teaching

As of Spring 2010, I am no longer maintaining this wiki. Please see my web page located at http://oz.plymouth.edu/~dcernst. However, feel free to poke around as there are a few things located here that are not located on my web page.

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Welcome to Dana Ernst's Teaching Wiki. This wiki is primarily designed for my students, but if you somehow found your way here, feel free to poke around. You may also be interested in my web page.

About

My name is Dana Ernst and I am an assistant professor in the Mathematics Department at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH. I am very passionate about mathematics education. Recently, I have become interested in inquiry-based learning and the Moore method for teaching mathematics. This educational paradigm has transformed my teaching.

I am also interested in utilizing technology to enhance the learning of mathematics. In particular, I choose free and open-source software and technologies when appropriate. For example, I have been incorporating Sage and Lurch into my teaching. Sage is a free open-source mathematics software system licensed under the GPL. It combines the power of many existing open-source packages into a common Python-based interface. Lurch is open-source mathematics validation software with the ability to check the steps of your work in many areas of mathematics, from calculus to logic. I also make use of wikis for some of my courses to enhance collaboration and to introduce students to LaTeX. For a recent example of one of my course wikis, go here.

In addition to using free and open-source software, I am inspired by the recent open-source textbook movement and I strongly believe that educators should choose free, open-source, or low cost textbooks when a viable alternative exists. For a selection of free and/or open-source textbooks, go here.

Lastly, I am an avid cyclist and rock climber and also enjoy hikes with the family and drinking copious amounts of coffee.

For more information about me, including my research interests, see my other wiki.

What is a wiki?

What is a wiki, you ask? According to Wikipedia, the world's largest wiki site:

A Wiki ([ˈwiː.kiː] <wee-kee> or [ˈwɪ.kiː] <wick-ey>) is a type of website that allows users to add, remove, or otherwise edit and change most content very quickly and easily.

As a part of the Wikidot.com network, this site is a customizable piece of the internet where users can edit content, upload files, communicate and collaborate.

Old Courses

Here is a list of previous courses (with web pages) that I have taught since 2005.

Fall 2010
Introduction to Formal Mathematics MA2000 Plymouth State University
Calculus I MA2550 Plymouth State University
Introduction to Analysis MA4510 Plymouth State University
Spring 2010
Calculus I MA2560 Plymouth State University
Algebraic Structures MA4110 Plymouth State University
Fall 2009
Calculus I MA2550 Plymouth State University
Calculus II MA2560 Plymouth State University
Logic, Proof, & Axiomatic Systems MA3110 Plymouth State University
Summer 2009
Visual Group Theory MG5860 Plymouth State University
Spring 2009
Calculus I MA2550 Plymouth State University
Calculus II MA2560 Plymouth State University
Logic, Proof, & Axiomatic Systems MA3110 Plymouth State University
Fall 2008
Calculus I MA2550 Plymouth State University
Logic, Proof, & Axiomatic Systems MA3110 Plymouth State University
Spring 2008
Calculus I Math 1300 University of Colorado
Fall 2007
Calculus II Math 2300 University of Colorado
Spring 2007
Linear Algebra Math 3130 University of Colorado
Math Teacher Training Math 5905 University of Colorado
Fall 2006
Calculus I Math 1300 University of Colorado
Fall 2005
Calculus II Math 2300 University of Colorado
Summer 2005
Precalculus Math 1150 University of Colorado
Spring 2005
Calculus I Math 1300 University of Colorado