Algebra 2 and Trigonometry

For each skill instructors have determined whether it is a prerequisite skill or a skill to be developed throughout the course. For lower school, instructors indicate where parent support is expected.

• With Parent Support: Skills that most lower school students will need help with.
• Developing: Skills that the instructor will help develop and emphasize throughout the year.
• Mastered: Prerequisite skills that the instructor is expecting students to possess.

Canvas

• Mastered
  • Be able to manage Canvas assignments and submissions (view assignments, check for teacher messages, submit homework as pdf file, submit revisions if necessary, set Canvas notifications for the class, view class notifications when posted, etc.).
  • Be able to set notifications settings to alert the student of class announcements, homework assignments, due dates, instructor comments made on assignments, instructor comments made on individual student submissions, instructor comments made on graded items, etc.
  • Be able to review notifications ongoing throughout the year; notifications which include: class announcements, homework assignments, due dates, instructor comments made on assignments, instructor comments made on individual student submissions, instructor comments made on graded items, etc.
  • Be able to respectfully and wisely engage with other students and the instructor on Canvas discussion boards.
  • Be able to respectfully, wisely and formally engage with instructor through private Canvas messaging.
  • Be responsible for reviewing teacher feedback, suggestions and comments about student work and employing that feedback as necessary.

Writing

• Mastered
  • Be able to hand-write answers in complete sentences.
  • Be able to write sentences with basic sentence syntax (i.e. capitalization of first word in a sentence, punctuation at the end of each sentence, space between sentences, capitalization of proper nouns, each sentence having a subject and predicate, etc.).
  • Be able to spell at grade level and employ course vocabulary cumulatively throughout the course.
  • Be able to build well organized paragraphs which employ (among other skills) topic sentences, transition sentences, clear linear thinking throughout the essay.
  • Be able to build a logical, well-reasoned argument through a written essay providing sound reasoning (i.e. true premises, valid arguments, sound conclusions).
  • Be able to request a family or peer to edit submissions, but understands these requests should be for the purposes of raising important questions for the student to consider and suggesting minor edits. The student understands that family or peer editors should not be reworking of sentences, redefining terms, building new concepts, building arguments or writing passages for the student.
  • Be able to build and use alphanumeric outlines as part of the writing process.
  • Be able to employ the feedback of the instructor into future edits and submissions of the assignment.
  • Be able to self-edit written submissions for grammar and spelling mistakes.

Reading

• Mastered
  • Be able to read material independently and identify the information which might be relevant to course discussions and objectives (even if the student doesn’t fully understand all of what’s being read).
  • Be able to mark, underline or highlight important words, definitions or concepts within a text being read both while reading independently and reading corporately as a class.
  • Be able to identify key terms in a passage, and follow the author’s argument.
  • Be able to read material independently and identify questions which require clarification or further explanation from the instructor.
  • Be able to listen to the author’s argument and understand it even if the student disagrees with the conclusion reached or reasons given.

Typing

• Mastered
  • Be able to type short answers in complete sentences.
  • Be able to type paragraph essays (short essays, and 5 or more page essays).
  • Be able to employ basic MLA formatting skills (i.e. 1-inch margins, double spacing, heading on paper).
  • Be able to employ MLA citations for (for quoted material and referenced material) through the use of footnotes or endnotes, bibliography, work-cited page. Student should have a concept of what plagiarism is and know how to avoid it.

In-Class

• Mastered
  • Follow along with instructor-led note-taking and record notes during class.
  • Follow along with instructor-led workbook completion and record answers during class.
  • Be prepared to thoughtfully answer questions when called on in a group setting, during class.
  • Be prepared to volunteer thoughtful comments, answers and ideas in a group setting, during class.
  • Be prepared to generate thoughtful questions to enhance the class discussion, to identify areas needing clarification, and to make valuable connections with other course content.
  • Follow class discussions and seminar conversations to record notes without the instructor identifying specifics.

Study

• Mastered
  • Be responsible to study at home for quizzes, tests and other assessments.
  • Understand the difference between assignments given by an instructor and the necessary and independently initiated need for private study of material.
  • Be able to schedule and manage multiple projects from multiple instructors and courses.
  • Be able to schedule time outside of class to complete independent review of materials.
  • Be able to determine the best places and ways to study at home (i.e. quiet, undistracted, utilizing various methods of review (auditory, written, visual, practice tests, flashcards, etc.).

Math Skills

• Developing
  • After the instructor has provided instructions – the student should be able to use Wacom tablet (or other like iPad) to actively solve math problems during class, viewable to the instructor on Ziteboard.
• Mastered
  • Understand that arriving at the correct answer is not the goal of mathematics review and practice, but rather understand that consistent application of the correct processes are the goals of review and practice.
  • Be able to deductively apply content and previously learned mathematics skills and processes to the understanding of newly introduced content.

