During group activities in this online class, learners will have the opportunity to engage with the teacher and their peers through verbal discussions and collaborative slides. These slides are designed to facilitate thinking and organization, and learners can either use the in-built annotation tools within Zoom or request a link to the Explain Everything board to write and draw directly on the slides. All learner contributions will be monitored by the teacher to ensure they are appropriate, safe, and accurate. A recording of the session will be preserved for learners to review later. In addition to participating in live, synchronous class sessions, learners in this course will also have access to a variety of asynchronous assignments to complete on their own time. These may include independent practice exercises, written or video materials introducing new information, and preparation assignments to help learners get ready for upcoming class sessions. To provide even more opportunities for practice and reinforcement, learners will also be given access to the Prodigy math platform, which they can use for optional extra practice and skill-building. Attendance is a crucial part of success in this class, so regular and consistent attendance is expected. While learners will not be removed from the class for missing group activity sessions, it is their responsibility to catch up on missed work by watching the recorded session and completing any associated assignments. The teacher will be available to provide assistance if learners have any difficulty with the material. By prioritizing attendance and staying on top of their work, learners can ensure they get the most out of the class and make the most progress in their learning. To be successful in this math class, learners should already have a strong foundation in the math concepts typically previously taught in elementary and junior high school. This includes a familiarity with the four basic operations involving fractions and whole numbers, understanding part-whole relationships, converting fractions to percentages, and working backwards using inverse operations. While the class will review these concepts briefly as needed, it is not designed to teach them from scratch. Learners who feel they need more practice or review in these areas before starting the class may benefit from additional study or review on their own.
Learners will translate between algebraic equations, visual representations, and situational descriptions.
Learners will use inverse operations to solve equations, in visual and algebraic form.
Scratch paper and pencils, or a whiteboard and markers. Learners who are preparing for college admissions are advised to keep a portfolio (digital or on paper) of major assignments and 2-3 different types of problems, fully worked, per routine assignment; the materials of the student's choice should be available for this from the beginning of class. Examples include a Google Drive or other cloud drive service folder, LibreOffice software (Writer and Math), a binder and hole-punched printer paper or a hole puncher, etc. If you may apply to multiple colleges, consider that a digital portfolio is easier to duplicate, and can be printed if a physical copy is wanted. For this class, learners can use GeoGebra exclusively as their graphing calculator. Learners with future plans involving taking exams like the SATs should consider getting and beginning to use a calculator approved for those exams as soon as possible.
I have a master's degree in math education for grades 5-12, as well as further graduate coursework in mathematics, and teach developmental, dual credit, and regular math classes for my local junior college.