Academic Departments
Mathematics
athematics is sometimes defined as a tool that helps order one’s surroundings. Today’s Emma Willard student will spend her adult life in a world influenced by technology and quantitative methods. For this reason, every Emma Willard student is asked to focus on mathematics as a tool for problem solving.
To prepare our students for mathematics at any college or university, we teach with a variety of pedagogical methods. In her mathematics career at Emma, a student is exposed to traditional algebraic methods, problem-solving methods, and methods that take advantage of current technologies, such as the graphing calculator, the computer program Geometer's Sketchpad®, and, at the higher levels, the symbolic language computer program Maple®. As the Emma Willard student progresses through the mathematics curriculum, she learns to do more sophisticated work with technology. However, while technology is used extensively, the mathematics department also aims to develop students’ independent problem-solving skills. Teachers frequently make connections between mathematics and its applications in other areas. It is a goal of the mathematics department to increase students' proficiency and confidence in all areas of mathematics.
It is increasingly important to prepare students for the study of both calculus and statistics, as many students need both for studies at the college level. For this reason, Advanced Mathematics is offered at the fourth-year level. This unique course covers topics in both pre-calculus and pre-statistics mathematics (see course description). After completion of Advanced Mathematics, juniors and/or sophomores are recommended by the department for one of the fifth-level electives, including Calculus (M-500), AP Statistics (M-540), AP Calculus AB (M-550), and AP Calculus BC (M-560). Advanced students also have the opportunity to take mathematics courses at nearby Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or pursue independent work in a practicum. In addition, students have the opportunity to participate in the New York Mathematics League.
Independent Problem-Solving Skills at the Fifth-year Level: By the time a student studies at the fifth-year level in mathematics, she should be an independent, self-sufficient learner. She needs to be able to employ many abstract theoretical concepts for success in these courses. A capacity for individual work and a high level of self motivation are expected in and out of the classroom. Each of our fifth-year level courses is comparable to a college course.
Placement: Upon enrollment, new students receive a mathematics test to determine placement.
