Pre-Algebra | Fall 2024 | Prof. John Jernigan
Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30-8:30pm | CBI 2-16
(Part of Term 1 of the Computer Support Specialist Micro-pathway from Workforce Development at CCP)
Course Description:
This course is intended to provide students with the fundamental Math and Logic skills needed by almost all Information Technology professionals. Students who master the course material should be able to place into the Math 118 level at the College. Arithmetic, Basic algebra, Boolean logic, and Binary Numbers with the ability to understand common numbering systems used in computers is included in the course.
Course Learning Outcomes:
Instructor: Prof. John Jernigan
Office Hours: Zoom meetings, by appointment
Contact Info: jjernigan@ccp.edu or Canvas message.
Required Materials:
Computer Usage:
You must use your ccp username and password to log in to any desktop computer on campus – be sure to also always log out when you are done. Printing on campus is also now tied to your ccp login. To connect your own device (laptop, smartphone, etc.) to CCP’s wireless network, you must search for our hidden wireless network, “CCP WLAN” (all caps with a space), for which there is no password.
Computer Access:
You MUST have access to a computer and reliable Internet access to take this course. This course involves extensive use of internet-based applications. You should log onto both Canvas and Khan Academy on a daily basis.
NO CALCULATORS ARE ALLOWED IN THIS COURSE.
PUT YOUR CELL PHONES IN THE “DO NOT DISTURB” MODE BEFORE CLASS STARTS.
Important Websites:
https://myccp.ccp.edu – MyCCP: ccp email, semester grades, online registration
http://www.khanacademy.org – Instructional Materials and Homework Assignments
http://faculty.ccp.edu/dept/learn_lab/ – Learning Lab hours and workshop details
Grading Policy:
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Grading Scale: |
Weighting: |
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P (passing): 70 – 100% Overall F (failure): < 70% avg.
I (incomplete): extreme circumstances only |
40% - Summative Assessment 25% - Canvas Assignments 25% - Khan Academy Assignments 10% - Attendance |
Note: a “P” grade is required for a student to advance to credit-bearing mathematics courses.
Summative Assessment:
This course has two goals:
1) Prepare you for a job as an Information Technology professional
2) Prepare you to take a 100-level math course at CCP in order to earn an Associate’s Degree
These two goals overlap significantly, and so the instruction and assignments are geared towards meeting both goals. To assess whether these goals have been met, you will take a test in Canvas to assess your level of understanding of the most vital topics necessary for future success. This test will be done in class near the end of the semester.
Canvas:
The course materials are all found in our course Canvas page:
The first module, “Pre-Algebra Orientation Module” contains this document, the descriptions of all course policies and procedures, and other general information of which you need to be aware.
The second module, “Daily Agendas and Assignments” contains descriptions of the agenda for each day’s class time as well as descriptions and links to each day’s assignments.
Some assignments will be completed in Canvas; others will be completed in Khan Academy.
Khan Academy:
Sal Khan started tutoring his cousin in algebra via video conferencing technology a couple decades ago. These live video sessions grew to include her classmates, eventually were recorded and uploaded to YouTube, and now Khan and others have not just videos but instructional articles and interactive assessment tools on a wide range of topics. Khan is committed to keeping his resources publicly available for free, and so we have access to using them!
Not every topic in our course is covered in one of the KhanAcademy lessons, but most of them are. So on most days, you will have several (very short) videos assigned from Khan Academy, and a few problem sets that you will complete on line. To enable you to see which of these items are due each day and to enable me to see that you have completed them, you must enroll in my official Khan Academy class.
To do so, click on the following link: https://www.khanacademy.org/join/SWFPBN7K and follow the instructions on the screen. If you don’t already have an account, press “Create a new account”. Enter your date of birth, then sign up using your ccp email. Please use your ccp ID as your username (for example, jsmith45).
Attendance:
Because of the large volume of material covered in this course, attendance for all class sessions is mandatory. Your attendance grade simply consists of 10 assignments: show up on-time for each day we meet. Any absence counts as a zero for that day, tardiness/leaving early counts as ½.
Excessive absences (more than 4 over the course of the semester) may result in a “drop” grade unless you meet with me outside of class to explain your situation.
You are responsible for all material covered in every class (and announcements made) whether you are in attendance or not. Use Canvas to keep up with your online work, even if you miss class.
Contact Etiquette:
Use Canvas Message or your ccp email account (I will not reply to outside accounts) to reach me outside of class. All emails must include: your full name, the name and section of the course, and a specific question or comment. Please use Pre-Algebra as part of your subject line. The more specific you are, the better I can help you.
Honesty Policy:
Any cheating or copying on graded assignments will result in an automatic zero grade for that particular assessment for both the copy-er and the copy-ee and might also result in disciplinary action. See the CCP Student Handbook for a list of which activities are considered cheating (using a calculator or ChatGPT on an assignment, for example).
Getting Help:
Of course, I hope to be able to answer many of your questions in class, but no class has enough time to fully address every single student’s question on every topic. Therefore, you will at times need to pursue additional help. Tutoring is available in the Learning Lab (at the main campus or on Zoom). I encourage you to form study groups, but you need to each complete your own assignments. If scheduling works out, we may be able to create an official study group to meet with a tutor from the learning lab on a regular basis.
Accommodations:
It is College policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have documented disability conditions (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, or systemic) that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Center on Disability for a confidential discussion of their individual need for academic accommodation. The Center on Disability is located in BG-39 and their telephone number is 215-751-8050.
Starfish Early Alert Initiative:
Early Alert Reports will be made periodically and at the 20% and 50% reporting periods during the semester. Your report may comment on: attendance, punctuality, meeting assignment deadlines, classroom behavior, classroom participation, and other factors pivotal to student success. If you receive an Early Alert letter, you should follow up on the suggested intervention strategies as soon as possible. These alerts are not disciplinary; they are designed to help you stay on (or get back on) track to success.
Inclement Weather:
Check www.ccp.edu. You may also sign up for text alerts through myccp.
Apps:
Both Canvas and Khan Academy to have apps. The apps do not have quite all the features as the websites (and algebraic equations are certainly easier to read on a large computer screen than on a small phone screen). But I do encourage you to download and use both apps for use in a pinch.
To log into our course in the Khan Academy app, use the course code:
To log into Canvas, use your myccp credentials.