MAT 0012 – Pre-Algebra (East Campus)

Course Syllabus

Fall 2009

Course Description

An entry-level course in mathematics emphasizing the fundamental mathematical operations with application to Beginning Algebra. This is the first course of two designed to prepare students for first-year college-level mathematics. Significant time will be devoted to connections between mathematics and other academic disciplines and to applications outside education settings.

Instructor Information

Name:Gabrielle Rejniak

E-mail address:

Office & Hours:Building 1 Room 126

Tuesday______

Thursday______

Day, time of class and location: T/R 6:55 – 9:00am

Day, time of lab and location: R 9:10 – 10:25

Name of lab instructor: Gabrielle Rejniak

Required Materials

Text: PreAlgebra, 5th edition, by Elayn Martin-Gay (Valencia Custom version)

This book can only be purchased at Valencia’s bookstore, no online version is available.

Calculator: You will need a calculator for this course for chapter 7. If you are purchasing a calculator, it is recommended that you buy at least a scientific calculator.

MyMathLab/WebCT (Blackboard Learning Systems) Student Access Kit: included with new book purchase.

Useful Links

Valencia’s tutoring services:

Valencia’s math resources:

Valencia’s computer labs:

Lab

  • You will attend lab once a week, it is a requirement for this course and attendance is mandatory. The activities done during lab are to enhance the learning of the material. The same policies that apply in the classroom apply in lab as well.

Resources

  • Your instructor is interested in your success in this class. Please ask questions regularly!
  • Many students of algebra find it extremely helpful to form study groups with their classmates. This practice is highly recommended.
  • Please visit the “SPA” 4-102, it is designed specifically for 0012 and 0024 students, the SPA hastutors and worksheets to assist you in the various topics you will be learning in class.

FinalExit Exam

  • There is a “Final Exit Exam” that is part of thiscourse. A student is required to pass this exam with a score of 24 or more correct out of 30 (80% or higher). In order to receive a passing grade for thisclass a student will need to pass the class with a grade of “C” or higher along with a passing score of 80% or higher on the Final Exit Exam. Your Final Exit Exam will be taken during final exam period. Please see the Valencia calendar and or ask your instructor for the exact day and time. Please note that this final exit exam is 15% of your course grade.

Atlas Email

  • Please note that any notifications of excessive absence and or course progress aredone through Atlas. Be sure to check your email at least twice a week. It is recommended that you do not forward your Valencia mail to an outside account like hotmail or yahoo etc. due to the fact that email from Valencia may be tagged as spam, therefore not delivered.

Classroom Policies

Attendance

  • You are expected to attend every class meeting, unless an illness or emergency makes it impossible for you to do so.
  • Absences are excused solely at the discretion of the instructor, who may require that you prove the existence of extenuating circumstances before excusing any absence(s).
  • You are responsible for any information and/or assignments given during class, whether you are present or not.
  • In-class activities can’t be “made up.” If you are absent on a day that an in-class activity occurs for credit or extra credit, your grade is likely to be adversely affected.
  • You are expected to be in class on time, and to remain in class for the entire period unless permission to leave early has been granted by the instructor. It is disruptive to arrive or depart while class is in session.

Conduct

  • You are encouraged to actively participate and ask pertinent questions during class. Courtesy will be observed at all times.
  • Your attitude will greatly affect your ability to succeed in this course. It will also affect your classmates’ attitudes should you choose to participate in class discussions. Always consider this carefully before you speak or act.
  • Cell phones, pagers, or other devices that are audible are not permitted to be on during class. Unplug yourself and make the most of class time! Personal electronic devices disrupt your learning as well as the learning of other students.
  • To create a good environment for learning, avoid sidebar conversations with other students while work is being done at the board, rude comments or remarks, raised voices or confrontational comments. Follow instructions given by your instructor, who serves as your classroom manager.
  • If your actions in class are deemed by your instructor to be disruptive, you will be asked to leave class immediately. If you are ever asked to leave class, you may be permitted to return to future class meetings after consultation with your instructor outside of class. You may also be required to arrange a conference with another college official before attending class again.

Academic Honesty

  • Honesty and integrity reward you in many ways, including avoidance of the grade of zero that is assigned to any student who is suspected cheating on any test or assignment. Valencia’s policy can be found at 6Hx28-10-16

Grading

  • Partial credit on tests and assignments is sometimes given, when appropriate, solely at the discretion of the instructor.
  • Grades will not be disclosed over the telephone or via e-mail, except through your Atlas account.
  • You must meet with the instructor if you wish to discuss your grade.

Homework

  • Completion of homework on a regular basis is crucial to your success in this course.
  • Problems from the text will be assigned for completion before each class meeting. You are encouraged to seek assistance from the instructor if you encounter difficulties with the assigned problems. It is always encouraged that you also seek help in the SPA located in building 4. Seeking help from classmates is also very useful, study groups etc.

Testing

  • You must complete each test within the time allotted during the class period.
  • Every test score will be used in the computation of your progress test average. There are no “dropped” test scores.
  • If you have an excused absence for one test score then the final exit exam will be used in place of the missing test score for computation of your test average.
  • In the event that more than one test is missed whether with or without an excuse, the instructor will determine if any option will be given to the student.
  • It is your responsibility to make a timely request for an excused absence should you miss a test. If you do not request an excused absence for a missed test, or your request for an excused absence is denied, you will receive a zero on that test.
  • All materials in your work area during testing, including electronic memory, are subject to thorough and unannounced inspection by the instructor.

