Welcome to the website for my distance learning Elementary Algebra course.
(I suggest you bookmark this page)
I may make some minor changes to these pages between now and the first day of class, but there shouldn't be any major changes made to the structure of the course.
IMPORTANT WARNING: We are using a newer edition of the textbook/software for the course this semester than most classes used last spring. If you purchased the software/textbook last spring or summer, you will not need to buy a new book, however. Please contact me if you bought the PLATO or Academic Systems version of this book last summer or spring and I will give you specific instructions. (If you bought the book last fall, I'm afraid you're out of luck; you will have to buy it again.)
Otherwise, you must buy a new version of the textbook at one of the ACC bookstores. The correct edition of the book looks like this (click for larger picturfe):
Special Notice: Since this is a 12 week course (rather than the usual 16 weeks), things will move very fast during the semester. As a result, I will be very strict about deadlines and keeping up with the software work; there just isn't time for you to fall behind or "take a break" after the tests. (There is a test every 2 to 3 weeks.) It is also particularly important that you check into Blackboard every couple of days for announcements and check your email at least that often, to make sure you don't miss anything important. If you are falling behind, I will give you a one-time warning (by email), but if you don't respond or if I don't see clear evidence that you are making serious progress on catching up, I will have to drop you from the course. If you do run into trouble and find yourself getting behind (or have some emergency come up), you need to contact me right away to discuss your situation and plan what you need to do. If you don't really have a lot of time to devote to the course during the 12 week semester, then you should not sign up for this course.
Start by reading these and following the instructions. Come back here and check the other links later to find where things are.
If you have other questions or concerns not covered in the pages above, please feel free to email me.