Statistics with Support
MATH 14S - F8773
MATH 14S - F8773
I came across artist Keeley Shaw's image (to the left) last year and was reminded of the many ways we might enter a new semester or opportunity. Some of us are flourishing, ready to learn! Some of us are just budding and tentatively hoping for a good start. Some of us are wilted from bad past experiences.
Perhaps you are excited, exhausted, or unsure you can (or want to 😬) learn statistics. I hope to teach you how statistics can be useful and meaningful, and I hope you learn how very capable you are - but we'll save that for class. 🙂 For now, let me echo Keeley's sentiment and simply tell you that however you are, I am so very glad you are here.Â
My name is Audrey Barto; you're welcome to call me Audrey. I've been teaching math since 2010, and at Shasta College since 2020. I have a B.S. in Education and an M.S. in Mathematics, and I just started some classes toward a master's in Data Science.
I have lived in NJ, PA, TX, southern California, and now Redding. I love to cook food, read books (about food), eat food on mountains, eat food in kayaks, and pet dogs while traveling. I've recently become a Cat Person, and I definitely want to see pictures of your pets.
You can find me on campus in Redding or Tehama, or drinking excessive amounts of tea while working at a coffee shop. I'm happy to be your guide into the world of statistics as we kick off this semester together!
You can learn about our course and gear up for the semester by exploring the info in this course guide. Our Canvas course website will open later this week; a login link & tech tips are at the bottom of this page.
The course begins on Monday August 19 (online through Canvas) and ends on Friday December 19. Our first on-campus class meeting is Wednesday August 21.
We will meet on Wednesdays from 3:00-4:50pm in room 1102 at the Main Campus in Redding. These class meetings will serve as the "with support" part of Statistics with Support (2 course units), so I look forward to seeing you there each week! Attendance will be essential to your success.
All other coursework (4 course units) will be completed online through Canvas. While the online portion of the course is asynchronous (you may complete it on your own time), it is not self-paced. We'll work together as a learning community and follow a scheduled calendar of assignments and learning activities.
You will learn the same knowledge and skills as in the course Math 14 Introduction to Statistics, but with an extra 2 units of support (2 hours each week) designed to help you succeed. If you haven't taken a typical prerequisite course like intermediate algebra, or you've been out of school for a while, or you suspect you'll have a steep learning curve with some of the statistics software, this is the course for you! Support will vary based on the needs of our particular class; I have some options already planned, and I'll ask for your input throughout the semester.
Note: support will take place primarily during our on-campus classes. If you are not able to attend weekly, you will miss out on these 2 course units. You may want to consider taking Math 14 instead to save some money.
OpenStax Introductory Statistics (2nd edition) is a free OER book (open educational resource) and will be linked in our Canvas course for easy access.
You can also use the link above to view the book online, download to a variety of apps, download a PDF copy, order a print copy, and access student resources and answer keys.
Desmos graphing calculator and/or Microsoft Excel are recommended and will be demonstrated throughout the course. You may use a different calculator if you like, but support from Audrey will be limited. 😉
Microsoft Excel - to access the program for free you MUST use your student credentials. Log in to the Shasta Portal (NOT Canvas), scroll down to "Microsoft Office" and select "Excel."
Desmos graphing calculator (browser version) Â - also available as a free mobile app.
Plan to attend class each Wednesday AND participate in the learning activities on Canvas throughout the week. Students who skip one or the other typically have a difficult time.
Read my weekly Monday announcements to preview goals, key questions, and assignments for the week. I'll share resources as we go, and I hope you'll share your wisdom and witty workarounds too.
Be intentional as you start this course: how do you learn best? Do you need to schedule blocks of time for assignments, plan a favorite study location, or think through some logistical/scheduling challenges? What obstacles do you anticipate, what supports do you have in place, and what do you think you need to succeed?
Use our class Q&A discussion board and other campus resources if you have questions. Sometimes it's hard to reach out, but I hope you'll find us a welcoming crew when you do. Ask away: about statistics, technology, the course format, college in general!
The course is structured with some flexibility in case you need a little more time to learn a concept or have to choose between competing priorities. Follow the class schedule as you're able, but know that you have multiple paths to success if the semester gets overwhelming! Your "support team" (me, tutors, academic counselors, perhaps a classmate) can talk you through these options.
Wednesdays 6-7pm, Thursdays 2-4pm
Use the link to drop in during these hours: no appointment is needed. I will limit time with each student to about 15 minutes if someone else is in the digital "waiting room."
Find hours & contact info for all campuses; schedule an appointment.
Partners in Access to College Education - for students with disabilities
Watch the first 8 videos, from "Quick Start" to "Charts."
Answers to questions like "how do I view my grades and feedback?" and "how do I submit an assignment?"
Help with Shasta Portal, Office 365, Wireless Network Connection, etc. - not for Canvas questions.
Wednesdays 6-7pm
Thursdays 2-4pm
Other times - by appointment
Wednesdays 3-4:50pm - in class
Wednesdays 4:50-7pm - office 1116
Wednesdays before class - by appointment
Fridays - by appointment
Thursdays 10:30am - 12:20pm - in class
Thursdays before or after class - by appointment
Canvas is the learning management system that houses everything you need for the course. You can view lessons and videos, submit assignments, check your grades, and communicate with the class via the built-in messaging system and discussion boards. It’s easy to use, even if this is all new to you.
You may want to bookmark this link in your web browser.
Check the FAQ's for username & password help.
You can access Canvas through the Portal, as well as Excel and other helpful Microsoft programs.
On your Canvas dashboard, click the course card (image & title of our course) to go to our home page and get started!
Note: class begins Monday August 19, 2024. Your course will appear on your dashboard by this date but may be unpublished before then. Don't worry if you don't see the course card yet!