Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

I really hope you will join us for this class as a no pressure way to help with your math skills!
It is a self-paced class where each student works on the specific math they need.

This class is in-person on the Sylvania campus in a computer classroom (SY SS 205) where I am there to give students one-on-one help when they need it in the lab. 

In-person attendance of the class is required.  I realize things happen so students will be able to make up work outside of class for those that need to miss a class (for instance if you are sick, please stay home and not get the rest of us sick).  

This class is only offered with the Pass/No Pass grade option.   
Passing the class is entirely based putting in the time and effort during the scheduled class time.  If you come to every class and work on math, you will pass.   If you miss class, you will have to make up that time in the ALEKS software.  Of course, you always have access the materials from class and software and can always work on math anytime, if you want to do more!   
There are no tests, quizzes, or other graded material in the class.

We do allow “late adds” to the class!  If the term has already started please contact me so we can talk and see about getting you in.  (You do still need to put in all the time so it is easier to start at the beginning of the term.)

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Students typically take this course for three main reasons…

• This is a great course to take to prepare for a math class in the future. It can help make sure your foundations are solid and give you a head start and an idea of what the class covers.  One of the reasons we use the ALEKS software is that it is designed to find holes in your prerequisites, help you learn them, bring you back up to speed, and move you forward.  This is great if it has been a while since you have taken you last math class, did not pass the class the last time you took it, want to increase your confidence and chances of success, or want to really understand the material and be the ‘A’ student when you take the class the next term.
• This is a great course if you want to prepare for the placement test and do as well as possible. One of the first inceptions of this course was to help students prepare for retaking the placement test that did not do as well as they would have liked.  Because you control how fast you move through topics based on your understanding (and effort), the system is designed to focus in on the topics you need to review or learn the most.  We have had students that once they start reviewing, things come back to them and they start to rapidly progress and also gain confidence.   Every term I have at least one student take the course to try to place in a course and when they retake the placement they place even higher than they were hoping for!   Also PCC currently uses the ALEKS software for our placement test so it will be a familiar environment. 
• This is a great course to take concurrently with another MTH (math) course if you would like a supplemental course. This may be because you are worried about struggling in the MTH course or do not have the confidence in math that you would like.  Maybe you have ‘holes’ in your prerequisites that you would like to fill in and be more solid and confident.  Or it has been a while since you have taken math or been in school and might be a little rusty and would like a supportive non-judgmental (no grading) environment to refresh and learn material you might have forgotten (math is a language and, like any language, we lose it if we don’t use it.) L 
  It is a great opportunity to get lots of one-on-one time with an instructor who has taught most of the math classes offered at PCC for over 20 years.

For those that want to do more or need to make-up time, access to the ALEKS software is available all 24/7 from any computer, tablet, smart phone, or any device that has an internet connection and browser that is able log into a secure webpage such as your MyPCC.  If you complete a course shell I am more than happy to move you up to the next level!  On the other hand, if you feel that you are in a course that is beyond where you think you belong the system should detect this and work to catch you up, but we can always move you down a course shell. 

The purpose of this class is to help you refresh or learn mathematics in an environment with as much stress of tests and grades removed.  That is part of the reason the course we only offer this course with the Pass/No Pass option.  This is a class about trying, about getting your “hands dirty” and working through the material.  To help encourage that and remove pressures that often cause anxiety in math, there are no quizzes or exams in this class.  We have found that if we remove the pressures of testing and having to learn content in a specific time frame and make students just try, that they open up and get amazing results.  
To pass the class simply put in the effort by coming to class and trying.  It is that straight forward!
We are trying to create an environment where students are not nervous about telling an instructor they are confused, struggling, or even completely lost.  The software we are using is designed to discover what you know, don’t know, and need help with and focus on moving you forward in mathematics. 

Remember, the ENTIRE reason we are doing this is for you!   I am here to help.  Whether you love, hate, or are indifferent to math I want to help (and hope to help move everyone into liking math more)!  At a minimum, my goal is to increase you confidence and foundations in math.  Please use me as an ally and resource.  I want to help.  You are in this class to learn and because there is math that you either don’t know or are not confident in.  So, I hope that you will give me a chance to gain your trust and feel comfortable being honest with what you know and don’t know so I can help you.  I love math and teaching and want you to succeed!     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC82Il2cjqA

We will be doing the class in a computer classroom (SY SS 205).  There is no software for you to buy.  We will be using the ALEKS software for learning material (paid for in your fees).

All you need to bring is a pencil and paper for taking notes and scratch work for doing problems. 

For those that come to every class, there will be no requirement of outside work.  There is the opportunity to do work in the math software outside of class for those that want to or need to make up time for missing class.   For those that are motivated, I have seen students use this class to move up several course levels in a single term.