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I. Basic Algebra: One Step at a Time
Intermediate Algebra: One Step at a Time
College Algebra: One Step at a Time
Early in my teaching career in Florida community colleges, I became dissatisfied with traditional textbooks, thinking that there must be a BETTER way to teach math. After many years, it seemed that concepts should be introduced ONE STEP at a TIME, beginning with a simple explanation, with a few examples, in a worktext format in which students would be encouraged to SHOW ALL WORK. After repetition and PRACTICE on these concepts, students should then advance to more difficult concepts, one at a time, continuing to show all work. Thus, I wrote three levels of algebra, which you will find on this website. These will be useful in college and high school classes, as well as homeschool and independent study: "Basic, Intermediate, and College Algebra: One Step at a Time," presented on this website “one section at a time.” I was successful teaching with these books in my own classes for many years. Frequently students who had unsuccessfully attempted algebra, and especially College Algebra, several times with traditional textbooks, not only succeeded but became some of my BEST students.
II. Math in Living Color:
After teaching for a few years, I realized that teaching with COLOR, instead of white chalk on a blackboard or black markers on a whiteboard, enabled me to illustrate similarities and contrast different concepts with colors. My students responded with increased attention spans and registration in my classes. Students LOVE to see teaching in COLOR! Math was SO much easier to understand! During the last two years of my career before my retirement, I asked students to send me their questions from the ONE STEP curriculum. I posted solutions to these questions on my website on the “Math in Living Color” pages. Guess what? These solutions are still there, and more--in COLOR! Please see my “Math in Living Color” pages for solutions to the frequently asked questions from my ONE STEP curriculum. Hence the name of this website: MathInLivingColor.com.
III. Practice Tests
In my teaching career, I believed it was important to allow students to keep their completed exams. I also believed that in preparing for an exam, it was important that students have two practice exams with detailed solutions. The first practice exam was to show students what concepts will be required of them as they prepare for the exam. The second practice exam was for students to take the night before the exam to make sure they are ready for it. When I gave an exam and returned the exams in the next class, I didn’t want to spend an hour going over an exam with explanations that nobody really wanted to see. So, I prepared a detailed solution sheet that I handed out to the class. This allowed me to answer questions to the exam in about 5 minutes. This tradition also provided me with about 300 PRACTICE TESTS to post on this website, for the entire curriculum from PREALGEBRA to CALCULUS and DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS (including Geometry, Probability, Introduction to Statistics, Logic, Logarithms, and Trigonometry).
IV. Videos (Dr. Rapalje, 1993)
There are also a few videos of me teaching select topics in Basic, Intermediate, and College Algebra. Notice how YOUNG I looked. I still have and wear most of the shirts that I was wearing in these videos!
V. Handouts and Learning Supplements
In my teaching of most classes, I usually wrote and distributed HANDOUTS and LEARNING SUPPLEMENTS. Many of these handouts are available on this website. When I find more handouts in my files, I will add them also.
VI. Succeeding in Math
I enjoyed a blessed career in which I measured my own success by the success of my students. Please see the section on this website called SUCCEEDING IN MATH, which includes topics “How to Study and Succeed in Math”, “Overcoming Math Anxiety”, “Test Taking Skills”, and “Attitude and Personality Type.”
VII. Dahlia Pictures
Perhaps you will notice that these math pages are decorated with pictures of DAHLIAS. For more information and pictures, please see the DAHLIA pages on this website.
VIII. Favorite Bible Verses
Now that I am retired, it’s time to focus on IMPORTANT things, especially when we face the problems and uncertainty of life and death. I’ve included my favorite BIBLE VERSES. In my opinion, the MOST IMPORTANT PAGE on this entire website is the Apologetics Page, also called Evidence for the Faith.
