This course covers a fairly standard set of differential calculus topics, including the definition and interpretations of the derivative, techniques of differentiation, and applications of derivatives.
This class meets the QR requirement. It does not meet the ES requirement.
We will more or less follow the first four chapters of this textbook. There is no need to buy a copy. I have old copies of the book that you use if you want. (Btw, while calculus is the mathematics of change, calculus itself hasn't changed in a century or more. So there is no need to work with the most current version of a calculus text.)
In mathematics, axioms are propositions that are assumed to be true. The mathematician Federico Ardila-Mantilla has written four axioms that guide the work he does in education and outreach. Federico's axioms resonate strongly with me. They are (slightly re-written to apply to physics as well as math):
Taking the above axioms as a starting point, let's think about what type of community we want to create this term. Here is a community agreement based on one written by Federico Ardila-Mantilla.
This course aims to offer a joyful, meaningful, and empowering experience to every participant; we will build that rich experience together by devoting our strongest available effort to the class. You will be challenged and supported. Please be prepared to take an active, critical, patient, creative, and generous role in your own learning and that of your classmates.
This is my fourteenth time teaching this course, so I have a pretty good sense of how it will go. There are four parts to this class (corresponding to the first four chapters in the textbook), each with a distinct feel:
There are two lab sections for the course. You should attend one lab session each week. Please attend the same lab each week if possible, but if not, it's not a big deal.
The Teaching Assistants and I will have a handful of help sessions every week. You are warmly invited and encouraged to attend these sessions. Help sessions are relaxed, informal, and hopefully fun. Things that happen at help sessions:
I am happy to meet with students one-on-one. The best way to set up an appointment is to send an email. There are lots of reasons why you might want to meet with me:
Your evaluation will be based on your performance on homework assignments (approx 70%) and your lab assignments and exam-like assignments (approx 30%). I think there is much to be said against grades; I believe they often interfere with genuine, reflective learning. But I am happy to assign grades if you wish. I do not have any quota of A's, B's, etc.
It is my intent that students from all backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students' learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. I aim to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, religion, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture.
Learning about diverse perspectives and identities is an ongoing process. I am always looking to learn more about power and privilege and the harmful effects of racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, and other forms of discrimination and oppression. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally, or for other students or student groups. If something was said or done in class (by anyone, including me) that made you feel uncomfortable, please let me know. You can also reach out to Provost Ken Hill or Associate Dean Kourtney Collum.
COA is dedicated to establishing and maintaining a safe and inclusive campus where all community members have equal access to COA’s educational and employment opportunities. We strive to promote an environment of respect, safety, and well-being and will not tolerate gender-based or sexual discrimination nor sexual harassment of any kind.
As a faculty member, I am considered a “responsible employee” and am required to share any disclosures of sexual or gender-based misconduct with the Title IX Coordinator. This includes disclosures of experiences that happened before an individual’s time at COA. This is to ensure that all community members who have experienced sexual misconduct receive support, options, and information about their rights and resources. Community members are not obligated to respond to this outreach, and this will not generate a report to law enforcement.
For more information regarding Title IX, our institutional policy, and to access helpful resources, visit COA’s Title IX website: https://www.coa.edu/human-resources/title-ix.
If you have any questions or want to explore support and assistance, please contact COA’s Title IX Coordinator, Puranjot Kaur, at pkaur@coa.edu. Speaking to the Title IX Coordinator does not automatically initiate a college resolution. Instead, much of her work is around providing supportive measures to ensure you can continue to engage in COA’s programs and activities.
Note on Pregnancy and Related Conditions:
Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities. This prohibition on discrimination extends to pregnancy and related conditions. Pregnancy and related conditions encompass pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, termination of pregnancy, false pregnancy, lactation, or recovery from any of these conditions.
Students experiencing pregnancy or related conditions may voluntarily initiate contact with the Title IX Coordinator to request reasonable adjustments available under Title IX. Reasonable adjustments may include but are not limited to: excusing student absences; allowing students to make up missed work; opportunities to move around during class; additional breaks; missing some or all of a class session to nurse or pump, and to have the opportunity to make up any work missed. Information on lactation space on campus can be found here: http://www.coa.edu/human-resources/title-ix/support-resources/lactation-space.
Students who believe they have been subject to discrimination because of pregnancy or related condition status may file a formal complaint with the Title IX Coordinator. If you are a pregnant or parenting student, and you are in need of any adjustments. please let me know at your earliest convenience.
The building in which we gather for this class, and all of College of the Atlantic, is located on traditional lands of the Wabanaki people. The four Native American tribes in Maine today are the Maliseet, Micmac, Penobscot, and Passamaquoddy, collectively referred to as the Wabanaki. I believe it is important to acknowledge that our presence on this land entangles us in the web of colonialism, past and present. The future, however, is still unwritten.