Math 1010 Instructors,
Hello and welcome to the summer 2009 semester. I have provided you with suggested
homework, syllabus, and a couple of options for a course calendar. If you are teaching a
class that meets either MTR or MWR, I have created a calendar for you to use or modify.
If you are teaching either MW or TR, I have provided you with a weekly outline. I
suggest what to cover each week, but due to holidays and other issues, you will have to
adjust this.
As a general education class, Math 1010 needs to provide students with the opportunity
to participate in group communication. Therefore each student taking math 1010 is
required to complete at least 2 group projects. The current textbook has projects at the
end of each chapter. I recommend that you use begin with the projects at the end of
chapters 2 and 6. You are welcome to assign others, or more than two. I also encourage
you to develop project ideas of your own. If you do create your own projects, I would
appreciate if you send me a copy so I can create a database of projects for teachers to
have access to. Remind students that they all have e-mail through SLCC, so they can
discuss ideas electronically if they are having a hard time meeting with their group
members outside of class.
I have also slightly modified the homework in section 7.5 to remove the “rationalize the
numerator” problems, and added an equivalent number of “rationalize the denominator”
problems so as to still assign 22 problems for that section.
If you would like to have students do homework online, I have created a MyMathLab
course that you need to copy and modify: smith38699
This course has all of the homework assignments plus quiz questions for each section
covered in Math 1010. The quiz questions are just homework questions without the extra
help features available, like “Show me how” and “See an example”. I have not placed
due dates on the homework or quizzes. Please feel free to create due dates if you would
like to. I also have the quiz questions worth 25% and the homework worth 75% of the
online “homework” grade. This you can also modify. Do not have your students register
into this course as it is only to copy and no one will be monitoring it.
If you would like your students to have access to the MyMathLab environment to view
the online version of the book, see videos and power points of lectures done by the author
of the book, try homework problems without credit, etc, you are welcome to let them use
the course: smith96857. You do not need to copy this course. If students use this
course, they will not have a link to your information, nor will you have a way to see their
work online. This is only a generic course for them to play around in and use the other
resources that they may have purchased with the book. No one will be monitoring it.
New this academic year is the implementation of a standardized grading distribution.
The mathematics department has decided to mandate the following:
Tests: Must count at least 40% of the final grade
Final: Must count at least 25% of the final grade.
Other: Must count no more than 30% of the final grade. Other includes homework,
quizzes, labs, etc…
Please determine if your grade distribution fits within these restrictions and make any
necessary adjustments so that it does. This is an attempt to ensure a high standard of
education throughout all of our classes in the math department, while still allowing for a
measure of control for the instructor. If you are teaching another math course other than
1010, find out what the new restrictions on grading are for that course.
Thank you for your hard work and have a great semester!
Zeph Smith
zeph.smith@slcc.edu
Math 1010 Course Coordinator
SLCC