The two courses being offered this fall online from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Mathematics are designed with your busy schedules in mind. If you are looking for dual credit certification, these courses are also our top two recommendations. Please register as soon as possible, as courses begin Aug. 21!
Option #1: Math 810T: Algebra for Algebra Teachers (section #700)
Class Number for Registration: 12771
The goal of this course is to strengthen your understanding of the mathematical concepts that underlie the topics taught in middle and high school algebra courses. We will deeply explore these concepts and discuss how to leverage our new understanding into improved classroom practice. The course will be organized around weekly modules with weekly homework assignments. As an asynchronous course, there are no class times or meetings. To build connections and community, there will be regular office hours and asynchronous online discussions. Deadlines of assignments will be flexible with the understanding that we are all busy professionals and have obligations outside of schoolwork. The final assignment in the course will be posted before the week of Thanksgiving and due by Dec. 1 to accommodate busy holiday and end-of-semester schedules. Contact Amy Bennett with any questions at abennett14@unl.edu.
Option #2 - Math 811T: Functions for High School Teachers (section #700)
Class Number for Registration: 5654
A central learning objective of the course is to strengthen your mathematical background for teaching Precalculus. Instead of reviewing Precalculus, this course looks at applications that use the material, and at novel or unusual connections with other parts of mathematics. Two particular points of emphasis in this course are approaches for solving unfamiliar problems, and connections between topics in precalculus, algebra, and geometry. The course is divided into ten modules that each involve readings, class discussion of the topics and examples on Canvas, and a few homework problems. The list of topics included in this course includes transformations and their effect on geometric figures (with many cool pictures drawn in Desmos or Geogebra), the history of (and procedure for) finding zeros of cubic polynomial functions, and a use of trig functions in surveying.
Each module is allotted either one or two weeks to complete, and class members will also have at least two weeks to work on the end-of-course assignment for synthesizing and reflecting on the material of the course. Since the many responsibilities taken on by teachers may sometimes result in schedule conflicts with work for this course, and since all of us may have times when we are ill, overstressed, overworked, etc., there will be built-in opportunities for extending deadlines, and I would encourage you to discuss with Susan further scheduling flexibility as needed.
If you have any questions about the course, please feel free to email Susan Hermiller for more information at hermiller@unl.edu.
Note: The Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education is offering TEAC 856P: Learning Models (the section number is 700 and the Class Nbr is 16920).
The fall semester starts Monday, August 21, 2023. You must be registered by that date. If you need to apply to UNL, please allow yourself two weeks for transcripts to be sent to UNL. If you have taken a course in the past year at UNL (and have not graduated), use the instructions here for how to enroll in MyRED: http://registrar.unl.edu/registration-procedures. If it has been longer than three semesters, please email Lindsay Augustyn at laugustyn2@unl.edu for further instructions.
All of these courses are online asynchronous, and each will cost approximately $1,250.