Withdrawal

  • The deadline for withdrawing from class with a grade of “W,” if you are eligible to do so, is, November 6, 2009 for Fall term classes. After the deadline, withdrawing from class will result in a grade of either “WP” or “WF,” depending on your average the date of your withdrawal. If your overall average is 60% or more, than a grade of “WP” result, if your overall average is less than a 60% than a grade of “WF” will result.
  • If you are eligible to withdraw from this class, do not withdraw, and do not take the final exitexam, then you will receive a grade of “F.”
  • It is advisable that you contact your academic advisor before withdrawing, especially if you are receiving financial aid.

Note: Withdrawing from a class is done through Atlas, go to “add/drop classes”.

Valencia Core Competencies

ValenciaCommunity College wants graduates to possess and demonstrate a set of global competencies including the ability to THINK, COMMUNICATE, VALUE AND ACT. In an effort to help you acquire and improve your ability to demonstrate the competencies this course will include activities that require you to:

1. Think clearly, critically and creatively.

2. Communicate with others in written and verbal form.

3. Make reasoned value judgments and responsible commitments.

4. Act purposefully, reflectively and responsibly.

Course Grade Determination

ComponentWeight

Tests60%

Final Exit Exam15%

Lab15%

Portfolio10%

The following scale will be used for graded assignments as well as for computation of the course grade:

90 - 100%A

80 - 89.9%B

70 - 79.9%C

60 - 69.9%D

Below 60%F

Scores on all tests and assignments will be rounded to the nearest percent. End-of-term averages are rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent.

Special Accommodations

Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor, preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities, please visit for further information.

Changes in the syllabus, schedule, and/or assignments for this class may be made at the discretion of your instructor.

MAT 0012C – PreAlgebra

Elayn Martin-Gay, 5th Edition, Valencia Custom version

Time Line for Fall Term 2009, TR Classes

Week # / Dates / Topics / Textbook Sections and Plans
Tuesday / Thursday
1 / Oct 6th – Oct 8th / Course Introductions, Standard Notation, Addition, Subtraction, Rounding and Estimating. Perimeter. / 1.1 – 1.4 / No Class
2 / Oct 13th – Oct 15th / Multiplying and Dividing. Area. Solving Exponential Notation and Order of Operations. Introduction to Variables, Algebraic Expressions and Equations.
Addition and Subtraction of Integers. / 1.5 – 1.8 / Test
Chapter 1,
2.1 – 2.3
3 / Oct 20th – Oct 22nd / Multiplying and Dividing Integers. Order of Operations. Solving Equations. Simplifying Expressions / 2.4 – 2.6 / Test
Chapter 2,
3.1
4 / Oct 27th - Oct 29th / Solving Equations. / 3.2 – 3.4 / Test
Chapter 3,
4.1 – 4.2
5 / Nov 3rd – Nov 5th / Multiplying and Dividing Fractions. Adding and Subtracting Like and Unlike Fractions. Complex Fractions. Operations on Mixed Numbers. Solving Equations with Fractions. / 4.3 – 4.4 / 4.5 – 4.6
6 / Nov 10th – Nov 12th / Adding and Subtracting Decimals. Multiplying Decimals. Circumference. Dividing Decimals. Oder of Operations / 4.7 – 4.8 / Test
Chapter 4,
5.1 – 5.2
7 / Nov 17th – Nov 19th / Equations with Decimals. Decimal Applications – Mean, Median, Mode.
Percents. Solving percent problems. / 5.3 – 5.5 / 5.6 – 5.7
8 / Nov 24th – Nov 26th / Applications of Percent. Problem Solving with Percents – Tax, Commission, Discount, Interest / Test
Chapter 5,
7.1 – 7.2 / No Class
9 / Dec 1st – Dec 3rd / Adding and Subtracting Polynomials. Multiplication Properties of Exponents. Multiplying Polynomials. / 7.4 – 7.6 / Test
Chapter 7,
10.1
10 / Dec 8th – Dec 10th / Area, Volume and Surface Area / 10.2 – 10.3, Review / 9.3, Review
11 / Dec 15th– Dec 17th / Fractions, Decimals, and Order of Operations. / Test
Chapter 9/10, Review / Final Exit Exam

Important dates:

9/7 Labor day (College Closed)

10/8 College Night (no classes)

11/6 (withdraw deadline to receive a WP or WF)

11/25, 11/26, 11/27, (College Closed)

12/14 - 12/18, Finals week, Day and time of Final Exit Exam

Module Three

In-class Collaboration

“What’s New” Assignment – In-Class Assignment

Due Saturday, September 26, 2009

Worth 35 points

Your assignment is to locate something NEW in the world of digital media, electronic resources, instructional technology, educational technology, new digital literacies, or just technology in general. This can be software, hardware, or any type of technological device or equipment that you feel would be great for a classroom. Your assignment is to locate a What’s NEW item. They can be located in catalogs, journals, company advertisement, on the WWW, in your life (meaning you can bring in if you have the item) etc. You can also locate What’s New on the WWW with videos or demos for software and other products and show to class.

Part II: Write a ½ page summary of what you found and how this NEW item could help enhance instruction or learning. Include where this item was located by providing bibliographic information, such as: WWW site (author if applicable), if Journal: title of article, author, title of journal, Volume #, date, and page number(s), or Catalog information. I would like for you to include if possible a picture or a print out about the New item with a description. Print outs for Items found on the Internet or WWW should be included. If you have the actual item great, but not necessary to purchase. This will be turned in during class to your professor.

Everyone will “show and tell” to the class explaining what they found during our next class session. We are all looking forward to seeing what you found. Do not be scared if new to you - then it is NEW!!!! We all are learning exciting things in technology!