 Office: Van Vleck 413
Telephone: 262 - 3545
| email: sottile@math.wisc.edu
WWW:
http://www.math.wisc.edu/~sottile
|
http://www.math.wisc.edu/~sottile/courses/130.html
| Office: Van Vleck 413
Telephone: 262 - 3545
| email: sottile@math.wisc.edu
WWW:
http://www.math.wisc.edu/~sottile
|
This course is the first in a sequence of three designed to help you develop your intuitive reasoning and problem-solving skills. We will spend most of our time in class working in small groups on various problems, usually from the course packet. The problems are designed to be both interesting and non-trivial, so you should be prepared to spend some serious time on them (in class, for the most part). You will almost certainly get stuck on a problem at some point in the semester, but don't get discouraged - if you persevere, you will get through! We will usually discuss the problems in a large group after most of the groups have finished them. Sometimes you will be asked to write up your ideas and solutions, but always you are expected to think about the problems, participate in solving them, a communicate your ideas with others. Communicating your ideas to others is a important as developing them in the first place.
Note that this is a math content course, and not a pedagogy course. We hope this this course will make you a better teacher, more by setting an example than by teaching math methods.
Your grade for the course will be determined by two exams; a midterm (20%) and a final (30%), by 6 problem write-ups you submit during the term (40%), and by atendance and class participation (10%).
I will assign 7 write ups, but only grade you on your 6 best.