Course Syllabus

Discrete Math-Overview and Policies 2020-21

Ms. Bell- Room 428-bellc@wellesley.ps.org

Website: https://wellesley.instructure.com/

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
                                                                                                ― Jane Goodall

General Topics: Graph Theory, Applications of Graph Theory (management science decision-making considering traveling street networks, scheduling without conflicts, designing various types of networks, choosing new emergency or service facility locations and more), Surveys and Polling, Language and Fundamentals of Statistics, Combinatorics, Probability, Interpreting Graphs, Critical Thinking in Everyday Life, and if time permits, Apportionment, Voting Methods, Power in Voting, Review of Logic and Recognizing Fallacies. 

 

Materials: You will need pencils/pens, graph paper, a TI-83 or 84 graphing calculator, and a math notebook or binder.  Be sure to have all that in class each day.  If you are using a spiral bound notebook, you will also need folders or pockets for handouts.  Stay organized. 

Note: We do use the textbook some, but we will also rely heavily on supplementary materials: notes from class, on-line material, and handouts (though I will try to minimize paper handouts this year..) 

 

Grading Breakdown for 1^st Semester:

1. Class participation and Homework - 20%

See Class Participation Learning Goals doc. for more details on that grading.  Homework will be a combination of Delta Math assignments and textbook or worksheet assignments

2. Assessments- 80%  - Quizzes or challenge problems will usually be remote through Canvas, Unit Tests usually in-person. Expect 2-3 quizzes/challenge problems and 1 test each unit and 3 units per semester.

  Basically, you will get a grade for each unit based on the above weights, and then the average of your 3 unit grades will be your semester grade. 

 

Attendance: You are expected to be present for all in-person and remote classes.  Attendance will be taken and reported on Power School for each class meeting.  If you cut class or are absent unexcused, you will not be able to make up the work you missed for credit.  And you shouldn’t think that a 5 minute class recap from someone, even me, is equivalent to being in class asking, listening, thinking and problem-solving.  Do your best to get to class!

 

Excused Lates and Absences: When you are out, please check our Canvas Class Page for information and check with classmates about what you missed. Any previously assigned work is due on the day you return to school.  You can also always reach me via email.

 

1.COVID-19- You must keep your mask on at all times in the classroom and keep 6ft. distance between you and others.  Remember to wipe down your desks when you enter and to wash/sanitize hands throughout the day.  Please help us keep our community healthy, keep our school open, and get through this pandemic.

 

2. CAMERA ON- When you are remote on Zoom and we are working together, please keep your camera on as much as possible, especially in the breakout rooms.  It will be good for us to connect face-to-face and make it easier for you to avoid distractions. I know there will be technology issues and privacy concerns. At the same time I hope that the majority of the time you can have face-to-face interactions. Please let me know if having the camera on most of the time is not an option.

 

3. MATH LAB & Extra Help- The Math Lab schedule is posted on our Canvas page. It is a place you can go for help from a math teacher during school hours when you have a free block.  Use it, it’s a great resource!  (And this semester, I’m the math lab teacher Thursdays Gray block and Fridays Purple block.) I will try to be available for extra help as well.  I’ll post any extra help hours on the Canvas calendar each week that it’s scheduled in advance.  But feel free to email me if I don’t have hours posted and hopefully we can find a day to set up an Extra Help Zoom at 2:45ish.  

 

4. Food, Drinks, Electronics- Cell phones should be on silent and out of sight, unless I announce that they are permitted for class time use. No food in class. You may have drinks in class, but school rules apply. Please help keep our school and classroom clean.  And, please recycle!

 

5. Fire exit/emergency – Please adhere to the designed route and policy when we need to leave the building. Fire Alarm Exit Plan- RIGHT out door and then RIGHT down END of HALL STAIR WELL and outside to SEAVER ST. Be quiet, move with speed and stay with your classmates.         

           

6. Leaving class- If you must go to the restroom, sign out on the sign-out sheet and check off again when you return. Try not to leave class much, we’ll have a 5ish minute break most classes so that should help you stay present otherwise.

           

7. Academic Integrity- When submitting work be honest about the sources used to complete the assignment.  Do not pass off someone else’s work as your own. Any incident of cheating will result in a grade of zero and a phone call home. Repeated incidents of cheating could result in a zero for the course/year.  It’s never worth it to compromise your integrity!*

*Refer to the Student Handbook for other details on academic integrity and for general WHS classroom rules and more on WHS Attendance Policy.     

 

8. See our “Class Contract,” if we write one together, for other agreed behaviors that everyone is asked to commit to so that our classroom (even when it’s remote) is a nice place to think, work, learn and just be.

 

9. Enrich our classroom. You have the power to make our school and this classroom better!  Be a positive force.  Be respectful of all people and things. Do not get in the way of your own or others opportunities for learning and thinking and having a good day.  We are all counting on you.  Please. And thank you in advance!    

 

Our Class Website- CANVAS:

Go to your Canvas page and login- https://wellesley.instructure.com/  Click on Discrete Math

You will find a calendar with assessment dates and zoom links; quizzes; the textbook by chapter in pdf. documents; homework assignments; Smart Board slides from class at the end of each week, Wednesdays for us; learning goals; and other learning resources like videos, articles and online math tools.  We will periodically use the Discussion tab on our Canvas page to discuss “Big  Questions” that you would each post a responses and replies to.  This way you have time to think before answering and we can hear from everyone without taking up too much class time.

 

Assessment Notes:

 

-If you have accommodations for assessments, please be sure to check-in with me at least 48 hours before the test so that the accommodations can be arranged in this hybrid year.

 

-Test dates will be announced at least a week in advance.  We will likely have 3 unit tests semester 1.

 

-There are NO make-up/re-take tests students whose absence from class is unexcused. 

 

-If you are excused absent and miss a test, email me ASAP to schedule a makeup time to take the test.  (As it says in the student handbook, “A student needs to meet with their teachers immediately upon his/her return to school to schedule makeup work.”) Even if we do not have class the day you return to school, email me the day you are out or the day you return.  I will need you to make up the test/quiz within 2 school days of your return to school unless you have missed more than 1 class leading up to the assessment.  Makeups can be scheduled to start anytime between 7:30 and 2:30 on your in-person school days.

 

“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.”

-Linus Pauling

Discrete Math 2020-21--- How does math influence decision-making?- Invest in learning!  --- Enrich our “classroom!”