Home, 6/5 (last update)

As it turns out, I was fairly busy after the end of the semester, so it took me a while to get to this. The course is over and the final grades are in! I think everyone can be pleased with the fact that almost everyone got A's, and no one who continued to do work failed the course.

You have been the best college algebra students I have taught so far, and it was a pleasure to work with you! The exam averages were excellent! (It's no surprise no one opted for the final exam — almost no one needed it!) Thank you for your constant participation in class discussion — this always makes my job easier.

Have a great summer!


Home, 4/30

Exam 4, covering sections 5.1-5.6, is scheduled for Tuesday. Check out sample exam 4.

MyLabs for 5.4 and 5.5 are due on Saturday, 5.6 on Sunday. Joysheet 10 is due tonight and joysheet 11 by Friday. If you turn them in sooner, I ought to be able to return them to you before exam 4 or the final exam.

On Monday evening, I will have your overall grade determined, so you can decide whether to take the final exam. Recall that the final exam is optional and takes the place of your weakest exam, but only if it is better (otherwise, it does not affect your grade). If you are happy with the grade I send you Monday evening, you don't have to take it.

The final exam, which is comprehensive, is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:00AM. Since I anticipate only a few people will take it, we may be able to schedule another time if you would prefer, with Friday, 3:30PM, an option, as I have a final exam with another class. The final exam will have six pages and consist of problems like the ones on the exams during the semester. Therefore, to start preparing yourself for the final exam, make sure you can do all the problems on the four exams we will have had by then.

Office hours schedule Wednesday-Friday: Wednesday by appointment on Zoom only, Thursday 10:00-2:00, Friday 11:00-3:30. Join the office hours meeting for the Zoom version.


Home, 4/23

This class keeps turning in awesome exams! Good job, class, on exam 3!

On Monday, we'll go over section 5.3 and homework in 5.2. (5.1 and 5.2 have been assigned on MyLab and are due on Sunday and Tuesday.)

Next week, we will meet for class on Wednesday, 4/28 - online only - to make up the class on following Tuesday. Exam 4 is scheduled for Monday of the following week, with regularly scheduled final exam time on Wednesday, 5/5. After exam 4, you will get your overall grade, so you can decide whether to take the final exam (it is optional).


Home, 4/16

After exam 3, you may relax for a few days. If you find this hard to do, I have assigned two review sections on MyLab, JIT 25 and 27, due late next week.


Home, 4/9

Exam 3, covering sections 3.1-3.5, 4.1 and 4.2 is scheduled for Friday. Check out sample exam 3 for some representative problems.

On Monday, we will do an in-class joysheet over sections 3.3-3.5.


Home, 4/2

Oops! I forgot to update this page last week - sorry!

Exam 2 turned out well: good job class, again!

On Monday, we will have an in-class joysheet on sections 3.1-3.3


Home, 3/19

After the exam, relax a little. I will distribute joysheet 6, over some Just-in-Time sections, on Monday.


Home, 3/12

Exam 2, covering sections 2.1-2.5 is scheduled for Friday. Check out sample exam 2 - we'll take some time to answer any questions you may have during part of Thursday's class.

On Monday, we will continue discussing homework from 2.5. Joysheet 6 has been handed out and is due on Tuesday, with MyLab for 2.5 due that same day (extended from Saturday).

After discussion of 2.5, I plan to discuss Just-In-Time review sections 21-23, so hopefully you can work on these as well. (These sections are not on the exam.)


Home, 3/5

Exam 1 turned out quite well - it's the best class average I've ever had on the first exam of College Algebra. Good job, class! See the statistics on the "scores and docs" page. (And of course, don't stop doing the work now - future exams get a little harder.) If you scored less than you were hoping for, make sure to get some help during office hours.

Sections 2.2 and 2.3 are due on MyLab by Sunday. On Monday, we are working on another in-class joysheet, covering sections 2.1-2.3


Home, 2/27

With exam 1 past us, you can take a little break. Not too long, of course, as section 2.1 and sections JIT 13 and 15 are due on MyLab on Monday and Tuesday.

On Monday, we plan to go over homework in section 2.1 and JIT 13, 15.


Home, 2/20

Exam 1 is scheduled for Tuesday, covering sections 1.1-1.6. Recall that everyone is required to take the exam in-person. Check out sample exam 1on the "scores and docs" page for some representative problems.

Joysheet 4 is due on Sunday, so I can return it to you before the exam.

On Monday, we will start a new section and use the last 20ish minutes to answer any questions you may have ahead of the exam.


Home, 2/12

On Monday, we will go over homework in section 1.5.

