Algebra 1 for Mathematicians: Functional Algebra 1 Math Course (Self-Paced)
What's included
32 pre-recorded lessons
16 weeks
of teacher support1 year access
to the contentAssignments
2-4 hours per week. Optional Practice OfferedGrading
Students will check their own work using solutions guides provided. If you need formal grading for this course please let me know upon enrollment and an end of course assessment can be provided.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 9
Functional Algebra 1 for Mathematicians will provide a complete Algebra 1 curriculum covering 32 topics and can be completed in a 4 month (16 week) single semester by completing 2 topics each week in the accelerated format or students may choose to complete a single topic each week over 8 months (32 weeks). Students can complete the entire Functional Algebra 1 curriculum covering linear functions and inequalities, linear systems, absolute value, piecewise, exponential, and quadratic functions. Details regarding the specific skills covered are provided in the syllabus. Pre-Algebra skills are a prerequisite for this class. Class Format: Each topic will contain the following learning resources and offer suggested activities to enrich learning (Students complete 1 or 2 topics per week). ***There are no LIVE sessions*** -Instructional Videos: This is where students actually learn the Algebra 1 skills. It is important that students actively take notes for example problems to be successful on the following assignments. -Practice Assignments: Each topic will have practice assignments for students to master the Algebra skills. Worked out solutions will be provided for problem sets. -Applications of Topics: Each unit will have application problems. Students are encouraged to use this as an opportunity to communicate in mathematics in more meaningful ways with real world problems. -Interactive Activities for Learners: Although there is a lot of skill material that needs to be covered in this course, additional enrichment activities will be provided throughout the course. Some of these may be using Desmos.com or a TI-84 Graphing Calculator. Some may be experiments or data collection and modeling. Others may be more independent games, investigations, explorations, or reinforcing activities. -Assessments for Teacher Interaction: Formally submitting assessments will allow me to see your work and provide individualized feedback. Assessments will be given for unit topics. Approximately 2 hours of online content will be provided each week. Additional work will take on average an additional 2-3 hours each week depending on the student. I teach Algebra 1 from a functional perspective because the goal is to be able to use Algebra 1 skills to make sense of the world around us. This means that data and modeling is a central principle necessary to the understanding of this content. Students will be able to understand the properties of each function as well as know when to apply each functional model which will also make for stronger math students later in upper level maths like Pre-Calculus.
Learning Goals
Students will be able to understand the properties of Algebra 1 functions including linear, piecewise, absolute value, exponential, and quadratic.
Students will be able to simplify expressions, solve equations, write algebraic models, and factor polynomials.
Syllabus
4 Units
32 Lessons
over 16 WeeksUnit 1: Linear Functions
Lesson 1:
Linear Transformations
This lesson will introduce students to linear functions and transformations.
Lesson 2:
Linear Equations and Important Formulas
This lesson will teach students to use the different forms of linear equations and practice writing equations of lines.
Lesson 3:
Graphing Linear Functions
This lesson will help students practice graphing linear functions, reading linear equations, and linear transformations.
Lesson 4:
Algebraic Modeling with Linear Functions
This lesson will introduce algebraic modeling and introduce students to linear applications.
Other Details
Supply List
Handouts will be provided to students but it is not a requirement to print all of them out. They are additional tools provided to make learning mathematics easier if students wish to use them. Technology can have a positive effect on mathematics classrooms and curricula. While the use of different forms of technology is encouraged, it is not required that students purchase a handheld calculator. If students wish to purchase a calculator to support their work, it is advised that they read through the list of allowed devices on the various standardized testing websites and college mathematics placement requirements before choosing which to purchase. I am currently recommending the Texas Instruments TI-84 Graphing Calculator (some students may prefer the upgraded TI-Nspire CAS version but it is not universally allowed by colleges still but has many more capabilities as well as supporting Python). I am currently also recommending that every student take the time to set up a free online account through https://www.desmos.com
Teacher expertise and credentials
New Hampshire Teaching Certificate in Mathematics
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from Grand Canyon University
Bachelor's Degree in History from University of New Hampshire
I teach a variety of secondary mathematics classes on Outschool for students from 7th to 12th grade. Traditional core academic content courses I offer are Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-Calculus (I am using the current AP curriculum as a guide). I believe that all students interested in Calculus should primarily take Calculus through a college or second take an accredited AP Calculus AB or BC Course-which cannot be done on this platform. I am happy to work with students privately in addition to these recommendations though. All of my courses will exceed common core expectations and are accessible for all levels of students. Outside work is always provided but not expected unless grading is requested. Please let me know upon enrollment if you will need formal grades provided and I will let you know what additional assessments/assignments will be required.
Qualifications:
I earned my M.Ed. in Secondary Mathematics Education from Grand Canyon University and received my B.A. from the University of New Hampshire. I am a New Hampshire State Certified Secondary Mathematics Teacher with Highly Qualified Status for grade 7-12. I have over a decade of experience teaching in public and private schools, including IB (International Baccalaureate) and AP (Advanced Placement) as well as tutoring math students from Pre-Algebra to Calculus. I am an active member of NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) and am current in common core curriculum as well as the latest best practices in education and mathematics.
