GENERAL EDUCATION MATHEMATICS COURSES: OBJECT -LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE -IDEAS FOR MATH GEN.ED. COURSES - RESOURCES OCMA Conference 2010 Colin Fraser and Lynda Graham

GEN. ED. COURSE EVERYDAY DECISION MAKING: EX. 1 What can assist students in making informed decisions in everyday life, for example in personal finances and in interpreting statistics? It is quantitative literacy which is being able to reason and interpret with information involving mathematics and numbers – a survival skill in today’s advanced technological world. In this course, students will be required to use mathematical modeling to complete projects on relevant social issues, as well as pursue a non-traditional approach to essential mathematical skills. Students will become confident in applying mathematics to problems and issues in the world around them such as those found in media, newspapers and on the Internet. General education goals: primary goal- understanding science; secondary goal – social understanding

GEN. ED. COURSE “FACTS AND ARGUMENTS (QUANTITATIVE REASONING)”: EX. 2 It is simple. If you think about it, what is the one language that is common to everyone in the world? Numbers and the understanding of those numbers. Where we run into problems is our passive acceptance of all these numbers. For instance, how did the toothpaste company determine that 9 out of 10 dentists recommend their brand? Should we believe their numbers? Most of our decisions today are based on numbers. Without cool reasoning and an understanding of mathematics, we would not be able to manage our money and we would not be able to define the world’s hungry as being 70% of the population. When you take this course, you will learn how to criticize the numbers, how to determine the validity of the logic and in so doing, will have a better understanding of the world’s most common and often misused language. It is a skill everyone will need in out techno-forward world General education goals: primary goal- understanding science secondary goal – social understanding

GEN. ED. COURSE CALCULUS FOR TODAY: EX. 3 Calculus is, in essence, “The mathematics of change”. Originally, a “pure” or theoretical discipline, calculus now has practical application to virtually every aspect of modern business and social and life sciences. This course will emphasize both graphical and verbal approaches to problem solving. Some topics are determination of revenue growth with respect to capital investment, optimization of resources, and population growth. Increasingly, calculus has become an integral part of the predictive method for forecasting used in business and science. General education goals: primary goal- understanding science secondary goal – personal development

GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS  Social Understanding  Civic Life  Cultural Understanding  Work and the Economy  Understanding Technology  Social Understanding  Civic Life  Cultural Understanding  Work and the Economy  Understanding Technology  Aesthetic Appreciation: “study of design”  Personal Development: “study of mathematics of finance”  Understanding Science: “study of sciences…mathematics”

FUTURE:  APPROVED BY OCMA  HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TAKE A GEN. ED. COURSE  ACCEPTED BY UNIVERSITIES?

IDEAS F0R GEN. ED. MATH COURSES: -MATHEMATICS OF SEX – BOOK -MATH AND NAVIGATION -HISTORY OF MATH BBC SERIES -STORY OF MATH -FRACTALS -MATH OF ORIGAMI -ARCHITECTURE AND MATH

IDEAS F0R GEN. ED. MATH COURSES: -ART OF GEOMETRY PBS DOCUMENTARY FERMAT’S LAST THEOREM -UNDERSTANDING ODDS -MATH PHOBIA -JUMP MATH

OCMA: - COLLECT RESOURCES - COURSE OUTLINES - SURVEY OF STUDENTS FOR PREFERENCES OCMA Conference 2010 Colin Fraser and Lynda Graham

OCMA: SUGGESTED TOPICS - SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS JOHN K. ( /WICKIE) - HYBRID/BLENDED/WEB ENHANCED COURSES- OCMA Conference 2010 Colin Fraser and Lynda Graham