Month: August 2017

Getting Started with WeBWorK

WeBWorK is accessible from on and off campus (anywhere you have access to the internet).  Your first WeBWorK assignment is due on Tuesday, September 5th, at midnight, and will cover the material from the second day of class.  Here’s what you have to do:

Assignment.  To get started , you must complete the following three steps.

Step 1.  Log in to WeBWorK here: http://mathww.citytech.cuny.edu/webwork2/MAT2071-F17-Reitz.  I have created Usernames and Passwords for each student registered for my class.

Username.  Your username for WeBWorK consists of your first initial plus your last name, all lowercase (for example, John Smith would have username ‘jsmith’).

Password.  Your temporary password is the same as your username (if your username is ‘jsmith’, your password is currently ‘jsmith’).

Step 2.  Change your password and update your email address.  To do this, select “Password/Email” from the main menu on the left.  Use whatever email address you like (I suggest using one that you check often).

Step 3.  Complete the first two assignments, titled Assignment1-Sec1.2-1.3 and Assignment2-Sec1.4-1.7. Click on an assignment on the main screen to get started.

If you have any trouble – either with logging in, or with completing the assignment, post a comment here or send me an email and I will get back to you.

WeBWorK Tips:

  1. Click on a problem to see the details (the list of problems appears in the menu on the left).  Enter an answer and hit “Submit Answers”.  Don’t worry, if you get it wrong you can try it again.
  2. You can work on the problems in any order you wish.  You can do some problems now, and come back and do the rest another day (your work will be saved, as long as you submit your answers).
  3. If you want to print out a copy of the assignment, click on the assignment name in the main menu on the left, and then click the link in the main screen area that reads “Download a hardcopy of this homework set.”

Week 1 Assignments

Hi everyone,

Your first homework assignment consists of some problems from the book, as well as a WeBWorK assignment – these are due on Tuesday (written work must be handed in in class, WeBWorK must be completed online by the end of the day).  Your first OpenLab Assignment is due on Thursday.

Welcome back,
Prof. Reitz

Week 1 Assignments
Written work  due Tuesday September 5th –  Sec 1.1 p.7: 1, 12, 19, 26, 29, 35
NOTE: On this assignment, odd problems are worth 2 points and even problems worth 4 points.
WeBWorK – WeBWorK 1, due Tuesday September 5th at midnight
OpenLab – Register for the OpenLab and join this course (instructions provided in a separate post).  “OpenLab #1: Advice from the Past” due Thursday September 7.

OpenLab #1: Advice from the Past

For the past two years I have taught this same course in the Fall semester.   At the end of each course, I give my students the following assignment:

Imagine that you are invited to speak on the first day of MAT 2071, to give advice to entering students.  Write at least three sentences … describing what you would tell them.

To see the assignment and the students’ responses, follow this link for Fall 2016 and this link for Fall 2015.

Your assignment, due at the beginning of class next Thursday, September 7th, is to:

  1. Read through ALL the responses (there are 32 of them altogether).
  2. Write a reply to this post (1 paragraph) responding to all of the following:
    1. What advice seemed most relevant to you personally? Why? (you can copy/paste a short statement, or put it in your own words)
    2. Based on this advice, what changes can you make right now to help you succeed in this course?

Extra Credit. For extra credit, write a response to one of your classmates’ comments.  Do you have any advice?  Be kind.