Fundamentals of Mathematics I Syllabus for 2019-2020
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Instructor Information

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Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

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Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.

If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

The Tutoring for Success policy applies to any student whose grade or performance in the course falls below a departmentally determined minimum threshold. In either of those cases, the instructor will direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. Under this policy, the instructor will follow specific departmental guidelines governing the use, duration, and grade component of the tutoring need.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

MATH-1350-002 Fundamentals of Mathematics I

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: MATH 1314-minimum grade of C or Department Chair consent For Education majors

Course Description

Elementary concepts of sets, functions, numerations systems, number theory and properties of the natural numbers; integers; rational and real number systems with an emphasis on problem solving and critical thinking.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

OPTIONAL : Long, DeTemple, Millman, Mathematical Reasoning for Elementary Teachers, Seventh Edition

REQUIRED : My Math Lab Access Kit/e-textbook

Supplies

Students will need a graphing calculator for this course.  The recommended calculator is a Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus.  Other forms of Texas Instruments or Casio graphing calculators will be permitted at the instructor’s discretion.  Note that no TI-89s or TI-Nspires will be permitted during the midterm and final exams.

Students need access to a computer with a reliable internet connection to complete online homework assignments and access to a printer to produce class notes and other handouts.

Students need an official Amarillo College student ID to scan into the Outreach Center and to present in the Math Testing Lab before each exam.

Student Performance

Learning Objectives: After completing this course, the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the following topics:

1. Explain and model the arithmetic operations for whole numbers and integers.
2. Explain and model computations with fractions, decimals, ratios and percentages.
3. Describe and demonstrate how factors, multiples, and prime numbers are used to solve problems.
4. Apply problem solving skills to numerical applications.
5. Represent and describe relationships among sets using the appropriate mathematical terminology and notation.
6. Compare and contrast structures of numeration systems

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY will not be tolerated in this class and will result in a zero for the exam or assignment involved.  For more information, please see the college’s academic dishonesty policy in the student handbook.  Cell phone use will not be allowed in any way during any exams for this course.  If a student attempts to use a cell phone during any exam, a zero will be given for that exam.  Further disciplinary action may be taken in accordance with the  provisions in the AC Student Rights and Responsibilities publication.

Make smart plans for handling problems with your computer or problems with AC Connect or Blackboard.

In previous semesters, students have experienced technical difficulties with their computers at various times.  This brought to my attention the need to prepare ahead of time for handing these types of situations.  Please execute the following instructions during the first week of this course:   

Make a back-up plan at the beginning of the semester.  Ask a family member, friend, or neighbor if they will agree to be your "back-up" computer plan should something go down on your computer and you need to finish an assignment right away.  You might not ever need to call them at all during the entire semester, but it is a good idea to have a back-up plan in place just in case you need it.

Pearson Higher Education is the publisher of our text and also of MyMathLab. You can go to the website http://247pearsoned.custhelp.com or you can call 1-800-328-5999 to get help with access code questions or support for the MyMathLab website.

Verify that your computer and internet connections meet minimum requirements for this course found in the "Let's Get Started" document found under the "CONTENT" tab of your AC Connect Blackboard Online course.

If you have problems with your computer, you may use other computers such as those available at the Lynn Library Fourth Floor Learning Commons at Amarillo College or other library computers or the extended hour lab center called the Underground that has recently opened here on the AC Washington street campus.  The Math Outreach Center in the Durrett Building Room 104 also has computers that you can use to do your online homework and quizzes.

If you have problems with the Amarillo College server (things like "system unavailable" or "password not accepted"), contact the tech support staff at Amarillo College.  The AC helpdesk phone # is 371-5000 and the web address is http://www.actx.edu/~disted/on/help/helpdesk.htm

If AC Connect/Blackboard goes down, you can still contact me through my e-mail j0353042@actx.edu .  You will also still be able to do your course work by typing www.mymathlab.com into your Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome browser's web address line.  It will take you straight to MyMathLab and you can continue working on your course work.  Mozilla is the browser which works best for MyMathLab on my computers.

