Instructor: Michael Pelsmajer
Office: E1 206
Office Hours: by appointment (Meaning: I am happy to meet you, but I'm not
going to sit around my office, not knowing if anyone is going to show up.)
To arrange a meeting, talk to me before or after class, or send an e-mail with a
list of convenient times.
Office Phone: 312-567-5344 (but e-mail is better)
E-mail: pelsmajer_(AT)_iit_(DOT)_edu
Teaching Assistant: Amlan Barua
Office Hours: MW 3:15-4:15pm in E1 129
Schedule of all Math Teaching Assistants in E1 129
(They should probably be able to help, too.)
Syllabus: Chapters 1-5 from Calculus 7e by Stewart
Generic Syllabus (February 2006)
ADA Syllabus Statement
8:35am-9:50am Mon-Wed-Fri in Wishnick Hall 116, and
1:50pm-3:05pm Tuesday in Stuart Building 112EF (computer lab) or
Perlstein Hall 109 (recitation)
You should attend every class. Attendence will be taken.
Homework will mostly be assigned, collected, and graded via Webassign.
Getting Started with WebAssign: Our Class Key is "iit 2702 5228". Go to www.webassign.com and enter it in (there is a button on the right side of the page that you should click, and it will take you a new page where you can enter it in). Then look here for further instructions: Student Quick Start Guide.
You should always aim for A Perfect 100%. What if you give up on a question, and then it appears on an exam?
Do Your Work on Paper First, before entering in the solutions on WebAssign! Keep paper copies of your work; occasionally I will collect it. Make it neat and well-organized. Recommended Method: Print out the entire assignment, turn off the computer and do the assignment, then turn on the computer and enter in your answers. Make any corrections on paper again, before re-entering them into the computer. If you get it wrong a couple times in a row, start the problem over and/or seek help. No guessing.
Multiple Attempts: Usually, you will have 5 chances to get it right.Automatic Extensions: Unless you are more than a few days late, you can take this extension. Feel free to use it, and you don't even need to explain why. Each late problem will be penalized 25% for each extra day it is late. Problems which are already correct will not be penalized.
Other Extensions: If the automatic extension is no longer available and/or if there is some special circumstance that the instructor should know about, you can ask for a "Manual Extension". It may or may not be granted, and late problems may or may not be penalized. (Problems which are already correct will not be penalized.)
Solutions: After an assignment is due, you can find it in "Past Assignments" and then you choose to see the answer key (and sometimes you will see detailed solutions, too). However, once you look at the answers, you can no longer take an extension on that assignment.
You will complete a personalized review of Algebra, Trigonometry, etc. using ALEKS. (A bit more about ALEKS) (Getting started with ALEKS)
Your grade for this part of the course will be a combination of successfully "completing the pie", hitting certain deadlines, and your score on a final cumulative assessment.
Note that ALEKS requires a plug-in that is currently only installed in certain IIT computer labs: Stuart Building Rooms 112E, 112F, 112X and 112J, Siegel Hall Rooms 236 and 237—using only Internet Explorer.
It should also work on your laptops.
Some Tuesday afternoons we will meet in SB 112J for a computer lab.
Most labs will have a Mathematica assignment. You can work on the assignment with a partner during the lab. Then finish it at home, print it out, and hand it in next Tuesday before the quiz starts.
Some Tuesday afternoons, we meet in Perlstein Hall 109 for a recitation.
At recitations, you will have to present solutions to homework-like problems at the board. You will also have a chance to ask questions about the current homework. Every student must present at least 2 correct homework solutions during the semester.
There will be a quiz at the beginning of every Tuesday afternoon meeting. Quiz problems will usually be similar or identical to homework problems.
No calculators for quizzes and exams. (Also no iPads, etc. Also no notes, headphones, etc.)
You should mostly avoid using a calculator when doing your homework, since you need to develop calculator-free working habits, in order to be ready for quizzes and exams. That being said, Mathematica is a powerful tool for calculation (and much more). Wolfram Alpha is similar to Mathematica; it's easier to use, but harder to get it to do what you want it to do.
