 |
|
Dr. Michael Jamieson I will use the MyCFCC portal only for posting course syllabi. All other course materials will come through this page and, for College Algebra, also through MyMathLab/CourseCompass.com. 2010 Spring Final Exam Schedule.pdf
Advising notes: College is harder than high school. If you are accustomed to getting As and Bs you may have to learn that getting a C can be considered success. Having said that - you also should understand that pre-requisite courses are your opportunity to prepare yourself for follow-up courses . If you plan on taking a higher level course, a C in the pre-requisiite does not mean that you have prepared yourself well for the follow-up course. It only gets you permission to give it a try. Some say the C means you should stop. Others say it means you have a 50% chance of passing the follow-up course. You certainly need to understand that the follow-up course will be harder - you will need to work harder . If you were already doing everything you could and you only earned a C in the pre-requisite course, you may be getting in over your head - or maybe you just need to get your life more organized. In any case, we will offer you help and best wishes, but you may want to have a Plan B. What I said above applies especially in the MAC sequence -- the MAC prefix for 1105 means Math for Calculus. This department understands that only about 10 - 20% of its MAC 1105 students go on to pre-cal. Still, the Florida Department of Education intends MAC 1105 to begin preparing students for Calculus courses. We will not short change students pursuing that option. Pre-cal courses like MAC 1105/1140/1114/1147 are in the math fast lane. If you had trouble with MAT 1033, and do not need to compete with the Math for Calculus students, you should seriously consider getting your Gordon Rule math credits in MGF 1106-1107 and STA 2023 instead of simply taking more algebra at a definitely higher level. As students, you have the primary responsibility for what you learn. The college's instructors, advisors, tutors, etc, support your educational endeavors. That job description is determined by the state of Florida and its taxpayers who pay most of the cost of your instruction. If you just want us to rubber stamp a piece of paper that says you qualify for certain jobs and admission to higher institutions, you will be disappointed. When instructors hold students to a high standard, students tend to rise to the expectation. I love finding ways to help students step up their game. A good class is a good workout. What we teach to first and second year students is not rocket science - if you work at it you will almost certainly learn it. If you are not willing to compete, that has to do with your choice of priorities. Calculus is really harder-- it is more abstract. It is not just more algebra. My beliefs about the Math curriculum: We can use technology to give access to interesting applications of mathematics. We should not let students use technology as a crutch to avoid learning significant content. I am very good at taking your calculator out of the game when you see my homework and test problems. We should drop numerous outdated topics so we can teach the essential contemporary topics in a narrower, deeper curriculum. Students arrive at a better understanding of subject matter when they construct their own explanations of how and why our methods work reliably. Having students interact with each other is a good way to facilitate that. Group work is an excellent learning tool. Student contribution in class and student discussion can be contructive. Students goofing off give me adequate reason to eject them from the class. While learning is a group activity, testing must be done individually. Our state and our country have been falling behind other parts of the industrialized world. We all need to work hard to catch up - both teachers and students. Global Concerns are part of a well-rounded education. Consider FoundationRwanda.org, which supports education of children in Rwanda laptop.org, an endeavor to provide a laptop computer for each child in the third world BushClintonCoastalRecoveryFund.org and BushClintonKatrinaFund.org , bipartisan efforts to help those near us in situations of extraordinary need Kiva.org, the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe My Degrees
CFCC Webmaster: webmaster@cf.edu |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
