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Math 130: Mathematics for Teaching: Numbers and Operations

Fall 2010



Lecturer: Diane Rivard
Email: rivard@math.wisc.edu
Website: Diane Rivard (www.math.wisc.edu/~rivard)

Phone: 262-2882
Office: 720 Van Vleck Hall

Office Hours: T: 9:30 - 10:30, W: 3:00 - 4:00. I am in my office quite a bit more. You are welcome to stop by and if I am not busy I will be happy to answer your questions. We could also make an appointment.

Math 130 meeting times: TR 1:00 - 2:15 in B203 Van Vleck

Texbooks:
-Thomas Parker/Scott Baldridge: Elementary Mathematics for Teachers (complete package with 5 elementary school books)
-Sybilla Beckmann: Activities Manual for mathematics for Elementary Teachers (3rd edition)

These books are available for purchase at the University Bookstore.

Course Overview:

Mathematics for teaching focusing on numbers and operations in K-8. Emphasis on understanding a variety of problem solving strategies and word problems. Content will focus on place value, models for the operations, standard and alternative algorithms, fractions, and decimals.

The purpose of this course is two-fold: (1) to provide you with a comprehensive treatment of arithmetic, preparing you for teaching those concepts in elementary/middle schools and (2) help you to develop an effective style of communicating mathematical reasoning through the use of group-work and written reports. Often students come to this course fearful of mathematics or doubtful of their capabilities to do mathematics. Thus my additional goals for the course are (3) to help students gain confidence in their ability to do math and (4) to help students gain appreciation for the beauty and importance of mathematics.

As a class, we will work through a variety of problem types typically found in the elementary school curriculum. While participants in the course are future teachers, the course will focus more on mathematics than on principles of teaching. I will try to weave as many teaching ideas as I can into class time, however this is a mathematics course and we will be focusing on mathematics.

At times some may question the material which we're focusing on, finding it basic. Others may find the material difficult to master. Your view might change depending on the unit of study. This is to be expected. Hopefully you will learn something new about mathematical thinking from the course as we explore alternative algorithms and try to see problems from many different points of view.

Grading:

Your course grades will be determined by your written work, participation, and three exams.

Written work (30%): The bulk of the material you will be turning in will consist of your homework assignments and your journal. I anticipate 8 problem sets to be assigned throughout the semester. Homework is due at the beginning of the class period. Journal problems will be assigned from the class activities manual. Journals will be collected 3 times in the semester.

Participation (10%): Every student is expected to participate in both group work and large classroom discussions. Chronic failure to do either one will result in loss of points. Seeing as you cannot participate in class if you do not attend class, attendance is mandatory. You are allowed two absences for any reason. After that, each time you are absent, ½ percentage point will be deducted from your participation grade.

Midterm Exams (15% each): There will be two mid-term exams. The first midterm will be Thursday October 7. The second midterm will be Tuesday November 16.

Final exam (30 %): There will be a cumulative final exam on Friday December 17, 2010 7:25PM - 9:25PM.

Mark your calendars and make travel plans around it. No early exams will be given because of travel plans.

The following scale is for guaranteed grades in this class. For example if you get 94% you are guaranteed a letter grade of A. The boundaries might be lowered at the instructor discretion:

A: Superior 93% and above
AB: Excellent 89% and above
B: Proficient 82% and above
BC: Good 76% and above
C: Acceptable 69% and above
D: Mediocre 60% and above
F: Unacceptable 0% and above

If you are a McBurney student please talk to the instructor as soon as possible even if you do not need any special accommodations.

Classlist

An email Classlist has been created for important announcements about this course. Your @wisc.edu or @students.wisc.edu email address is the one that will be used for the list, as well as all other official communication from the University, so check your email frequently. Also check your Junk Mail folder regularly, as some ClassList mail may end up there!


I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand
The only way to truly learn and understand the material and be able to teach it later is by getting your hands dirty and doing many activities. Therefore, in addition to the Primary Math Textbooks and the activity manual you should each own and bring to class the following:
-A notebook
-Plenty of scratch paper
-Pencils and other writing instruments (a variety of colors will be helpful).