Homework 20%, Mathematica Labs, Quizzes, and ALEKS 15%, In-class Exams 45%, and Final Exam 20%. You can use your final exam grade to substitute for half of any exam score (if your final exam is better).
To get the most out of lectures, read about a topic before it is presented in class. If possible, try upcoming homework problems before class as well.
Try everything on your own first, but know when to ask for help. Seek help at the Academic Resource Center (ARC) or directly from the instructor.
Of course you can get advice about success in mathematics from a multitude of sources. However, here are a few things that I feel are particularly accurate and to-the-point:
How to Ace Calculus: A Streetwise Guide. It's quite funny and the quality of the advice is very high. The extensive excerpts contain good stuff for you. If you get the book be sure to look at the "Twenty Most Common Exam Mistakes".
An excellent, well-organized collection of tips: Success in Mathematics. I wish I wrote it! Maybe you should read it right now, and reread when preparing for the first exam? Everything in it (except Section 2.2) is very relevant for Math 151 this semester.
How To Study Math: In a nutshell, sleep enough, and start everything ASAP! Which is common sense, okay. What's interesting here is that it explains why this is especially important for mathematics.
How To Read Mathematics and another How To Read Mathematics: In a nutshell, don't panic if it goes (very) slowly - that's normal. It's not at all like reading a novel.
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with documented disabilities. In order to receive accommodations, students must obtain a letter of accommodation from the Center for Disability Resources and make an appointment to speak with me [the instructor] as soon as possible. The Center for Disability Resources (CDR) is located in Life Sciences Room 252, telephone 312-567-5744 or disabilities@iit.edu.
January 17 in Stuart Building 112EF
Right-click with your mouse, then save:
IntroductionJan17-2012
Then open the file. (Ask if you need help!)
Go through it carefully, following all instructions.
(And, of course, save your work often!)
Exercises 1, 2, and 3 are due next Tuesday January 24, at the beginning of class. Print out your work (double sided) and hand it in.
January 24 in Stuart Building 112EF
Jan24-2012 (Right-click, etc.)
The exercises are due next Tuesday January 31, like before.
January 31 in Stuart Building 112EF
Start Internet Explorer (not Firefox).
Go to www.aleks.com and below "NEW USER?", click the link "SIGN UP NOW!".
Our Course Code is:
9FA94-GLCTF
Enter other information as prompted. Remember your Login Name and Password, provided by the system. (You can change your Password now or later.)
Today you will begin using ALEKS by taking the Student Tutorial, completing an
initial Assessment, and then starting to use the Leaning Mode toward completing
the "pie".
If you need help today, ask! (There is also a
User Guide.)
Your grade will be a combination of successfully "completing the pie", hitting certain deadlines, and your score on a final cumulative assessment.
(More about the use of ALEKS this semester)
February 7 in Perlstein Hall room 109
Recitation: Trigonometry, Algebra, and other ALEKS topics.
February 14 in Perlstein Hall room 109
Recitation: Derivative Rules and Implicit Differentiation
February 21 in Stuart Building 112EF
Feb21-2012 (Revised 2/22/2012)
Feb21-2012revised (Right-click, etc.)
The exercises are due next Tuesday February 28.
February 28 in Perlstein Hall room 109
Recitation (Related Rates, Derivatives and graphs)
March 6 in Perlstein Hall room 109
Recitation (Related Rates, Optimization, Curve Sketching)
March 13 in Stuart Building 112EF
Mar13-2012v2 (Right-click, etc.)
The exercises are due the Tuesday after spring break.
March 20 (No class, spring break)
March 27 in Stuart Building 112EF
March27-2012 (Right-click, etc.)
The exercises are due next Tuesday.
April 3 in Perlstein Hall room 109
Recitation (Substitution, Area between curves)
April 10 in Perlstein Hall room 109
Recitation (Area and Volumes)
April 17 in Perlstein Hall room 109
Recitation (Work and maybe Review for Exam 3)
April 24 in Stuart Building 112EF
ALEKS Final Assessment