Mathematics courses are designed to prepare you for future endeavors, be it college, the workforce or life in general. You will learn to make sense out of math. This mathematics course is activity-driven, teacher facilitated. This means much of the work you do will be in teams, usually groups of three or four. You will summarize your learning collectively in small groups, we will summarize as a whole class and I will highlight essential learnings to ensure success. This course is designed to provide a “sense making experience”.
Mathematics is a challenging subject. One topic builds on another. Therefore, daily participation is a must! I expect my students to be involved the entire time they are in class and complete assigned work. Do not get behind in your course work. If you are having difficulty with the material, I will be glad to help you as best I can. It is your responsibility to seek help and take whatever action necessary to master each concept.
Taken directly from your student planner, the Issaquah High School Code of Conduct:
Good attendance and participation is essential in learning a complex subject like mathematics. An absence is excused only if accepted as excused by the attendance office in accordance with school attendance policy. When absent, it is your responsibility to obtain any missed assignments. If you are gone the day of a test or quiz, you should plan on making it up the day you return. Again, this is your responsibility. In the case of a long term absence arrangements can be made, provided you see me the day you return and we agree on a timeline.
Unexcused absences will result in a loss of participation points and can result in no credit for work missed on that day. This will result in a zero on a test or team review if you are absent and unexcused on such a day.
If tardy and unexcused you cannot earn full participation points for the day.
Each student is expected to come to class each day with a calculator, writing utensil, and mathematics notebook.
Calculator: Each student is required to have a scientific calculator. Although not required,
students may opt to use a graphing calculator. I would suggest the TI-83 Plus graphing
calculator as a good investment for future mathematics courses. If
obtaining a calculator is a problem, please see me immediately.
Notebook: To insure success, a math notebook should be kept. No grade is given for keeping your notebook in order, but success in this class relies on your ability to stay organized. Thus, it is to your maximum benefit to keep a math exclusive notebook as follows:
· Textbook (book is three-hole punched so it may be kept in a 3-ring binder)
o Note: You will be fined for a textbook that shows much wear (from pulling it in and out of a locker and/or backpack). Keeping it in a 3-ring binder will reduce wear.
· Graph Paper or Spiral notebook (REQUIRED and must be bound)
· 5 Dividers
o Divider 1: Worksheets (DailyWork supplements)
o Divider 2: Toolkit (Notes)
o Divider 3: DailyWork Quizzes
o Divider 4: Team Reviews
o Divider 5: Tests
Mathematics is learned by practicing problem solving skills covering topics presented in class. Some ideas may seem clear in class, but will only be fully understood with repeated practice. Thus there will most always be daily classwork as well as daily assignments. Daily work will be neatly organized, complete and kept sequential in your graph paper/spiral notebook. You will get credit for this work by completing DailyWork Quizzes at least once per unit.
You are expected to complete all DailyWork and you are responsible for ensuring that you fully understand the material. Several resources are available to ensure that you complete your homework and understand it:
instant messaging and cell phones to good use.
Answers to all DailyWork problems will be provided in one form or another. Please realize that having the answers does not mean you have completed your work. You must fully show all work and be able to explain the step-by-step processes.
DailyWork Quizzes
You will be asked to copy specific work that will already be completed. Thus, it is imperative that you complete all work and keep them in a neat and orderly fashion. All assigned DailyWork is fair game for DailyWork Quizzes.
DailyWork Quizzes account for 25% of your overall
grade.
Before every unit test, you will have an opportunity to take
a “practice test” called Team Reviews.
You will complete as a team and be assessed as a team. The method to grading team reviews may vary,
but
Team Reviews will
constitute 10% of your grade.
Tests
A test will be given at the end of every unit. Tests are worth 100 points. Your “Final” at the end of each semester will be worth 150 points and will also factor in to the test portion of your grade.
Tests are 55% of your
grade in this class.
Participation
Exploration of mathematics in small groups is a daily part of this mathematics course. You are expected to be working productively and participating fully during all group work. You will earn participation points each day for: coming to class on time, coming prepared with all materials, staying on task, working towards completing assigned work, positively contributing to your group. Full participation points can not be earned if you are working, but not contributing to your group. Furthermore, behaviors such as: tardiness, sleeping in class, failing to bring required materials, working on material from a different class, playing with your cell phone and other off-task activities will not earn full participation points.
Participation is 10%
of your grade in this class.
Your grade is determined by adding up all the points earned in each category and dividing by the points possible within each category. These fractions are then multiplied by the percentage weight (conversion factor) specific to each category to give a percent of your total grade. These are added together to give a total percent and converted to a letter grade.
Example:
Johnny Knoxville is a student with the following points accumulated
Category Points Earned Conversion Factor Percent of Grade
Participation 95/100 .10 .095
Daily Work Quizzes 260/300 .25 .217
Team Reviews 190/200 .10 .095
Tests 380/400 .55 .5225
_______________
.9295 = A
Grading Scale:
92.5 – 100 A 76.5 – 79.5 C+ Below 59.5 - F
89.5 – 92.5 A- 73.5 – 76.5 C
86.5 – 89.5 B+ 69.5 – 73.5 C-
83.5 – 86.5 B 66.5 – 69.5 D+
79.5 – 83.5 B- 59.5 – 66.5 D
I am best reached by
email as I check it several times throughout the day.
If email does not
work for you, please call after