*Required Materials

Sections with Dr. Riley

• Digital Textbook: Reveal Algebra 2 with ALEKS 
  • Dr. Riley does not teach from the book but uses it for example problems, class work problems, student references, and course structure. The book represents a spine of topics that will be covered. Though teaching will not be limited to this text.
  • ALEKS delivers practice problems to students in a manner that promotes mastery and retention. Students work the problems on paper and turn them into the instructor for review. Students are required to correct their work using ALEKS’ step-by-step solution; thus, they learn from their errors -in real-time- before trying another similar problem.
  • Purchased via the instructor ($55). Info. will be sent via email in the summer of 2023.
• Mathematics for the Nonmathematician (used print or digital is ok)
  • This text will be used to learn some of the related history and philosophy of the concepts covered. Provides students with interesting and challenging problems.
• Digital tablet. Choose from: Wacom Intuos, Huion, XP-Pen, or other.
• Three-ring notebook with five dividers or 5 subject spiral

• Binder Pencil Pouch with multiple sharpened pencils, erasers 

• Calculator: A scientific calculator will suffice examples: TI, Sharp, other. We will use desmos for periodic graphing calculator needs. Desmos is the calculator embedded in the future digital only SAT. If you want to purchase a graphing calculator, then the TI-84 Plus CE is recommended. 
• Notebook Paper and Graph paper 
• Free web accounts: 
  • Ziteboard.com is used as a virtual classroom chalkboard
  • desmos.calculator having an account allows students to save their graphs for later use

In addition, the instructor will provide pdf files or problems from various sources.

Optional Materials:

• Paper versions of the digital textbook (this would be in addition to the digital text, not instead of):  
  • Used from Amazon: Textbook Volume 1 and Textbook Volume 2
  • From the publisher (order 6 weeks early): Textbook Vol 1 and Textbook Vol 2. 

Sections with Mr. Vaporis

• There is no textbook for this course. Assignments and notes will be given as handouts
  • Routine access to a printer and three-hole puncher to print additional resources wherever necessary and place them appropriately within the students binder
• A means of producing clearly-legible scans (All assignments will be completed on paper by hand, scanned, and uploaded)
• A 1 ½ – 2 inch binder to house all class materials/handouts
• Loose-leaf paper for note-taking, homework, etc. (Due to the volume of handouts, I would recommend the combination of a binder and loose-leaf paper over a notebook for the sake of organization.)
• Routine access to a printer and three-hole puncher to print additional resources wherever necessary and place them appropriately within the students binder
• Wacom Intuos Tablet, or a similar product, for working on problems during class

To facilitate class participation and collaboration, Schole Math students are asked to register for a free account with the virtual whiteboard tool Ziteboard. This virtual whiteboard is used for classroom group work, classwork, quizzes, and some homework assignments. This app enables students to use their digital tablet and pen to write on the shared whiteboard.

*Required materials are not included in the purchase of the course.

Dr. Fransell Riley, Chair of Math Department spent most of her career working as a quantitative analyst. She earned her PhD in mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlington with every intention of remaining in corporate America. Though she enjoyed her work, she ultimately responded to an internal call to pursue a passion for educating students, including her own children. Fransell has taught math and science to students of all ages from elementary school to college. While teaching, she noticed that her natural teaching style aligned almost perfectly with the concepts of classical education. She takes a holistic approach to teaching and involves her students in discussions aimed at developing a deeper understanding of the concept being taught with the desire that student learning extend beyond memorizing algorithms. Fransell has a passion for mathematics and seeks to share that passion with the next generation. Beyond math, Fransell enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 sons. They are all athletes and nature lovers; they enjoy participating in sports, hiking, exploring nature, and traveling. When they aren’t enjoying God’s creation, you can find them indoors reading or watching reruns from the Star Trek series. friley.scholeacademy@gmail.com

Nomikos Vaporis currently holds a bachelors in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. His interest in math education began upon the realization that it was his mathematics education that provided the mental capacity and framework necessary to understand the world around him. Having done peer-to-peer tutoring work in subjects such as Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics, as well as having worked with private tutoring companies in Pre-Algebra and Algebra I, Nomikos’ experience has provided context to understand the needs of students at any point in their academic lives.

Some of Nomikos’ other interests and hobbies include: reading the Russian writers Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, learning Mandarin Chinese and Modern Greek, applied linguistics and the linguistics of second-language acquisition, Spencerian Calligraphy and Palmer Business Writing, and designing/constructing mechanical keyboards. NomikosVaporisEducation@gmail.com

Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.

High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.

Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)

Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm

Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:

1. Visit zoom.us/download.
2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.

Digital Tablet: Using a digital tablet in class allows students to more fully engage the course content by working out math problems on the digital whiteboard. We recommend using a Wacom Intuos tablet like this one, though similar products may be used.