If AC Connect/Blackboard is unavailable and it is at least one week into the semester, all due dates in MyMathLab and for your quizzes and exams will be as stated in the syllabus because you can still get to MyMathLab through www.mymathlab.com on the Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome internet browser.  Just get into an internet browser and type www.mymathlab.com into the web address bar and you will be into MyMathLab. 

 If you have questions about assignments, I'll be glad to answer those over e-mail but you must use the proper emailing format. 
 

PROPER EMAILING FORMAT WHEN CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR 

Proper Emailing Format: Please use the format below when email your instructor.

Instructor Mitchell,

This is where you will put your questions or information you wish to relay over to your instructor. Please refrain from any "text" language or unprofessional language. When emailing, you should uphold the highest professionalism since all emails can be permanently saved. 

Sincerely,
First and Last Name
MATH 1350- Section #

 

Expectations and Requirements for this course
Every online class is different; it makes sense to outline my policies and expectations so that each student is well informed as they begin the class as to what will be required of them.

1. Online classes require additional skills of the student. You will be expected to learn the material by utilizing the online resources in MyMathLab, CHECK OUT THE MULTI-MEDIA TAB in your MyMathLab, and by reading your textbook.  Students must take responsibility for their learning in this course and start assignments early (several days in advance of any due date) to give yourself time to comprehend the material and get help if needed before the due date arrives.   Students will need to be strong readers, able to read a math textbook, look at examples in the textbook and online, and be able to comprehend the mathematical concepts being covered in this course. 
2. You will need internet access for several hours each week. To use MyMathLab, you will need specific software that may not be available on all public computers, so I do not suggest using the computer at a public library for this course. You should plan to use either your personal computer or a computer at  Amarillo College . If you plan to use a computer at  Amarillo College , please keep in mind that the library may have limited hours on weekends or holidays and keeping up with the library's hours is your responsibility. By signing up for an online course, you are communicating that you have access to a computer with a reliable internet connection with the appropriate software.
    
3. This class demands a great deal of time. Online courses often take more time than in-class delivery courses. Please expect to spend at least 10-15 hours each week on this course. If your other life commitments do not allow you this amount of time to spend on the course, you may want to choose another course or delivery method.
    
4. Deadlines are your responsibility. Due dates are given to you in the syllabus and in the assignment schedule and in MyMathLab. Online classes give you the freedom to complete your assignments at your own pace and in your own time. With this freedom comes responsibility.-- You are responsible for completing your assignments by the posted due dates regardless of other commitments you may have in your life beyond this class. Completing assignments a few days ahead of the due date is the best way to ensure that all your assignments are turned in on time.
    
5. Technical difficulties happen. Yes, they do, and usually at the worst possible times. Plan on it. If ever your internet connection is going to go out, it will happen the night you left the online quiz or test until the last minute. My best suggestion is to make a "back-up plan" at the beginning of the semester.  Ask a friend or neighbor at the beginning of the semester if you can use their computer in the unlikely event that you have an emergency and your internet connection is not working properly.  If you have technical difficulties while completing a test and exit out of the test before you complete it, the software will "lock" you out of that test.  You will need to e-mail me so that I can go into the software and give you access again to that exam.  I can help you get back into your exam provided that you are not past the due date.  Remember, however, I will not be online at 11:30 p.m. on the due date. If technical difficulties prevent you from completing an online quiz or test on time, you will receive the amount of points that you had accumulated up to that time when technical difficulties prevented your finishing the test. Completing assignments a few days ahead of time ensures that if you have any technical difficulties, we can take care of them before the due date and your assignments will be completed on time.  To put it succinctly, start early on every assignment AND have a back-up plan in place.
    
6. You are responsible for asking for help when you need it. Waiting until a week before a big exam is too late.  You need to ask for help AS SOON AS YOU REALIZE that you are going to need some help to be successful in this course.  DO NOT WAIT.  ASK FOR HELP right away.  There are many ways to get help in this class, but you are the only one that will know when you need help.  There are lots of resources available to help you succeed in this course, just ask and we can work together to answer questions and get you back on track to succeed in this course. The outreach center here on campus is available throughout the day and evening to assist  you if you are able to come to campus.
    
