COURSE: MATH 5019-001

TIME: Friday 1:40-2:35

PLACE: Gilbreath 304

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Robert Gardner

OFFICE: Room 308F of Gilbreath Hall
OFFICE HOURS: TBA

PHONE: 439-6979 (308F Gilbreath), Math Department Office 439-4349

E-MAIL: gardnerr@etsu.edu
WEBPAGE: faculty.etsu.edu/gardnerr/gardner.htm (see my webpage for a copy of this course syllabus and updates for the course).

INTRODUCTION: In this class, we will discuss some of the more mechanical areas of math teaching. We will talk about how to: lecture, prepare a syllabus, prepare and grade tests, and deal with homework. We will not talk much about university policies (this is covered in the spring class) nor about any weird teaching/educational theories.

RESOURCES: My first lecture will be based on the following webpage:

STRUCTURE: I will give a lecture during our first meeting based on the website above. In subsequent meetings, there will be teaching-practice presentations given by the students. The topic will be of my choosing (likely a freshman or sophomore level topic which I think will be helpful in preparation for the comprehensive exams).

GRADES: Your grade will be determined based on class participation and your presentation.

Student Lectures: Each student will give a 10 to 12 minute sample lecture and be analyzed by classmates and the instructor. The topic of the lecture should be chosen from Calculus 1, Calculus 2, or Linear Algebra (the courses on which you are tested with the comprehensive exams). Recommended topics are given below.
Calculus: Development of definite integrals, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, the definition and properties of natural logarithm, L'Hopital's Rule, positive terms series and test for convergence, alternating series and approximations, power series and radius of convergence, or Taylor and MacLaurin series.
Linear Algebra: Matrices and systems of equations, the Schwartz inequality and triangle inequality in Rⁿ, dot products and properties, a vector space topic (definition of, subspaces, basis, linear transformations, ordered basis and coordinate vectors, isomorphism of vector spaces), projections fof vectors and the Gram-Schmidt process, or a topic on matrices (row and column spaces and rank equation, inverse matrices, determinants and properties, eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and diagonalizing a matrix).
I have listed topics which should require the stating of definitions, a proof of some sort, and the working of examples. I would encourage you to give your lecture on the whiteboard, but if you would like to prepare something electronic, then that's good to! You might find some of my online notes useful. Click on the appropriate link for notes: Calculus 1, Calculus 2, and Linear Algebra.

COURSE OUTLINE: Our meeting days and agenda are as follows:

Return to Bob Gardner's home page
Last updated: October 10, 2013.