you absolutely cannot make the scheduled, email me, preferable two days ahead of time to let me know and we can work together on an alternate exam date.
Project: I want the project to be turned in by the posted deadline so all of you can have a chance to watch each other’s presentations and take part in the activities.
They still need to be turned in by the end of the course, though (July 23, 11:59 PM). I set suggested deadlines for all the assignments in the course as a pacing guide and I really recommend that you follow those as closely as you can. I bet you KNOW that if you start getting behind it’s a slippery slope and it becomes impossible to catch up. If you turn in an assignment after the posted deadline, it will show up as LATE in Canvas. Ignore that! There will be no deductions on these assignments for lateness.
Some circumstances are unavoidable so don’t hesitate to contact me if there is no way that you can meet a deadline and I can make accommodations based on individual circumstances.
Any student who may need an academic accommodation should discuss the situation with me during the first two weeks. DSPS (Disability Support Programs Services) at Miramar College offers a wide range of services for students with verified disabilities. If you have a learning, physical, or psychological disability which requires special accommodations for classroom participation and/or examinations, please let me (the instructor) know on the first day of class and notify the DSPS office on campus in room K-204, by email: miradsps@sdccd.edu or by phone, (619) 388 – 7312. Students may contact DSPS: https://www.sdmiramar.edu/campus/dsps
You are expected to be honest and ethical at all times in the pursuit of academic goals. It is entirely to your best benefit to always strive to do your work to the best of your ability and submit work that is solely yours. I have a zero tolerance policy on cheating. This mainly includes submitting work that is not your own, such as copied solutions for Problem Set assignments, plagiarizing on Writing/Tech assignments, getting help or collaborating on exams or using unauthorized resources on exams. Students who are found to be in violation of Administrative Procedure 3100.3 Honest Academic Conduct, will receive a grade of zero on the assignment or exam in question and will receive a failing grade for the class if more than one incident occurs. You may be referred for disciplinary action in accordance with Administrative Procedure 3100.2, Student Disciplinary Procedures.
As a diverse community of learners, students must strive to work together in a setting of civility, tolerance, and respect for each other and for the instructor. Conflicting opinions among members of a class are to be respected and responded to in a professional manner. There are to be no offensive comments, language, or gestures. http://www.sdccdonline.net/students/resources/NetiquetteGuidelines.pdf
Incomplete grades will only be given to students who have completed 85% of the course work, i.e., students who have extenuating circumstance that prevents them from taking the final exam. If it is a medical issue, a doctor’s note is required.
If you are experiencing difficulty with the structure of the class or any type of conflict, please communicate with me your instructor. We can review the syllabus together, go over your grades, or discuss other issues. If together we are unable to resolve the situation, the next step would be for you for contact the department chair for the math department, Anne Gloag, at agloag@sdccd.edu.
It is your responsibility to drop all classes which you are no longer attending. It is the instructor’s discretion to withdraw a student after the add/drop deadline due to excessive absences. Students, who remain enrolled in a class beyond the published withdrawal deadline, as stated in the class schedule, will receive an evaluative letter grade in this class.