Mathematics 4010
Spring 2011
Instructor: Kelly A. MacArthur
Class Time and Place:8:15-9:25 a.m.
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in JTB320
Office Hours: Mondays 9:30-11:30 a.m., Tuesdays 11:00
a.m. -2:00 p.m,
Wednesdays 2:00-4:00 p.m., Fridays 2:00-5:00 p.m. or by appointment.
Office Location: JWB226
Office Phone Number: 581-6837
E-mail address: macarthur@math.utah.edu
Website: http://www.math.utah.edu/~macarthu
Text: A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for
Elementary School Teachers
by Billstein, Libeskind, Lott, 11th edition, ISBN 978-0-321-75666-4
Prerequisite: At least a C grade in Math1050 (College
Algebra) within the last two years.
Tutoring Lab: T. Benny Rushing Mathematics Student Center (adjacent to JWB
and LCB), Room 155
M - Th 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
F 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(opens the second week of class) (closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays)
They are also offering group tutoring sessions. If you're interested,
inquire at the Tutoring Lab.
Private Tutoring: University Tutoring Services, 330 SSB (they offer
inexpensive tutoring). There is also a list of tutors at the Math Department
office in JWB233.
Math Education Website: The math department has a web page
for math teachers in K-12 schools.
Computer Lab: in the T. Benny Rushing Mathematics Student Center, Room 155C.
M – Th 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
F 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Link to computer lab
Grading: The grades will be calculated as follows:
Weekly Homework 7%
Problem Sets 8%
Midterm 15%
Midterm 15%
Midterm 10%
Practicum 14%
Portfolio 6%
Final Exam 25%
(Note: There will be 3 midterms. Your lowest midterm score will count for
10% of your grade and your top two midterm scores will each count for 15% of
your final grade.)
Weekly Homework:
- I will collect homework during the first class of each week. All
of the homework assigned the previous week is due at that time.
- Each section of homework will be worth ten points. For example,
if you have three sections of homework assigned for one week, then
that homework set is worth a total of 30 points.
- You will get the full credit if you DO every problem. I will NOT
be grading for correctness, so it is your responsibility to make
sure you understand the problems and their solutions. This is
basically motivation for you to do the homework because that is
the only way to survive a math class. (Please notice that there is
no way to get an A in this course if you choose not to do any of
the homework. On the other hand, turning in all of the homework
can help your grade substantially.)
- The homework is to be turned in according to the following instructions:
- The homework set MUST be stapled together with the
corresponding cover sheet as the first page.
(I will provide the cover sheets in class.) A homework set
turned in without being stapled together or without a cover
sheet will not be counted!! Please do not come to class hoping
that I or someone else will have a stapler. Be prepared when
you arrive.
- To get full credit for the homework, you MUST show all your work!
If you turn in just the answers, with no work shown, you will get
a -1 score for that section. If this happens three times, you will
no longer be allowed to turn in homework for any credit!!!
- I will accept 10 late homework sections, up to
two weeks late, throughout the semester for full credit.
I will not accept homework more than two weeks late.
I accept these late homework sections to allow for illness,
oversleeping, hectic schedules, etc. Do not ask for special
favors with regard to the homework policy, unless the
circumstances are extraordinarily severe, because my response
will not be in your favor. Also, it is not necessary nor
recommended that you tell me why your homework is late.
This policy is meant to be flexible enough to cover all reasons
and so I don't get calls and emails every week with your
personal drama stories.
- I only collect homework during the first class of the week!!
If you need to turn in homework late, you will have to do so
on the first class of the week (one or two weeks after its
due date). This is the only time and location that I will
accept homework. If you slide homework underneath my office
door, I will throw it away without looking at it.
You are responsible for knowing these policies. Please take it
seriously because the flexibility listed here is literally all there is.
Problem Sets: Throughout the semester, I will assign 6 problem
sets that will be given in addition to your weekly homework. The problem
sets will be graded for correctness, like the exams (unlike the
weekly homework). The grade of each problem set will be based on accuracy,
thoughtfulness, completeness and clarity of communication (i.e. there may
be no credit given for answers given without work shown). Each set will
contain roughly 15-25 problems on it and you can use these, as well as the
weekly homework, as study tools for the exams. These problem sets will be
due a week or two after assigned. Since these problem sets will be given
out at random times, it is your responsibility to show up to class in order
to have current, correct information about these problems and their due
dates. The lowest problem set score will be dropped, thus late problem
sets will NOT be accepted under any circumstances.