Joysheet 3 is due on Monday, and sections 1.5 and JIT 18 are due on MyLab on Tuesday. If you need some tips for joysheet 3, check out the solution to the in-class joysheet 3 on the "scores and docs" page.

I am anticipating an exam the week after next.


Home, 2/6

On Monday, we will finish with section 1.4 and go over homework in sections 1.3 and 1.4. Those are due on Canvas on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Joysheet 2 is due tonight. If you did not get your copy, you can get it at the "joysheets" link, or on Canvas.


Home, 1/29

On Monday, we will continue with homework discussion of section 1.2. MyLab for this section is due on Monday, as well as joysheet 1. If you have not gotten your copy of the joysheet in class, get it from these pages or Canvas/assignments.

On Tuesday, we will work on an in-class joysheet covering sections 1.1 and 1.2, and you will also receive a take home version, to be submitted several days later. In-class joysheets are graded on effort, while the take-home ones are graded on correctness. The idea is to get some practice doing problems in class, where you can collaborate with classmates and ask questions, and then verify your skills on the take-home version of the joysheet. The students that are on Zoom on Tuesday will simultaneously work on the in-class joysheet and submit their work online.


Home, 1/22

On Monday, we will continue with homework discussion, working on sections 1.1 and JIT 6, 7, 14. These sections, along with JIT 17 and the orientation section, are due on Thursday. Please try to submit it earlier so that you are not kept from making the deadline by some technical problem (like Wi-Fi cutting out or laptop crashing). The deadline is firm, and I generally do not extend deadlines for MyLab.

If you have not yet accessed the online book and MyLab through Canvas, it is high time you did so. See instructions below on how to do it.


Home, 1/17

Welcome to the course! Look around to familiarize yourself with the layout of these webpages. To get to other pages, click on the links in the menu (or drop-down, if viewing on a smartphone). The most often-used pages are in the first line of the menu (or the first several choices of the drop-down). "Scores and docs," for example, has all the documents for the course.

Your first exercise is to find the syllabus on these pages and read it. (I will not be printing it.) The items there that are typically of greatest interest to students are from "Homework" to "Make-ups."

These pages will get more content as information becomes available. Check back often: useful information is provided in the "home" section (which you are reading), typically updated weekly.

Here are some specific items related to COVID-19.

Masks: To repeat the university's policy, they have to be worn while in class, my office, or in the building. They have to cover your nose and your mouth at all times.

Canvas: will mainly be the repository of class notes, class session recordings, your grades, and a place to upload worksheets. Information about the course and weekly messages will be posted to this website (also accessible from Canvas). (Why bother with the website outside of Canvas? Two reasons: it's easier to make updates to it, and it stays public, something I value, and you may grow to as well, as a service to future students of this same course.)

Textbook and online homework: In this course, you have signed up for "Inclusive Access," which automatically bills you for access to the online homework system and includes the e-book. You can access these materials by following the instructions here.

Attendance: If you are reading this, you have received an email telling you which days to come to class in person. On the days on which you do not come in person, join the class via a Zoom meeting (see link on Canvas.) Both in-person and Zoom presence counts for the purposes of tracking attendance.

Sites to catch Zoom classes inbetween your in-person ones: When there is not enough time to go home for your Zoom class, try one of these sites:

Office hours: At most one person will be allowed in my office at a time. Of course, you have to wear a mask. I may take your temperature with a touchless thermometer, and you will be able to check mine with the same. If you come and see someone in my office, let me know you are there, so I may be able to help you concurrently while you sit in the foreroom, or we can all go to a larger room, if several students have the same questions. During office hours, I will also start a Zoom session through which you can ask questions. If I do not respond immediately on Zoom, please be patient, as I may have left the office for a short while.

Assignments and exams: To minimize handoff of physical objects between people and thus reduce chance of transmission of the virus, all assignments will be submitted and returned on Canvas. Exams will be taken in person as long as the university is running in-person classes.

Assignment submission: is through Canvas as PDF files only, to facilitate easier grading and return.

Important: try to reduce the size of the files you are uploading: If you are scanning, resolution of 100dpi has been good enough for exam solutions, so it should be adequate for your assignments. (Resulting smaller files are quicker to upload and download).

If you don't have a scanner, take pictures with your phone. Make it nice: lay the assignment sheet on a flat surface with good lighting. Use a lower resolution setting for the camera, to reduce final file size. Then use an app to bundle the pictures into a PDF. Some phones have native support for this, for others you can download a free app. Here are some that have been recommended to me: default notes app on the iPhone, Adobe Scan, Tiny Scanner, CamScanner, Notebloc.