Mathematics 4020

Spring 2006

Instructor: Kelly A. MacArthur

Class Time and Place:9:40-10:30 a.m.
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays in LCB225

Office Hours: Mondays 10:40 – 11:30 a.m., Tuesdays 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.,
and Fridays 10:40 –11:30 a.m. or by appointment.
Office Location: JWB221
Office Phone Number: 581-6443
E-mail address: macarthur@math.utah.edu

Text: Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers: A Contemporary Approach,
7th edition, by Musser, Burger, Peterson.

Prerequisite: At least a C grade in Math4010.

Tutoring Lab: T. Benny Rushing Mathematics Student Center (adjacent to JWB & LCB), Rm 155
M - Th 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
F 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(opens second week of classes) (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.

Calculators: You may use any calculator you'd like for this class. You will only
need a basic calculator.

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.
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 17th 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 17th 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 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.

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.
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!
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.
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.