Math 67-413/613 Syllabus Fall 2006:
Instructor: Dr. Carol Seaman
Office:111 Swart
E-mail contact: seaman<at>uwosh.edu
Phone: 424-1059
Office hours: 9:30am–10:15pm MWF and 2:00pm–3:00pm MTWF or by appointment (Don’t hesitate to ask – we will find a time that works!)
Textbook: Big Ideas in Mathematics for Future Middle Grades Teachers: Big Ideas in Algebra, by Jennifer Szydlik and John Koker (available for purchase at the University Bookstore) and Math through the Ages, by Berlinghoff and Gouvêa (ISBN 0-88385-736-7 – available in paperback for $19.99 online)
Prerequisite: Math 67-104 (or equivalent), 67-211 and 67-217, each with a grade of C or better.
Website: www.uwosh.edu/d2l (User name is UWO email name, password is Titan 7-digit ID#)
Welcome to Math 413, Modern Algebra for Elementary and Middle School Programs. We meet MTWR at 3:00 pm in Swart 127. Course materials, announcements, assignments, and grades will be posted at the website. Information on accessing this website will be provided in class. Check it regularly!
Course Outline and Objectives
This course will consider Algebra and its historical development with a special focus on problems and ideas from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and from upper elementary and middle school curriculum materials that foster algebraic thinking in children. We will survey topics within three important categories of algebraic thinking: 1) Algebra as the study of symbolizing and making sense of information; 2) Algebra as the study of generalizing patterns and processes; and 3) Algebra as the study of the structure of arithmetic. Although most class work and assignments will involve you doing mathematics, alone and in groups, we will discuss classroom issues as well.
Our guiding principle can be expressed in the words of John Cotton Dana, "Who dares to teach must never cease to learn." Our approach will be investigative and will center on problem solving. Successful students will be involved in investigating, questioning, conjecturing, reasoning, and communicating about algebraic structures and processes. Reading, writing, and oral presentations will also be important components.
Another goal for this course is for students to become confident in tackling large problems and in assessing the quality of their arguments independently (of the instructor). The problems you will work on in this class will not be exactly like examples you’ve seen, and will not be immediately solvable. You will need to spend more time than you might expect simply understanding what a problem is asking for. Most problems will require you to collect data from several examples that you will choose yourself, or to investigate the definitions of concepts word by word. Class time will be a combination of problem solving, individual presentations, group activities, lecture, and discussion of pre-assigned readings and exercises. Students will be expected to present solutions to problems and summaries of activities for their classmates. It is important that you come to class and participate.
Assessment
We will have three exams – each worth 15% of your course grade. The tentative dates for the exams will be: October 5-6, November 9-10, and December 14-15. These exams will be offered over a two-day period in the Testing Center, allowing you some flexibility in scheduling and “unlimited” time for test taking. There will be no class meetings on October 6, November 10, and December 15. Do not schedule travel or appointments that conflict with these dates. In cases of extreme emergency, serious illness, or school-sponsored activity, if I am notified by the scheduled exam/quiz day, you may make-up one missed exam. I will give these make-up exams on Friday, December 8, 2006 only. You may also arrange to take a scheduled quiz early.
On most non-exam weeks you will have a written assignment (which may be a problem set, a group project write-up, a quiz, or a short paper) to turn in for evaluation on Friday. These assignments will come from problems found in your course packet and occasionally from outside sources. Expect these written assignments to take 8 to 10 hours to prepare! Problem solutions must be well written, organized, and prepared according to the guidelines that accompany this syllabus. I will not accept assignments after the due date. However, assignments (including announced quizzes) may be turned in (or taken) early if your absence is unavoidable. Together, the written assignments are 35% of your course grade.
You are highly encouraged to work together on these problem sets (and you will work with other students on the group projects) - work together, learn from each other, discuss the problems and concepts, investigate proposed solutions, but then be able to write up the solutions on your own and in your own words. You may choose your own groups for the group project assignments. It will be your responsibility to ensure that each member contributes a reasonable share of the work toward the completed write-up, and that each member understands the solution completely. All students in a particular group will receive the same grade for the assignment.
Another component of your course grade is an article review and oral presentation worth 15% of your course grade. This is a two-page written review of an article chosen from Mathematics Teaching in the Middle Grades, Mathematics Teacher, Teaching Children Mathematics, or similar journal on a algebraic subject and a 15 to 20 minute oral presentation to the class on the teaching ideas in the article. Guidelines for the written review and the oral presentation accompany this syllabus. A partial listing of appropriate articles can be found at the Desire2LearnÔ website. More information about accessing this website and signing up for a review article and presentation time will be provided in class.
The final component (5%) of your course grade will be for class participation, which includes regular attendance, asking and answering questions based on reading assignments, class presentation of homework problems, active involvement in classroom group work, feedback on oral presentations, and completion of non-graded assignments, such as those that are to be completed in the Desire2Learnä discussion forum. More information about accessing this website and using the discussion forums will be provided in class.
The grading scale will be approximately as follows:
A: 93 – 100%
AB: 89 – 92%
B: 82 – 88%
BC: 79 – 81%
C: 69 – 78%
D: 60 – 68%
F: 0 – 59%
You are expected to attend all classes. Excessive (more than three) absences will affect your participation grade. You are responsible for all material covered and all activities in class and for all assignments (including readings) whether present or absent from a particular class meeting. You may always check the website for current assignments, due dates and announcements.
You should expect to spend significant time outside of class working on the various assignments of this course. In addition, I encourage you to spend time reflecting on the ideas we are discussing. You should be reflecting on the mathematics you’re doing and why you’re doing it. What algebraic concepts are involved? How are these concepts related to each other and to the problem? How are these concepts related to the other ideas in the course? Thinking and doing is more effective than just doing. Mathematics is a subject that requires work, practice, reflection, and concentration. Expect to spend a minimum of eight to twelve hours per week outside of class engaged with the wonders of algebra.
An Invitation
I welcome your feedback on how the course is going for you. In order to encourage your comments, both positive and negative, I have set up a Feedback Forum on Desire2Learnä, where you may share your thoughts with me and with your classmates anonymously at anytime. I will check this forum regularly and respond to your suggestions where possible.
Finally, let me encourage each of you to spend time with me during office hours. Good students take advantage of the opportunity for one-on-one time with their instructors. We can talk about your course concerns, about problem assignments, about quizzes and exams, or explore some aspect of algebra or teaching you find exciting or challenging or frustrating! My time is your time during office hours. Each of you is welcome! At other times, take advantage of e-mail. I promise to check and answer e-mail each day - provided the system is “up!”
I am looking forward to an exciting semester of modern algebra.