Fall 2020: Introduction Information
Ms Jean Mariner
(she/her/hers)
-
Geo/Algebra 2,
2020-2021 school year
For students; for parent reference.
For students; for parent reference.
CLASSTIME IN GENERAL
Everything is on canvas! Go to the main page, the HOME PAGE and not just the calendar. Things you need for class: TI-graphing programmable calculator (TI-84 family), binder and paper, two textbooks (Precal Larson and Geometry Pearson), Geometer, pencils, your sense of adventure and interest in doing well.
HOMEWORK EXPECTATIONS:
Show all your work. You
MUST have the “picture,” the diagram, the shape, the full illustration on your
paper or you will not get credit.
You must show all your algebra; use “=“ signs, write neatly,
label your work, box your answers, etc.
If you are unable to complete the problem, you must copy
over the problem and write a full sentence that (a) says what you know and what
you can do and/or (b) asks a question. A
“?” symbol is insufficient. Yes, your
homework is graded for more than simply completion.
You must take a picture or a scan of your work (or do it on
line with software), make a pdf, and submit it through canvas. Let me recommend
the app, Camscanner. This app will change your
The next day, you must review my comments on your homework
and respond to the comments. If you do not respond to my comments on your
homework, you will not get a grade. In
your next assignment, you must learn from my comments on the previous
assignment and improve your work based on my comments.
GRADING POLICY
Graded items include the following (Yes, you’ll notice there
are many!):
1.
Evaluations. Evaluations (commensurate with the idea of
tests or quizzes) are graded items in canvas. Expect one every day; these will
help you stay current and will help you check to see if you understand the
material. It is assumed that you will be using all
resources while taking these evaluations, so be prepared. Note that while you can use notes, if you NEED to use notes, then you may not know the material well enough to finish the quiz in the allotted time. Time is NOT built in for you to search through your pages and re-learn the material. If there is a time limit, that time limit is
advertised on the evaluation; extra time is built in for those individuals who
have documentation that extra time is necessary. Note that each student likely
has a different version, which makes it difficult to work together (but not
impossible, I understand that.) Weights
of each evaluation are determined by the number of questions on the evaluation
and will be labeled appropriately.
2.
Homework
and homework feedback comments. Each
homework assignment is submitted by pdf on canvas through the daily link. While you can submit it late without a grade
penalty, you can’t submit it more than a week late and you MUST respond in some
meaningful way to a comment I will make on your homework assignment. I will make this comment within a day of you
turning it in (I’m sure there will be exceptions here when my life gets
rough. It would be best to have your
“settings” in canvas let you know when things are graded, added, or whatever on
canvas.)
3.
EdPuzzle
Videos. Each time you watch an EdPuzzle video, you’ll answer questions. EdPuzzle (and
4.
Projects.
Give me ideas! Are you project kind of
people? Are you crafty? Do you learn by making things? I’m excited to have you make videos or
posters or to have you use trig to find the grade of your driveway or street,
but only if that is interesting and exciting to you. We will be talking about doing projects and
I’m interested in listening to you and working with you to develop cool
activities if this is what helps you learn.
5.
Blog. I’ve had classes write “blogs” for many
years. Last year I did not have my
classes write blogs and I regretted that. Your blog post is graded like a daily
evaluation or homework and is meant to tap your creative brain, to give you a new skill,
and to help you develop the important skill of writing. This year, the blogs start with class culture and with ideas about how to develop resilience and skill navigating math class on-line.
6.
Final
Integrative experience/Evaluation. To be determined, in conjunction with
the other GA2 teachers/classes.
COMMENTS ABOUT ON-LINE LEARNING
On-line earning is different. You may feel as though you are getting less
“content,” (and indeed, from what I understand, fewer math topics are usually
covered in any on-line class), but you are getting more. The “more” you are
getting is simply different. You’ll be
learning significantly more about problem solving, about many resources in online media, about the value of persistence, about
how to interact in an online environment, and so much more that will prepare
you well for the future in business, commerce, research, and largely any field
you enter. Our common experience now is
seemingly accelerating our entrance into a new era of communication, commerce,
business, and “life;” the challenge is that we doing so in such a swift manner
that we are cognitively stretched. (Or maybe, in reality, I am stretched but
you are not…. You have the benefit of your youth and fluency with technology. )
Some ideas and new perspectives on what defines success:
1.
Be
ALIVE! Be ACTIVE! It’s more fun to do stuff than not do
stuff. If you go somewhere, leave a
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2.
Be
FLEXIBLE! Learn to THRIVE! Be PATIENT with yourself and others. Be KIND
to yourself and others.
3.
Be
STEADY! Be CONSISTENT! Stay the course; keep your hand on the wheel
and your eyes on the road. Check a box
every day to break down a larger effort into smaller benchmarks. Note each accomplishment so you can see
progress. You won’t have a satisfying
thick binder housing all your work, so you’ll need to find a way to look with
awe upon your efforts and progress throughout the course.
4.
PLAY! HAVE FUN!
Use humor, be creative, take risks.
NOW is the time to experiment and make discoveries. No one is yet an expert in on-line learning.
Ta TALK! Let me know how you are doing, what's going on, and what you think.
COMMUNICATIONS WITH PARENTS
In general, it’s my belief that my primary relationship is
with the student. It is also very
important for me to do all I can to preserve the life-long relationship you
have with your parents. To that end,
whenever something happens that requires a parent be notified, you as the student
will have the opportunity to tell your parents first. When you talk with your parents, it’s helpful
to have a ‘plan of action’ to set things straight; I can help you develop that
plan.
During one of my first meetings with a parent over 30 years ago,
the parent said to me with an edge to her voice, “I’m on Sunny’s side.” I said, “So am I. Who is on the other
side?” This is how I’ve always felt as a
teacher: we are on the same side. After
all, we have the same goal: your success.
I’d like to help you be successful.
If ever you feel as though I am not on your side, then please let me
know that I need to work extra hard to build trust with you.
While you will communicate first with your parents when
there’s some issue (that’s the goal, at least), I’ll need to follow up because
that’s my job. Please know that anything
I share or say to your parents I would also be comfortable saying or sharing
with you. And parents need to know that
I won’t keep secrets from you; secrets would undermine my relationship with
you. I know that some high-school
students have trouble speaking frankly with parents; if that’s you, then let’s
chat about what we can do.
Once each week, I will write parents a letter
about our progress and activities in class.
These are called “The Monday Letters” and I’ll keep them documented in a
blog post.
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