Home, 2/27
We started discussion of homework for section 2.2 and will finish on Monday, continuing on with homework from section 2.3. MyLab for section 2.2 is due on Tuesday.
I am planning an in-class joysheet next week, and exam 2 for week after next.
Home, 2/22
Exam 1 turned out poorly - you can see the class statistics on the "scores and docs" page. It appears too many did not heed my previous note (see below) about testing yourself for proficiency and took too long on problems that should not take that much time, thereby not reaching the end of the exam. I will allow a redo of one problem, but do not expect this in the future.
If you have not yet turned in joysheet 4, please bring it on Monday. On Monday, we will finish section 2.1 and start working on homework from that section. MyLab for this section is already posted and is due on Wednesday.
Since exam scores will prompt some students to start wondering about their grade, consider the following measures to improve them:
- Make sure you turn in the joysheets - too many people do not turn them in, losing points and additional practice on problems, some version of which is likely to be on exams. Also, too many people turn them in incomplete, when they could easily have asked for some help, which I am happy to give. If you weren't in class when you think a joysheet was distributed, you can always find it through the link at top.
- Come to class regularly. It will help you stay current in the course and catch those little tips that you may miss if you are not in class. The people with more than five absences before the exam scored 48, 32 and 22.
- Complete MyLab homework on time, preferably starting it before it is discussed in class, so you know what questions to ask.
- Do more than one sample exam in preparation for an exam - clearly one is not enough for many people. There are many sample exams on the MOTHERLODE.
Home, 2/14
Exam 1, covering sections 1.1-1.6 is scheduled for Wednesday. Check out sample exam 1 on the "scores and docs" page to see what it will look like. For additional practice, go over all the joysheets we had so far, or look for more sample exams on the MOTHERLODE.
To be successful on an exam, you need a pretty good level of proficiency and familiarity with the material. To see how well you are doing, I suggest you try to do a sample exam in 50 minutes and see how you do. If you find it is a struggle, more practice is needed.
Another in-class joysheet is planned for Monday, and we will work on a practice exam on Tuesday. Joysheet 3 was turned in last week: if you haven't turned yours in, make sure you get it to me on Monday.
Home, 2/6
Joysheet 2 has been distributed and is due on Monday. If you haven't received yours, you can find it - no surprise - at the "joysheets" link. MyLab homework for section 1.3 is due tonight and that of 1.4 is due on Tuesday.
On Monday we continue our discussion of homework for section 1.4, which will include finding lines of best fit. We will need our calculators for this - bring them if you have them.
Exam 1 is planned for week after next - I will let you know what day when I see our progress next week.
Home, 1/30
How's everyone? Rested plenty, I hope, and a little sunburnt from playing in the snow?
We completed a week of lectures on Zoom, rounding out chapter 1. I know this is not the best way to present a course, a bunch of lectures first and then homework discussion over all of them, but is the best we had for a short term school closure in order not to lose class time.
Don't worry if you were not able to attend - they were all recorded and are available on Canvas/files/recordings. Before we discuss homework for a particular section, I strongly recommend you at least read the notes for that section and, depending on how well you got through the notes, watch the corresponding video to help you understand the notes. (You'll have to make do without a movie-star narrator.)
On Monday, we will pick up homework discussion where we left off, working on sections JIT 15 and 1.2. Once we finish these, we will continue discussion of the next sections (1.3 and 1.4 likely on Tuesday), so your first reading or viewing assignment are sections 1.3 and 1.4.
See you in person on Monday!
Home, 1/23
We have finished discussion of sections JIT 6, 7, 9 and 14. Those sections are due on MyLab on Saturday night. A number of people have not finished - you should get on it before possible power or internet outages due to upcoming snow. Sections JIT 15 and 1.2 are due later next week, as we have not yet discussed this homework.
With hardly any time left to spare in the course, I hate losing several classes to snow. Therefore, assuming there are no widespread outages, I will be conducting class over Zoom at its usual time on Monday and Tuesday, lecturing over new sections. If you can, please join the class (link to meeting will be sent by email). If not, a recording of the lecture will be available on Canvas/files/recordings.
If anyone needs to see me for office hours during snow days, we can meet on Zoom: send me a request by email.
Free tutoring information has been updated with hours for this semester - see the "free tutoring" page.
Stay warm and safe until I see you again!
Home, 1/16
The first week passed quickly and it's going to continue like that, what with all the work we have to do.
The first batch of online homework has been assigned and is due on Wednesday night. If you have not yet connected to our online homework system MyLab (four of you have not), please do so over the long weekend. (Start in Canvas/course materials and follow instructions from there.)
Recall that you can always find the written lectures and board images from homework discussion on Canvas/files.
Have a good long weekend!
Home, 1/11
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. 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. For now, here is some information on the textbook, online homework and Canvas.
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 clicking on Canvas/Course Materials. If you do not already have a Pearson account, you will need to create it and then link it to your Canvas account.
Canvas: Canvas will only be the repository of class notes and your grades. 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. I value this, and you may grow to as well, as a service to future students of this same course.)
Lecture notes: I will distribute the printed notes in class. For future classes, have these with you so that you can follow the lectures in class without having to copy a lot. The filled-in notes written in class are posted on Canvas.