Day 1, Mat128: Calculus A

Next time: Velocity and rates of change

Today:

Announcements
- Welcome! Thanks for signing up! I'm glad that you're here.
- Today we'll handle basic logistics, then we'll undertake a classroom exercise to get us thinking about rates of change -- which is one of the fundamental issues we'll study this semester (under the name of "the derivative").
- You have a reading assignment for next time (prior to class on Monday):
  please read Section 1.1 in our text, and carry out Preview Activity 1.1.1 (bring your work to class).
- I am hearing-impaired (wear hearing aids): teaching has become even trickier, given the masking, which is one reason I'm really glad for vaccinations! But if I don't understand your question, please be patient with me; or, if I misunderstand what you've said, just let me know that I'm off track!
- Roll and 3x5 cards: Please fill out the card, indicating
  1. Name (that you want me to call you)
  2. Hometown
  3. What is your calling? ("a calling has to do with one's larger purpose, personhood, deepest values, and the gift one wishes to give the world.... A calling is about the use one makes of a career." David Orr, Earth in Mind)
  4. What is your dream job?
  5. What is something special about you?
Some course details:
- The course website will be useful: http://www.nku.edu/~longa/classes/mat128
  I won't be using Canvas. Our course materials will be here. I'm not even going to open the course on Canvas!
  I know that this will bother some of you; so let me tell you why I won't use Canvas.
- Syllabus (logistics, etc.)
- The plan of attack: we'll get through (much of) chapters one through three in our text.
  Assignments will be updated on the website.
- We'll be using
  1. a free, on-line textbook, called Active Calculus; and
  2. a free, on-line homework system, called IMath
  Notice the first operative word: free! The good news is that you are not on the hook for the essential materials of this course.
  But there's a second operative word: active (and activities). You will be active in this class. Come expecting to work in class, on your own and with others.
- You may want access to a tablet or laptop in class, but it's not required.
  These really reduce the tedium associated with some aspects of advanced mathematics, and allow you to check your work. That being said, you'll have access to only a graphing calculator for the exams, so you want to use these other tools as aids, not as crutches. Locate a calculator now, so that you're ready when it's time for the exams.
- Tutoring lab (MEP 457) may prove helpful. Run by the Mathematics Department out of MEP457 and staffed by our upper level students, it provides free tutoring to Calculus students in our department. More to come.
- You should do the reading in advance of our discussion of each section in class. That's why I sometimes assign "preview" questions.
- There will be weekly quizzes (although none this week). These will cover the material from the week before (and our first one will be Wednesday of next week). They will occur at the end of Wednesday's class (I'll alot around 20 minutes). They will cover the readings from the text, and our work in class.
Questions?
Let's get started!
- Take a look at our first handout: "Linear Things"
  The great thing about calculus is that it's really about straight lines! At least that much gets you a long, long way in calculus. So let's understand "line-like things" well....
- You'll be split into groups to work through the exercises
- I want you to use the boards, too, so we'll divvy those into three parts:
  1. Questions
  2. Observations
  3. Takeaways

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