2023 Fall Course Syllabus - Mathematics 1015.001

Course: Mathematics 1015.001.

Course Title: Introduction to Numbers and Figures.

Credits: 4.

How this course will be taught: In person.

Time: MWF 2:40 - 3:50.

Place: Beury 164.

Instructor: Meredith M. Hegg.

Instructor Office: Wachman 628.

Instructor Email: meredith.hegg@temple.edu

Instructor Phone: 215-313-6016.

Course Web Page: Canvas will be used extensively. Please check Canvas daily

Office Hours: MW 1:30 - 2:30pm, or Fridays by appointment 9:30 - 10:30am, or virtually by appointment Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in any MATH course numbered 0701 to 0702 or MATH 1021 (may be taken concurrently) or equivalent coursework.

Course Materials: Beckmann, Sybilla. Mathematics for Elementary Teachers with Activities, 5th edition. Pearson Education, Inc. 2018. You do NOT need to purchase MyLabMath access.Used copies or rentals are fine. Contact me if you have trouble getting affordable access to the text.

Course Goals: You will be able to: Evaluate a variety of methods by which a problem may be addressed and solve problems using appropriate methods. Identify correct and incorrect mathematical thinking, and provide valid explanations of these analyses. Explain the reasoning behind commonly-used mathematical algorithms. Effectively communicate mathematical ideas both orally and in writing. Demonstrate mastery of foundational mathematical principles, and apply these to the instruction of future students.

Topics Covered: From your own schooling, you've learned how to complete math problems in ways that (hopefully!) make sense to you. As a teacher, you'll need to understand how to complete problems in a variety of ways, make sense of student thinking, and help students see the logic in their own and others' work. In this course, we will take a deeper look at the algorithms you have previously learned, and will thoroughly examine the foundational concepts that allow for the creation of these procedures. Our main goal is that you will develop the tools to explain and discuss essential mathematical ideas with your students. Chapter 1: Numbers and the Base Ten System; Chapter 2: Fractions and Problem Solving; Chapter 3: Addition and Subtraction; Chapter 4: Multiplication; Chapter 5: Multiplication of Fractions, Decimals, and Negative Numbers; Chapter 6: Division; Chapter 7: Ratio and Proportional Relationships; Chapter 8: Select Topics in Number Theory.

Course Grading: Your grade in this class is not determined simply by percentages. Instead, you must reach your desired grade level (A, B, C, etc.) in each component of the course. The rubric determining this is shown on Canvas and further information on each component follows. There are 46 total standards, called competencies, that you are expected to master over the course of the semester. You will have four opportunities to demonstrate mastery of each competency (except for the topics in the last few weeks, where you'll only have two or three opportunities due to time constraints).

Exam Dates: There will be one Benchmark Exam on the competencies we've discussed up to that point and one final exam on all of the competencies. These provide additional opportunities for you to demonstrate mastery of each competency. You must demonstrate mastery of each core competency two times and each supporting competency once over the course of potentially four attempts (quiz, quiz-retake, benchmark, final). Students who have demonstrated mastery of each competency as required before the final exam do not need to take the final. The Benchmark Exam will be Thursday, November 9th, 5:30 - 7pm. Our final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13th, 1 - 3pm. Both will be held in our regular classroom, Beury 164.

Attendance Policy: Learning math can be challenging at times and is best done in an interactive environment. Attendance in class is therefore essential. Make every effort to attend every class.

Attendance and Your Health: To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to your instructors' requirements. However, if you feel unwell or if you are under quarantine or in isolation because you have been exposed to the virus or tested positive for it, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. Students have the responsibility to contact their instructors to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as they are able to do so and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion when illness delays their completion.

Note on Collaboration and AI: Every day in class we will work in pairs or small groups. You are also expected to form study groups and to work with your classmates on your homework! An editable (wiki) page on our Canvas site has been set up to help you find a group. However, you must understand and write up your homework by yourself. It is unacceptable to read, copy, or rephrase a solution from the internet, a solution manual, a fellow student, or any other source. Use of generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT is also forbidden for any purpose in this class. Remember that homework is there for you to learn. Don't cheat yourself of that opportunity.

Simulation of Practice Projects: Three times during the semester you will work in a group of two to three students on an extended project to practice the skills of a teacher by reading and responding to sample student work. These tasks will ask you to explain the students' thinking, including both ideas that the students have that are correct, as well as what led them to errors. You will need to generate questions that help the students finish their thoughts, prompt them to investigate errors, or help them move forward in their thinking, and to write anticipated responses that you think students might give to these questions.

