For class time and room, instructor contact information, and office hours, see Math 422 Homepage.
Text: Making Sense of Calculus, Volume II: Reasoning about Infinite Processes, by Sephen Monk, 2010 edition, available at the University Bookstore.
We will operate on the hypothesis that if you have enrolled in this course, you are either definitely or potentially interested in becoming a secondary school mathematics teacher. There are three main goals in this class. They are interconnected and of equal importance.
The CONTENT GOAL is that you gain a deeper, more comprehensive and complex understanding of calculus, as a body of powerful mathematical ideas, as a way of understanding phenomena of change and variation, and as a subject studied in school.
The COMMUNICATION GOAL is that you learn to communicate your understanding, insights, and intuitions in relation to the ideas of calculus and that you do so with other people who may see calculus in ways very different from the way you do. This involves listening to others, asking questions, solving problems, making guesses, and supporting claims.
The LEARNING PROCESS GOAL is that you analyze and reflect on your experience as a student in this course in a way that will contribute to your understanding of the subject as well as your effectiveness as a mathematics teacher.
In Class: Learning to articulate your mathematical ideas, listen to others, and participate in group problem-solving are critical goals of this course. In class we will have both small group and whole class discussions. Groups will be changed every two to three weeks.
You are expected to attend every class, to participate fully and constructively in both small group and whole class discussions, and to take turns recording groupwork to be turned in. At the end of every class, each group should turn in a paper with the names of the group members present that day at the top. The work or discussion notes to be handed in will be specified during class.
Outside Class: You are responsible for several kinds of work outside of class.
Grades will be based on participation in class and your written work. There will be no tests (but we may meet during the scheduled final exam time for a final discussion). Different kinds of work will contribute to your grades as follows:
Base grade: At least a 2.5 to a student who hands in competent versions of all written homework assignments on time, contributes Preclass Posts regularly, attends every class (except for excused absences) and participates fully and constructively in classroom activities. Deductions from the 2.5 will occur as follows. For each unexcused absence, 0.05 will be deducted. You may have at most two excused absences for reasons such as illness or serious accident, and will have to do a makeup assignment for each. (Makeup assignments should be turned in directly to me at an office hour or appointment, where I will discuss with you the makeup work and other material you missed in class.) You may miss four Preclass Posts during the quarter without penalty; if you miss more, 0.05 will be deducted for each additional missed post. For a completely omitted homework assignment, 0.1 will be deducted. For each extremely late or seriously incomplete assignment and for repeatedly late assignments, deductions may be made in increments of 0.05.
Quality Points: Up to 0.6 additional grade points based on evalution of your written homework. I will write comments on homework and mark each assignment on a scale of + (superior), √ (OK), or - (lacking in some way). These evaluations will be based on the completeness, thoughtfulness, and depth of the work. An average of "OK" for the assignments for the whole quarter will earn at least 0.2 quality points.
Reflective Journal: Up to 0.4 grade points for keeping a reflective journal in which you report and reflect shortly after each class period on your experiences as a student in this class. Detailed requirements for the journal.
Book report: Up to 0.3 grade points for reading a book on some aspect of calculus and writing a report on the book and how it relates to our course. Requirements for the Book Report.
Synthesis Project: Up to 0.4 grade points for writing a synthesis paper near the end of the quarter reflecting on the entire quarter. More details will be posted here midquarter.
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Most recently updated on April 7, 2011.