Practicum: Each student will spend three hours in an elementary
school classroom observing children in the classroom. This classroom
experience will be discussed in our class as an assignment. Please be
sure to complete your observations by February 28th and turn in your
permission slip by then (I will not read and/or grade your practicum
report unless this is turned in). After your observations are complete,
you will spend another three hours working with a small group of children
(at least two and the children must be non-family members) teaching a
math lesson. The practicum report is a typewritten analysis of your
mathematical work with the children. Be sure to keep careful notes from
this work in order to have the information available when you write your
practicum report. The report is due April 1st and will be
discussed in more detail during class. For every day, or portion
thereof, that your Practicum report is late, you will be deducted 20
percentage points! Remember that writing the practicum report is
required to pass this course.
Portfolio: The portfolio assignment will be handed out in the
first week of class, so you can be working on it throughout the semester.
You can choose to put your portfolio in a notebook or in an accordian file,
whichever you prefer. This is meant to be a long-term reference for you
with regard to all the math we cover in this course. You will use your
portfolio in your Math Methods course to expand on some of the ideas
therein. These will be due during the last week of class. (I
will set up individual appointments with you to bring your portfolio to
me for grading.) I do not accept late Portfolios. The portfolio assignment
will also be discussed more in class.
WebCT: I will put your grades online on WebCT.
You can get there easily from the main University of Utah website www.utah.edu.
(There's also a link from my website.) To log in, you use the same student id
and password that you use for Campus Information System. I do my best to
update the grades on a regular basis and keep everything accurate.
However, I would advise you to check your grades often to make sure there
were no data entry mistakes. I'm always happy to correct any mistakes I've
made. You just need to let me know about them.
Calculators: Calculators will not be used much in this class. For
exams, you will not be allowed to use a calculator. So, you may as well
practice doing your homework without one. :) This will be discussed more
in class.
Grading Scale: Although I'm not philosophically opposed to curving
grades, I find it's rarely necessary. The grade scale will be the usual:
A (93-100), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79),
C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (63-66), D- (60-62), E (0-59).
If I do need to curve the grades, I will simply shift everything down
by a few points (whatever is necessary).
Other Policies: Due to experience, I have decided to make some
additional policies regarding my classroom administration and grading.
- There will be no retakes of exams…ever. Your score is what
you get.
- You may take an alternate exam at the Testing Center if you talk
to me about it first and explain the extenuating circumstances that
make it necessary. Needing to work, babysitting your siblings,
oversleeping, or needing more time to study do not pass as acceptable
reasons to inconvenience me. Getting in a car crash or your
mother’s death, on the other hand, is sufficient reason to
request to take an alternate exam. But, it is 100% your responsibility
to communicate with me as soon as is possible, before the exam
occurs. Talking to me after the test will be sufficient
reason for me to allow you to get a zero on that test. I reserve
the right to make alternate exams more difficult than the scheduled exam.
- I will demand respectful behavior in my classroom. Examples of
disrespect include reading a newspaper or magazine in class, social
chatting with your friend in class, text-messaging your buddies
during class or cuddling with your girl/boyfriend in class. If you
choose to be disrespectful during my class, I can guarantee I
will take action to terminate your disruptive behavior.
- You need to have a valid email address registered with Campus
Information System. I will regularly send emails to the class and expect
you to be responsible for receiving that information.
- There will be no cursing nor negative ranting (for example,
“math sucks”) on any written work turned in. The penalty
for such things on your written work will be a zero score on that
assignment or test!
- If you have crisis-level extenuating circumstances which require
flexibility, it is completely your responsibility to communicate
with me as soon as possible. The longer you wait to communicate with
me, the less I can do to help.
- If you have questions about any exam grade, or you want
to appeal the grading of the exam, you must bring it to me within one
week of the exam. After that, you will have to live with whatever
grade you got.
- Please make sure you do your best throughout the semester and come
talk to me if you need further study strategies. I will NOT offer
any extra credit at the end of the semester or any other way for you
to improve your grade at that time. If you ask me toward the end of
the semester if I'll make special arrangements for you to improve
your grade by some means, I will automatically deduct one percentage
point from your overall grade, just for asking the question!!