Questions tagged [community-colleges]
For questions relating to teaching math at the community college or two year college.
26
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If I take Modern Analysis next year, will I be prepared to teach multivariable/vector calculus?
I’m currently getting my Master’s in Math at Portland State University so that I can teach community college mathematics. I’m specifically hoping to teach calculus, statistics, and linear algebra, so ...
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15
answers
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What's the point of learning equivalence relations?
I teach an introductory discrete mathematics course at a community college to math and computing majors, usually in their sophomore year. As is common, it's partly used as the first foray into formal ...
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18
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14
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What mathematics activities get students physically moving?
What college mathematics topics can be taught in such a way that causes students to physically move around?
Background:
Recently, it was suggested to me by a faculty member (from another academic ...
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-2
votes
4
answers
361
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Good textbooks for a college Basic Geometry course?
I will be teaching geometry for the first time ever this summer. I teach at a community college, and we only offer this course in the summer. (Mostly high school students take it, but it is a college ...
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7
votes
1
answer
276
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Measure of Improvement in Math Skills from Remediation with ALEKS
I am analyzing some data on ALEKS for my home institution (ALEKS, an acronym that stands for "Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces", is an online tutoring and assessment program that includes ...
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11
votes
4
answers
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Multiple students writing $y\frac{d}{dx}$ rather than $\frac{d}{dx}y$ -- why?
I'm currently teaching a couple of courses that have a calculus prerequisite, and within the last week I've had two students make notational mistakes that amount to writing $y\frac{d}{dx}$ rather than ...
user507
10
votes
3
answers
293
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Formats for Calculus instruction at different colleges and universities
In the comments under another question, a couple of people expressed interest in how Calculus is taught at the University of Michigan. I'm not convinced a question that narrow is appropriate for this ...
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2
votes
2
answers
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Line Integral Motivation
Is there a case to be made that the topic of line integrals should only involve vector fields?
My colleagues and our textbook take the position that line integrals should only be taught from a vector ...
- 8,856
5
votes
3
answers
486
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Advice on Full Time Community College Math Instructor Position
I have to do a teaching demo on the following:
Please treat the committee as students in your Calculus II class. Please take 12-15 minutes to introduce your lesson on the Taylor Series and its ...
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15
votes
4
answers
666
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How To Help a Quiet Class
This term I am teaching a very quiet precalculus class. I am having trouble getting students to answer questions or respond to verbal prompts, even questions I know they can answer. What I initially ...
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16
votes
4
answers
539
views
Making solutions to all problems freely available
I teach at a community college, almost all physics but also a math course now and then. My current practice is that I assign homework worth a very small number of points (1 point per problem, as ...
user507
11
votes
4
answers
708
views
How to design multiple choice questions
I've seen the previously-asked questions about the effectiveness of multiple choice problems, but I want to know about design. What are best practices in multiple choice problem design? The "common" ...
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3
votes
1
answer
432
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Good Textbook for combined Beginning and Intermediate Algebra Course
We'd like to create a course that covers beginning and intermediate algebra in one course (8 hours a week), getting students ready to succeed in precalc and calculus. I am at a community college.
I ...
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6
votes
2
answers
199
views
What is accelerated developmental math education, and is it a good idea?
I teach physics and math at a community college in California. I got in a politically tinged discussion with a colleague today in which I claimed that one of socialism's weaknesses was its historical ...
user507
4
votes
1
answer
238
views
Is there a remedial college textbook that includes basic logic?
Consider the case of a college remedial/developmental course; traditionally arithmetic and elementary algebra. If we had the opportunity to pick a new program for the course, and wanted to include ...
- 23.6k
7
votes
3
answers
370
views
Is it appropriate to assign an extra credit homework question on the "next" session?
I am a new teacher teaching mathematics (College Algebra, Calculus, etc.) in a college. My wife has made an interesting suggestion that I would like to have a discussion here:
Is it appropriate to ...
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4
votes
1
answer
168
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looking for good and clear examples about graph theory apllied to scheduling [closed]
I´m looking for some good and clear example/s about using graph theory in scheduling. (I´m interested in good books/web/PDF in this way)
My target is to show the utility of graph theory to some ...
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9
votes
3
answers
513
views
Why is distribution prioritized over combining?
In every algebra (or basic analysis) book that I've seen, three properties of real numbers are taken as axiomatic: commutativity, association, and distribution of multiplication over addition [$a(b + ...
- 23.6k
8
votes
1
answer
689
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Tips for teaching A-level Maths/Further Maths students
I recently withdrew from a maths PhD to focus on other career options, and one of them that I'm very keen on is mathematics teaching.
I applied for a college A-level maths lecturer role (teaching ...
user5447
13
votes
2
answers
526
views
Teaching limits and asymptotics at the same time
Having never been a mathematics educator, my question could be stupid and, if this is the case, please delete it.
When I was young, from the very beginning of limits, we were teached that there are ...
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1
vote
2
answers
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AB 86 Basic Skills Mathematics Courses at the Community College Level [closed]
I am a basic skills community college math instructor here in Los Angeles. This Spring is a very exciting time for our college. There are several campus initiatives taking place. Among them is the ...
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votes
3
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What is the evidence about the effectiveness of remediation in math?
At many colleges in the United States, incoming students are required to take placement tests in basic skills such as math and reading. Those who score below a cut-off are required to take remedial ...
user507
4
votes
2
answers
188
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Spending time with students individually
I have a few students that need lots of individual attention.
What do you have the other students do during this time?
Review problems? Challenge problems? start on their homework? play a math ...
- 365
10
votes
4
answers
451
views
Effective Method for Reviewing Homework in Class
I teach algebra at a community college. I assign homework which counts for 2 points. After going over the HW, I give the students a quiz (worth 20 points) with problems similar to the HW.
I spend ...
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11
votes
3
answers
192
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Regarding AMATYC's draft position statement on the academic preparation of mathematics faculty at two-year colleges
AMATYC has a draft position statement on the academic preparation of mathematics faculty at two-year colleges that will be voted on soon, if it hasn't happened already. The draft is attachment L in ...
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14
votes
5
answers
773
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Community College Remedial Mathematics difficulties for students
I've been teaching remedial mathematics for the better part of a decade, and I've noticed a big trend in my classes lately. Many of my students are able to grasp the more complex ideas but still ...
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