Weekly Textbook Homework: Each week 8-12 homework problems will be assigned from the textbook. You will submit your work on these problems twice. The first time you should submit your best effort on each problem. The second time you will use the textbook and an answer key to correct your work and write commentary on each problem. If a problem is correct, you must still leave a comment identifying what you learned or what the key idea is. The first submissions will be due Thursday nights and the corrections will be due before class on Friday. Both will be submitted electronically and will be graded on completion.

Canvas Short Tasks: Most class days you will have an additional short task, such as a review tutorial or a mini-quiz on a key concept, to complete on Canvas prior to class to prepare you.

Math Mindset Activities: You will have three short assignments over the course of the semester that address student, teacher, and parent mindsets about math and how they relate to your future teaching. These will give you an opportunity to respond to a podcast or reading with reflections on your own experiences.

Quizzes: Each week there will be a quiz on the standards, called competencies, taught that week. The competencies will be identified to you ahead of time and will directly correlate to that week's homework. You will be graded only on whether or not you demonstrate mastery for each competency. For any quiz where you do not successfully demonstrate mastery on all competencies, you can retake the necessary portions of the quiz either during office hours or at a time scheduled separately with me or the TA. Retakes must be completed within three weeks of the initial quiz, though deadlines will, by necessity, be shorter for the last two chapters.

Basic Needs: Any student who has significant difficulty affording food, housing, or other basic needs and believes this may affect their performance in the course, is urged to contact the CARE Team, careteam.temple.edu (Links to an external site.), for support. Please also notify me if you are comfortable doing so.

Statement of Inclusion: While it may be presented in a variety of ways, the language of math is universal. From a young age, mathematical curiosity is present in humans across the globe and the beauty of its absolute truth and the infinite doors it can open are accessible to all. This classroom aims to enhance this atmosphere of embracing mathematical curiosity and the advancement of mathematical knowledge for all students, from all backgrounds. As the instructor, it is my responsibility to foster an environment where all students feel supported in their efforts to learn and understand the content, and are encouraged to offer their own ideas and suggestions to create a deeper learning experience. My intention is that the mutual respect between students and myself will allow for open communication and, when necessary, a dialog may take place regarding ways in which this classroom can be made more inclusive for all. I firmly believe each student in this class has valuable contributions to be made to our collective learning environment, and I will do my best to maintain an atmosphere in which these contributions are highly regarded by all.

Late Work and Make-up Policy: Textbook Homework and Math Mindset Activities: Late work will be accepted for half-credit up to two weeks after the due date. Canvas Short Tasks: Half-credit for tutorials up to two weeks late. Mini-Quizzes will not be accepted late, however, you can ask questions in class and submit hand-written corrections in class only up to two weeks after the due date. Simulation of Practice Projects: 10% penalty for each day or portion of a day late. Quizzes: If you know you cannot attend class on a quiz day, contact me ahead of time to take the quiz a day early. In case of emergency, contact me as soon as possible. Exams: Make-ups given in case of emergency only. Contact me as soon as possible.

Calculator Policy: Our goal in this class is to understand why procedures work the way they do. A calculator will rarely, if ever, help with this. Calculators are not permitted in this course, and should not be used on homework or other assignments unless specifically designated.

Disability Statement: Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) in Howard Gittis Student Center South, Rm 420 (drs@temple.edu; 215-204-1280) to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.

Academic Freedom: Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here (opens in new tab/window).

Add/Drop Policy: Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date. Check the University calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates.

During the Drop/Add period, students may drop a course with no record of the class appearing on their transcript. Students are not financially responsible for any courses dropped during this period. In the following weeks prior to or on the withdrawal date students may withdraw from a course with the grade of "W" appearing on their transcript. After the withdrawal date students may not withdraw from courses. Check the University Calendar (opens in new tab/window) for exact dates. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).

Exam Security Policy: The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) are not permitted in this class unless specifically announced for a particular assignment; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University's Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in a grade of zero on the assignment; a second offense will be reported to the Student Conduct Board.

Incomplete Policy: The grade "I" (an "incomplete") is only given if students cannot complete the course work due to circumstances beyond their control. It is necessary for the student to have completed the majority of the course work with a passing average and to sign an incomplete contract which clearly states what is left for the student to do and the deadline by which the work must be completed. The incomplete contract must also include a default grade that will be used in case the "I" grade is not resolved by the agreed deadline. See the full policy by clicking here (opens in new tab/window).

Student Support Services: The following academic support services are available to students (all links open in a new tab/window):
    The Math Consulting Center
    Student Success Center
    University Libraries
    Undergraduate Research Support
    Career Center
    Tuttleman Counseling Services
    Disability Resources and Services
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry and the Temple University Emergency Student Aid Program are in operation as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.