7. This course requires organization and a good study plan. Online courses take a lot of self-motivation and discipline. This will usually be easier if you develop a system (a weekly schedule or plan) for keeping up with your assignments in the course.  The easier part of the course is at the beginning.  Try to get as many 100's on your online homework as possible during the first several weeks of this course.  The hardest part is in the middle.  Getting lots of 100's at the beginning of this course will help you make it through the more difficult middle part.  The last part of this course gets a bit easier.  Do not allow yourself to get zeros on assignments at the beginning of this course.  It will really hurt you in the middle and last part of this course.  Organize yourself to make sure you get your assignments finished by the due date especially early in the semester.
    
8. Please do not ask for extra credit. If extra credit is offered, I will notify you by e-mail or by placing an announcement on the homepage and it will be made available to everyone in the class.  That is the only way to be fair to everyone in the course.  Don't expect extra credit to be offered, and please don't e-mail asking for extra credit. 
    
9. The same rules for a traditional classroom apply. You are expected to conduct yourself in this course according to the standards outlined in Student Rights and Responsibilities. Pay specific attention to the sections on plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Please also note that respect in every form toward your classmates, instructor, and Amarillo College personnel will be expected.

Course Policies continue in the "Let's Get Started" document found under the "CONTENT" tab of your AC Connect/Blackboard Online course.  Please log in to AC Connect and get into your Online course through Blackboard, click on your Contemporary Math online course to find our course home page.  From there you can click the "CONTENT" tab and find the documents and links you need for this course there.  Please refer to the documents found there as part of the syllabus, policies and general information about the course.

Grading Criteria

Grading Policy	Percentages
QUIZ Reviews	10%
Projects	15%
Homework (MML)	15%
Exams	40% (4 @ 10% each)
Written Final Exam	20%

 

Grading Scale	Grade
90 - 100%	A
80 - 89%	B
70 - 79%	C
60 - 69%	D
below 60%	F

QUIZ Reviews:
Exam reviews can be found right after a chapters assignments and right before an exam. There is no lmit on how many times you can re-take the review Quiz. You must pass your review with a 70% or higher to be given access to the exam. Reviews were specifically designed to inform you of whether you are prepared for the exam following. Once again, you must make a 70% or higher on  your review to be given access t o your chapter exam. 

Project:  
You will have three projects for this course. Due dates and details can be found under "Projects" in you Blackboard course.

Homework (Online MML):

Online homework will be completed in MyMathLab by the due date indicated directly to the left of the MML assignment and found in your AC Connect/Blackboard Online course under calendar.  Due dates for your homework assignments are also visible in MyMathLab.  Online homework may be attempted as many times as you need, up until the due date.  If you start early, you will have plenty of opportunity to continue working on certain problems to achieve a 100% on each homework assignment.  But the key is to START EARLY.  The highest grade achieved on the homework as of the due date will be recorded by the computer program.  There are 12 homework assignments, and I will drop the two lowest scores at the end of the course.  Late homework will not be accepted for any reason (see policy entitled “Late Work” below).  Online homework must be submitted by approximately 11 p.m. CST on the due date.                                                  

Enrolling in the Course:

1. Login to your Blackboard course.
2. Click on MyMathLab Links in the menu on the left side of the screen.
3. Click on MyMathLab with Pearson eText Course Home and accept the Licensing Agreement.
4.  If you have a Pearson account, enter your username and password.  If you have never used a Pearson MyLab and Mastering product, click on Create to enter information to create your account.

1. Make sure you enter an email address that you check often.
2. Please, use YOUR name as you are registered for school.

5. If you have used MyMathLab with this textbook and this Pearson account previously, you should see a page indicating that you are done.
6. If you have not used MyMathLab with this textbook before, you have three options.

1. To use an access code that came packaged with your textbook or bought as a stand alone folder, click on Access Code.
2. To use a credit card or PayPal account to buy the access code, click on the box with the current publisher's price.
3. To get temporary access while you wait for financial aid, payday, etc., click on Get temporary access without payment for 14 days at the bottom of the screen.

