The P.O.W.E.R. Learning Framework P.O.W.E.R. is a method for accomplishing any task based on five basic steps. Prepare. Organize. Work. Evaluate. Rethink. It is integrated at the section level in the Messersmith paperback series to guide students through learning math concepts. The P.O.W.E.R. framework was developed by Dr. Robert Feldman and integrated into his first year experience/student success books, POWER Learning: Strategies for Success in College and Life and POWER Learning and Your Life: Essentials of Student Success. The framework has also been integrated into Dr. Feldman’s Psychology and Your Life text and is the basis for the student success program at UMass at Amherst where he is Dean.
Connect Math hosted by ALEKS is the combination of an online homework manager with an artificial-intelligent, diagnostic assessment. Each homework problem is consistent with the problem included in the text and was hand-picked by instructors and subject matter experts. Instructors will have a platform that was designed through a comprehensive market development process involving full-time and adjunct math faculty to better meet their needs. -Instructors can deliver assignments, quizzes, and tests easily online -Students have 24/7 online access to an integrated, media-rich eBook -Online study assets are specifically tied to the textbook
Worksheets for EVERY Section of the Textbook Worksheets fall into three categories: review worksheets/basic skills, worksheets that teach new content, and worksheets to reinforce/pull together different concepts. These worksheets are a great way to both enhance instruction and to give students more tools to be successful in studying a given topic. They are ready-made materials for instructors! Perfect for adjuncts! Especially those who teach at more than one school and don’t have time to create tools for their classes. The worksheets help to standardize the level at which the course is taught. To help adjuncts keep pace with full-time instructors. *Available in Connect hosted by ALEKS and ALEKS.
Guided Student NotesThis is a silver bullet for the Messersmith series and the supplement has been enhanced and “powerized” for the softcover books. The GSNs are an amazing resource for instructors to help their students become better note-takers. They are a note-taking template containing in-class examples provided in the margin of the text along with additional examples not found in the book. Result #1? Students spend less time copying down information and more time engaging within the classroom. Result #2? Students notes are more organized and more easily accessible and understandable when studying for an exam or going back over homework.
Fun with technology! Students with iPads or other tablets can download the Guided Student Notes through the Evernote app and keep them organized digitally. Available in Connect Math hosted by ALEKS and ALEKS. Check out the new Lecture Videos for even more Guided Student Notes resources.Chapter-Opening Vignettes Each chapter opens with a real-world vignette to capture the student’s attention and engage them in the upcoming material. The openers all center around different careers where understanding math is an asset. The openers also introduce the Study Strategy for that chapter.
Study Strategy Continuing the integration of student success within the text, each chapter has a Study Strategy theme that is presented in the opening material. Themes are diverse and cover areas such as time management, strategies for taking a math test, vetting and using online resources, speaking in public and more.
Putting It All Together • Most chapters contain a Putting It All Together section. In keeping with the author’s philosophy of breaking sections into manageable chunks, Messersmith includes this section where applicable to help the student synthesize key topics before moving onto the rest of the chapter. Unlike the competition, this Putting It All Together section is not only an exercise set but also an explanation of how to distinguish between different types of problems, and therefore it tries to get students to think through solving problems as an instructor would. This is a good example of where Messersmith helps students learn how to have an internal conversation by teaching them to ask themselves the questions that instructors ask themselves.
Group Activities Group Activities are available for each chapter. These will be found either in the end of chapter material or online through Connect Math Hosted by ALEKS.