OutLine+Fall+2011

Out Line Math Fun, Fall 2010

Teacher: Dani Novak Williams 311D Office Phone 274-3595 Home Phone 257-2749 Email: __novak@ithaca.edu__  Web page: http://www.ithaca.edu/dani/ Office Hours: W 1:00-3:00 R 1:00-3:00 wiki space for sharing: |__http://danimathfun.wikispaces.com/__ 

When you finish reading this could you please fill [|__the survey__] and ask me questions if you do not understand. My email is __novak@ithaca.edu__ 

I want to welcome you all to this class and for those of you who are new to Ithaca also to Ithaca College and Ithaca. You will see that this class will be a most wonderful and beautiful experience. I know that in the past most of you, probably all, did not like math and were sometimes even hurt by it. The problem is not Math but the fact that so much testing is required and not meaningful learning. In this class we will change this. I hope that you will allow this to happen to you.

In this course you will learn Math by actually doing the Math using computers and a language called GeoGebra. This class assumes a certain maturity and motivation level from the students and the willingness to let go of a formula crunching spoon feeding approach of learning mathematics. For those of you who do not like math, my goal is to help you break this cycle and change your mind about math and your relationship with math. This means that you will be willing to do things in a meaningful way and sometimes get a little frustrated also and overcome the frustration but most importantly that you will be willing to take this class to your heart, come to all classes, write notes, practice and updated the Google document meaningfully every week that will receive feedback from me. It also means that you will be willing to use (maybe new for you?) technological tools like Jing, GeoGebra, Wiki-spaces and others. Every student will keep a google document which will include all the materials and link to Jing movies that the student created. **Don’t worry.**  I will explain everything in class but some of you may want to get an early start and then they will help others also. Every week the teacher will give the student an evaluation of his or her work in a form of a grade. There is a quiet revolution going on in the field of math education around the world and you will experience this revolution in this class. The purpose of this class is to understand and feel the math and thus make it part of your life. Every student is unique and will be able to express this uniqueness. I will postpone focusing on the details until I learn more about you and your needs and until you become comfortable with Google Documents, Jing and Geogebra. Meanwhile please:

1. Get a google account if you do not have one 2. Download Jing and install it on your computer (from: [|__http://www.jingproject.com/__] ) 3. Download GeoGebra and install it [|__http://www.geogebra.org/cms/en/download__]  click on webstart) 4. Fill in the <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__following survey__]

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There is another aspect to all of this education game and this is the aspect of True learning, growth, maturity and Life itself. Life is like a river and like an ocean. It has storms and waves and sometimes it is also quite and peaceful. I see every class I teach as an opportunity to grow and mature and I believe that we are infinite souls with a human body and mind also but we are not the body nor the mind. I know it sound philosophical and it is but this is the Truth for me. I believe that in many educational situation of testing and gradings we kind of lost this human quality of inner growth and I am committed to foster it in my class. I hope that this will fit also your needs and expectation but if it really does not come to speak with me 1-1 as soon as possible.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ff00; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Welcome to a new magical world of Math and Life and Beauty and Fun also. This is my goal and my wish for you and we will make this magic happen