Course Homepage Menu:

1. To work on an assignment, click on Homework, the assignment name and then on question.
2. Each homework problem will usually have some of the following buttons to the right of the problem:  Help me solve This, View an Example, Video, Animation, Textbook, Connect to a Tutor, Ask My Instructor, Print, Study Plan, Tools for Success, Multimedia Library and HTML eBook.  Each of these are further explained under your course content in Blackboard.

Other Information:

1. In general, you get 3 attempts on each problem.  The following equal 1 attempt.

1. Entering an incorrect answer on a short answer or numeric problem 3 times.
2. Entering an incorrect answer on a multiple choice problem 1-2 times depending on the number of answer choices.
3. Using the Help Me Solve This button. (View an Example does not use an attempt.)

2. After each attempt, you will be presented with the correct answer and the Submit Answer button will become Similar Exercise (until 3 attempts have been used).  To get another attempt on your problem, click on Similar Exercise and a similar problem (same problem, different numbers) will appear.
3. You can print your assignments, work on them away from the computer, and then return to enter the answers.  On each problem, there is a button that will open a popup and ask if you want to print that page or the entire assignment.
4. You do not have to "save" any work.  Once you click on Submit answer and see either a green check mark or a red box with hints, the answers are saved.
5. If you open a homework assignment and see a green check next to a problem, you have received full credit for that problem.  A red X means you have attempted the problem, but have not received any credit.  If you have both a green check and a red X, you have received partial credit.

Major Exams:   These exams will be completed in MyMathLab by the due date(s) indicated in the Assignment Schedule.  These exam due dates are also visible in MyMathLab. These exams may be taken once and have a time limit of 120 minutes.  Once you start an exam, you need to complete it and submit it for a completed grade within the 120 minute time limit.  If you exit out of an exam or experience technical difficulties and are "kicked out" of the exam before you finish it, you will be "denied access" by the software program until you contact me via e-mail and then I have to go into the program and grant you access. At that point, I will give you the grade you had when you exited out or were "kicked out" even if it was really low and then I will grant you access.  It is a very difficult process and is to be avoided at all costs.  You will want to plan to complete an exam in one sitting. There will be no makeup exams (see policy entitled “Late Work” below). Exams must be submitted by approximately 11 p.m. CST on the due date. 

Four major exams will be given and will be completed throughout the course. 

No late exams will be given, no matter the reason. 

Final Exam: The Written Final Exam is a proctored paper and pencil exams.  This will be completed by hand and must be taken at the Math Lab Testing Center (Durrett-103, (806) 371-5088) or at an approved testing site. If you will be taking a test at a site other than the Math Lab testing center, you must get approval by and make arrangements with the instructor by the second week of the semester  and notify your instructor who, when and where you want the exam sent to the alternate testing site.  If you do not make these arrangements for out of town proctoring by the second week of the semester, you will lose this opportunity   You may use a TI-84 calculator to complete this exam and must be completed by the due date.  The testing center requires that you provide a photo ID to take a test and will not hand out a test within an hour of closing.  This paper exam may not be taken late for any reason.  Cell phone use during any exam in this course is not allowed under any circumstances.  Any student attempting to use a cell phone during any exam will receive an immediate zero on that exam and may be subject to further disciplinary actions in accordance with the Amarillo College Student's Rights and Responsibilities document.  

Final Exam Dates:  Completed by Wednesday, March 11th by 5pm.

At the end of the semester, your final exam grade will replace your lowest online exam grade if it is higher. The final exam is comprehensive and will be given due by  Wednesday March 11^th  5:00 pm.

Attendance

Attendance

This course will be web-based. Helpful lectures and slideshows can be viewed at the online site under "multi-media" tab through MyMathLab. Mastery of the material will be facilitated by reading the text, working through examples and solving homework problems online. One homework assignment and one weekly quiz will be given online each week.  There are four online Exams and a Written Final Exam. The Written Final Exam must be proctored at Amarillo College or at another site agreed to by your instructor during this course. You must tell your instructor via e-mail within the first two weeks of the course as to the date if you wish to take your written final exam at a location other then the washington street campus testing center. 