Teaching Philosophy:
I believe that anyone can learn anything if they want to and that everyone would rather succeed than fail. In math, often students just haven't learned that yet (even I relate to this as a teacher of mathematics). My classroom is a safe space for all learners as we try to explore the mathematics we don't already know and refine our understanding of what we have learned in the past. I try to focus on students in the classroom and targeted instruction to produce better learning outcomes when developing lessons. Teaching math is something I am passionate about! Mathematics is a core content area where mastery can open so many doors and opportunities to students in the future. Math can give students more possibilities and it provides important skills in problem solving and mathematical reasoning.
Communication:
I teach full-time, year-round, on Outschool Mondays-Fridays from 6pm-11pm eastern and try to respond to inquiries within 24-48 hours. Please be patient with me as I prioritize enrolled student academic questions and grading over parent scheduling requests.
All student work sent will be looked at by our next session (the following week generally).
Curriculum Offerings:
***My course listings are leveled by color on chalkboard backgrounds in the class listing pictures to easily find courses: Pre-Algebra (Green), Algebra 1 (Red), Geometry (Yellow), Algebra 2 (Navy Blue), Pre-Calculus & Trigonometry (Purple), Electives/Multi Level Courses (Light Blue)***
Summer 2024 Offerings:
-Summer School for Mathematicians (Live Multi-Day) is available as 4 week course meeting twice per week (or one time per week for 8 weeks) to review core skills from the previous year and to begin the first semester core skill work for your upcoming fall course. I use a functional approach that adds understanding to the skill work and include tips and tricks for being successful in the new school year. This course is available for students going into Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus. These are my best summer courses and all of my summer hours in July and August are spent teaching these sections.
-Summer Refreshers for Mathematicians (Self-Paced) is now available for anyone looking to review a previous course. These run 8 weeks with 16 lessons in total covering the main content of Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, or Pre-Calculus. If you are interested in this option, please contact me as soon as you know you would like to enroll. For those who need remediation with the review, I recommend taking this course along with a 30 minute tutoring session each week during the summer. Please note that I will send a direct link for the tutoring enrollment so families enrolled in the summer Self-Paced Refreshers can receive a discount on my tutoring rates. Tutoring will be available on Tuesday evenings this summer.
Availability Summer 2024:
Group class registration closes Monday, July 22nd.
Limited availability on Tuesdays 6-11pm eastern for students enrolled in Summer Refresher (Self-Paced) needing additional private tutoring.
Fall 2024 Offerings:
Full Year Academic Courses for Pre-Algebra (Green) Algebra I (Red), Geometry (Yellow), Algebra II (Navy) and Pre-Calculus (Purple)
-Principles of Pre-Algebra, Functional Algebra I, Proofing Geometry, Functional Algebra II, Pre-Calculus Functional Topics, and Pre-Calculus Trigonometry Topics core academic courses are currently offered in the Self-Paced format only (this is as they are a college lecture format-1 hour of lecture per topic with 3 hours of outside work). These traditional courses are all in a skills mastery format run lecture style over 4 months (accelerated 2 topics per week) or 8 months (traditional 1 topic per week) depending on your preference. Typically, students start in September to finish by June, but stay on-demand year round. This includes 32 Topics for each course. Self-Paced versions are designed as full-year, but can be done in 1 semester as an accelerated course. Please contact me if you will need a graded course or a more formal transcript than is normally provided by Outschool. For an honors level course, I recommend adding the in person weekly Problem Solving group course below (or doing as accelerated in fall and Problem Solving over Spring and Summer live). If you have a learner that needs support with this course, I recommend adding weekly tutoring. Please contact me for a private link to set this up at a discounted rate in conjunction with my Self-Paced course. I try to make tutoring available to students currently enrolled in core courses first as my hours available are not infinite. Pre-Calc students should plan on taking the Functional Topics in the Fall and the Trigonometry Topics in the Spring which covers the standard AP Curriculum.
- Live Ongoing Group Classes are labeled Problem Solving Integrated Math with the level indicated as Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, or Pre-Calculus. These run on a Trimester schedule Starting in September, January, and May each year for 16 weeks each (these complement any traditional class or can be a complete curriculum). Please see the full description-these are designed to develop understanding of mathematics, explore content in depth, and allow students to learn how to communicate ideas while producing solutions. The curriculum focuses on student driven explorations of mathematical topics spiraling through content in an integrated format and includes strands that develop thinking and understanding of Calculus ideas starting in Pre-Algebra. This is a great course for everyone as concepts build on the student's knowledge rather than building like a traditional course. Students may drop in or out throughout the semester with no need to "catch up." This course is best for everyone, and is available for Pre-Algebra (introduces problem solving approach), Algebra 1, Geometry (includes Algebra throughout), Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus. I have special training to teach this style of course and this specific curriculum.
Availability Fall 2024:
Remaining availability is Monday-Wednesday from 6pm-11pm eastern at various times for private classes.
Group class registration will remain open for ongoing enrollment.
Classes with no enrollments will get cancelled, so I always recommend enrolling for the first session as soon as you plan on taking a course.
Scheduled classes will run with 1 student as I am aware that math is a core content area.
More About Me:
I am a home school mother of 3 very active young boys. I spend most of my free time outside hiking or exploring with my boys. I love all things related to music and have played a variety of instruments but primarily piano and professionally the bassoon. And since I live in New Hampshire, I am glad I also love reading when the weather isn't cooperating. I especially love reading through blizzards with those twinkle lights on and a good cup of cocoa with whipped cream.
Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$25
weekly or $400 for all content32 pre-recorded lessons
16 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 8 learners
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Ages: 11-15