Course Policies and Information for Math 302A, Section 3 Spring 2008 Understanding Elementary Mathematics (A) Instructor: Chris Mikel Class meeting time: MWF 11-11:50 AM Office: Mathematics East 146B Location: Mathematics East 141 Email: [email protected] Phone: 621-1771 Web page: http://math.arizona.edu/~mikel/ Office hours: Tuesdays 12-1 FINAL EXAM: Monday, May 12, 2008 Thursdays 5-6 11:00 AM -1:00 PM Fridays 12-1 Or by appointment The instructors of MATH 302A and 302B provide additional help sessions for all students taking these courses. A schedule is posted outside Math East 141 and 143. You may attend any of these help sessions. They are held in the lobby of the Mathematics East building just outside our classroom. I will be there on Wednesdays, 12-1 PM. COURSE MATERIALS: You are required to purchase Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers, 4th edition by Bassarear. Included with your purchase should be the textbook, an exploration text, a student manual, and a manipulative kit. COURSE GRADES: Your grade in this course will be determined as follows: In-Class Exams (3) 40% Final Exam 25% Quizzes/Exploratory Activities/Attendance/Journal 25% Homework 10% GRADE CALCULATION: To calculate your grade in each category, the total points earned will be divided by the total possible points in that category and then multiplied by the value indicated above. For example, if there are 230 possible homework points and you earn 200 points, divide 200 by 230 and multiply the result by 10 to get the homework portion of the grade. Adding these results for each category will give your final grade percentage. Final course grades will be according to the scale given in the Orientation Information for this course. ATTENDANCE: The sharing of ideas is a key element in the learning of mathematics. This course focuses on your discovery of mathematics and not on my presentation of facts and formulas. You will be expected to actively participate in the class by working cooperatively, sharing thought processes, asking questions, and making comments. To achieve this, you must attend class on a regular basis. Students who miss 3 days of class during the semester may be administratively dropped from the course. Students who do not attend the first two days of class and have not contacted the instructor with a reasonable excuse for not being present in class will be administratively dropped from the course. EXAMS: There will be 3 in-class exams. The exact dates of the exams will be given in class, about a week prior to the test date. QUIZZES/PROJECTS: Quizzes may be announced or unannounced. Some quizzes will be taken as individuals and some will be taken in pairsHOMEWORK: Homework is an integral part of learning and will be assigned on a regular basis. The questions are involved and require more than rote calculations. You will often be expected to not only solve a problem but to also explain the thinking that was involved in arriving at your solution. Your explanation should focus on justifying why you solved the problem in the manner that you did. It should not just be a step-by-step description of what you did. Please ensure that all homework is legible. Give yourself enough space to do the work and enough space for me to make comments. Homework will be assigned almost daily and due dates will be given in class, as well as on the class website. Late homework will not be accepted. Homework that consists of multiple pages must be stapled. Use 8 ½” x 11” paper and remove fringes. You are encouraged to work together to discuss and solve problems, but the work you turn in must be written in your own words. EXPLORATIONS: We will be using a series of exploratory activities to help further your understanding of certain mathematical concepts. Some of the activities may include (but are not limited to) reading a selection of work and writing up a reflection or working with your group in class on a specified activity. You will be informed as to how each exploration is to be carried out and graded on a case-by-case basis. MISSED WORK/EXAMS: If you are absent from class for any reason, it is your responsibility to determine what you missed and turn it in with the rest of the class. You will not be given an extension to turn work in because you were not present the day it was assigned. If something was due on the day you were absent, it still must be turned in on time and will not be accepted late. In the event that a verifiable emergency prevents you from taking an exam at the scheduled time, you must notify me ASAP. Make-up exams may be given at my discretion with unusual circumstances. CLASSROOM CONDUCT: Everyone is expected to treat everyone else in the class with courtesy and respect. Please familiarize yourself with the University’s Code of Conduct at http://dos.web.arizona.edu/uapolicies/scc5308abcd.html Cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, alarm watches, and other electronic devices must be turned off and stored out of sight for the duration of the class period. INCOMPLETE GRADES: A grade of incomplete will be given only according to University policy as described at http://www.registrar.arizona.edu/gradepolicy/incomplete.htm A grade of incomplete is never given when a student must repeat the course; in such a case, the grade of “E” will be assigned. WITHDRAWAL DATES: The last day to drop the course so it results in the deletion of the course from your record is Tuesday, February 12th and can be done by WebReg. The last day to withdraw from the course with a grade of “W” is Tuesday, March 11th. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with me. I would like us to discuss ways to ensure your full participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability-related accommodations are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with Disability Resources (621-3268; http://drc.arizona.edu) and notify me of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. We can then plan how best to coordinate your