Final Exam Dates:  Completed by Wednesday, March 11th by 5pm.

The Math Testing Lab is open from 8 am to 10 pm Monday-Thursday, 8 am to 8 pm on Friday, and 9 am to 8 pm on Saturday.   Their phone number is 371-5088 

If you need to take your final exam in your home town and do not wish to travel to Amarillo, you need to let your instructor know right away during the first week of the semester so that you can be given the instructions for how to make this arrangement and get them finalized by the second week of the semester.  If arrangements for out of town proctoring of the final exam is not made within the first two weeks of the semester, you forfeit the opportunity to test anywhere else except at the AC Math Testing Lab in Durrett 103 on the Washington Street Campus.

Attendance Policy: Since this is an online class, your attendance is achieved by logging into this course  and completing homework, quizzes and test before the due date for each assignment. Please stay current with your assignments and with class announcements.  You are responsible for logging into the online course to get your assignments and check messages.  You can reach the online course by going to the Amarillo College home page and click the AC Connect portal box found on the upper right of your screen.  You will use your regular Amarillo College username and password to get into this portal.  On the middle of this page you will find a section titled AC Connect Classes . Under that section, click on our course.  This action takes you into our course which is housed by a learning management system entitled Blackboard.  An alternative way to get to our course is to type    www.acconnect.com into your browser address bar, logging in and then clicking your AC course.  You can call 371-5000 for technical assistance.  Please respond promptly to e-mails and requests from your instructor. Due dates for homework, quizzes, projects and exams will be strictly enforced. Homework, quizzes, projects and exams not completed by the due date will receive a grade of zero. It is easy to get behind in an online class so stay motivated and do not procrastinate. If for some reason you stop working on this course and decide that you do not have time because of other commitments, please remember to officially withdraw “W” from this course.  To officially withdraw "W", you must visit with your professor personally and obtain a signed "Withdrawal Approval Form".  This signed form must be taken to the Ask AC desk in the Student Services Building by  Tuesday, March 3^rd.  This is the last date that you can withdraw “W” from this course this semester.

DROP POLICY - Students who do not attend class, log in and complete the first THREE out of four assignments with 70% accuracy by the census date for this course which is Tuesday, January 28^th, will be administratively dropped from the course.  For an online course, class attendance is defined as completing homework, quizzes, tests and other assigned communications by the due dates set in the course.

Calendar

Additional Information

Math Testing Lab(Durrett 103)	Outreach Center (Durrett 104)
Monday - Thursday	Monday - Thursday
8:00am - 10:00pm	8:00am - 8:00pm
Friday	Friday
8:00am - 8:00pm	8:00 - 8:00pm
Saturday	Saturday
9:00am - 8:00pm	9:00am - 8:00pm
371-5088	371-5119

 

MATH LAB RULES

• Books may be placed on the bookshelf or in a hall locker before you request a test. Padlocks may be checked out in the Math Lab.
• An Amarillo College picture ID is required in order to take a test in the Math Lab.
• Once you have begun work on a test that is considered one attempt. You cannot leave the Math Lab and return to finish that test at a later time.
• In the testing room, please do not sit by someone with the same colored test. All purses must be on the floor.
• The Math Lab will not hand out a test less than one hour before closing time.
• The Math Lab personnel will pick up your test five minutes prior to closing time.
• The Math Lab hours are posted on the outside door, in this syllabus, and in the lab itself.
• Please come prepared. If you do not have a pencil, you may purchase one from the Math Lab for 25 cents.  Please bring exact change. Pens are not allowed on any test.
• Childcare arrangements must be made prior to testing. Children may not accompany students into testing room or be left unattended anywhere on campus.
• CELL PHONE CALCULATORS ARE NOT ALLOWED.
• Cell phones must be turned off as not to disturb other students who are testing. NO CELL PHONE use of any kind is allowed in the Testing Room. If we see your cell phone out AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON, while in the testing room, YOU WILL RECEIVE an "F" for the course!

Instructor Request:  Students, please do not take pictures or video during class without first obtaining permission from me.  Thanks in advance for your cooperation.