Part II: Information for Students in Debbie Borkovitz’s Section of Math 130/131

What kind of homework will we have?

There will be several kinds of homework. You will have homework due just about every class meeting. I will not collect most of this homework, but it is critical that you do it. Sometimes your homework will include several short problems, designed to practice a particular skill or to explore a particular concept. Many times your homework will consist of only one or two big problems, which require thinking and creativity. I will often give you time to go over homework in small groups during class time (thus, it will be quite apparent when you haven’t done it).

Beyond the everyday homework, you will have homework to hand in. Much of this homework will require writing. Usually, you will have to solve a problem, explain how you solved it, and “convince a skeptic” that your solution is correct. For some units, you will turn in journal entries, where you reflect on your understanding of various topics.

It might be unfamiliar for you to write papers in math class, but I will give you clear explanations of what is expected. We will do a practice hand-in in class before you actually have to turn one in.

How is homework graded?

For most assignments you will get a scoring guide, with a scale from 0 to 5. The scoring guide will explain in detail what you must do in order to get each score. In some assignments you will receive separate scores for reasoning, communication, problem solving, and/or conceptual understanding. The general scale is as follows:

5 -- Incredible. Goes way beyond the problem that was asked. The kind of work you'd want to show a prospective employer on a job interview.

4 -- Excellent. Does what was asked and more.

3 -- Good. Does most of what was asked.

2 -- Fair. Does some good work.

1 -- Poor. Does a little.

0 -- Unacceptable.

Please don't put a lot of extra time into coloring in elaborate diagrams, making cover pages, and other things that are mostly cosmetic. Many students are quite talented at making things look nice, and this is a skill I value, but it is not the skill we are working on in class. I am especially concerned about this because so many Math 130/131 students are women, and often, in school, girls are valued for their ability to make things pretty instead of for their ability to think.

What if I do poorly on a homework assignment?

In most cases, you can redo it. The main goal is that you learn. In most real world contexts, when you write something that doesn’t say what it’s supposed to say, you don’t get a bad grade on it, rather, you rewrite it.

Do we have tests in this class?

Yes. There will be two or three tests per semester. Most tests will be pyramid exams. You will first take the test individually as a regular test. When you leave the class, you will be handed a blank copy of the test that also includes some extra problems. You may work with members of your study group, and no other people, to redo the test. You will have the next class period, plus time out of class. Your final score will for each problem will be the average of your original score and your group score.

On each test there will be several problems that can be used to satisfy baseline proficiencies. Generally, these proficiencies can only be satisfied on the individual portion of the test. Problems will be clearly marked with the proficiency that they can be used to satisfy.

The pyramid exams are an excellent learning opportunity. The reform movement in mathematics stresses that assessment and learning should not be completely separate processes. In many traditional classes, the learning stops at test time, and starts up again, on another topic, after a test. In this class, tests are also opportunities to learn.

For most tests, you can bring in a sheet of notes. Preparing the sheet will help you study. I prefer this to open-book tests, because in open-book tests students often panic and spend a huge amount of time flipping randomly through their notes.

How are the tests graded?

On more involved problems, there will be a brief scoring guide that goes with each question. It will use the same scale as the homework, and will tell you what you need to do to achieve each level. For shorter problems, the scoring guide will combine several problems together.

Do you grade on a curve?

No. There is one standard for everyone for the question, and I decide it in advance. You are not competing with one another. I would be willing to give everyone in the class A's and I'd also be willing to give everyone in the class F's.

Will we have quizzes?

Most quizzes will be tied to specific baseline proficiencies. In general, the quizzes will not count toward your final grade: if you do well on a quiz, then you will usually pass a baseline proficiency; if you do poorly, then both you and I will be aware of areas that you still need to work on. In some cases, however, quizzes will count.

Will we have a final exam?

We will have a test near the end of each semester. I haven’t decided yet whether or not I will use the final exam period. However, there will definitely be opportunities for making up baseline proficiencies during finals.

Please do not buy airplane tickets, schedule work time, etc. during the final exam period. School is still in session, and you will be expected to be there.

How do you calculate final grades?

I count homework for about half the grade, and the other half is divided roughly evenly between tests and in-class work. I look for evidence of what you can do, and I take improvement into account. I don't translate the numerical grades directly into letters, but for a rough guide, a 5 is like an A+, a 4 is like an A, a 3 is like a B, and so on.

Truthfully, I hate the fact that I have to do final grades, and I hate the fact that they are so important to students. I am not the only teacher who feels this way. I am concerned about learning. Grades are often about ranking people, and there is too much ranking of people in this culture. I have a great quote on my office wall about the difference between evaluation and grading and why grading serves some of the worst aspects of our culture; come in some time and look at it.

You might think that other ways of doing grades, such as giving numerical grades and averaging them in precise ways, seem more "objective" than mine, but teaching has taught me that there is a big element of subjectivity in any kind of grading scheme, even in math classes. The teacher still decides what's on the tests, how to grade them, etc.

I know, however, that you are probably concerned about your grade, and I respect that concern. I will give you a midterm evaluation to let you know how you're doing, what grade you would get if grades were given then, and what you can do to improve. I know it's hard, but try not to get too stressed about grades at the beginning of the class.

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