Introductory Algebra: Everyday Explorations

Kaseberg/Cripe/Wildman's respected INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA is known for an informal, interactive style that makes algebra more accessible to students while maintaining a high level of mathematical accuracy. This new edition introduces two new co-authors, Greg Cripe and Peter Wildman. The three authors have created a new textbook that introduces new pedagogy to teach students how to be better prepared to succeed in math and then life by strengthening their ability to solve critical-thinking problems. This text's popularity is attributable to the author's use of guided discovery, explorations, and problem solving, all of which help students learn new concepts and strengthen their skill retention.

Alice Kaseberg combines 30 years of secondary school and community college teaching experience with an avid mathematical curiosity, constantly seeking to answer the commonly asked question, "What is mathematics good for?" Her BA in Business Administration, MA in Mathematics, and MS in Engineering Science reflect her keen interest in academics and mathematics applications. She began her career as a teacher in Australia. Then, as a junior high teacher, she class-tested materials from the Mathematics Resource Project, Lane County Math Project, School Mathematics Project (of Great Britain), and Bob Wirtz's Drill and Practice at the Problem Solving Level. Her mentors were early advocates of the discovery approach, laboratory activities, and membership/involvement in professional organizations. Kaseberg has always reached out to mathematics students in a variety of situations. She was a high school teacher for the hearing impaired, where she taught contrasting classes such as Advanced Placement Calculus and remedial mathematics. Always eager to take on new projects, she organized weekly problem-solving activities for the entire department. As a community college teacher (15 years), she has taught a range of courses from Beginning Algebra through Calculus, as well as Strength of Materials and Statics in Engineering. While on sabbatical from teaching, she worked 15 months for the EQUALS Project, Berkeley, CA, writing Odds-on-You and coauthoring the EQUALS Handbook. In addition to her teaching at the school and community college level, she has developed and presented numerous workshops on mathematics applications, content strategies, problem solving, art and math, and teaching strategies. Group work and intense participation by attendees characterize her workshops and her classroom. Her goal in writing textbooks is to help students succeed in mathematics, learn how to learn, and become actively aware of the mathematics in their daily lives.

Greg Cripe has been an instructor of mathematics for 10 years at Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane, WA. He has a wide variety of interests and teaching experiences. He has a performance degree in music and a B.S. in mathematics from Indiana University. While there, he also taught music lessons and set painting techniques. He taught high school mathematics while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Swaziland. He then received an M.S. in mathematics from Eastern Washington University. He later went on to receive an M.A. in computer science and a Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the University of Montana. He was a visiting professor at Montana before taking his current position in Spokane.

Peter Wildman is an instructor of mathematics at Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane, WA. Prior to teaching at Spokane Falls, he taught at Casper College in Casper, WY for 16 years. He has been actively involved with mathematics at a national level. He is an active member of AMATYC, where he has served as Central Region Vice-President and as editor of the AMATYC journal MATHAMATYC EDUCATOR. He has also been active in a number of mathematics reform initiatives at a regional and national level. Wildman has a great interest in finding and adopting authentic applications of mathematics to the classroom. He has worked as an author for a number of projects that focus on generating real-life applications, such as the Wyoming Real Life Mathematics Project, NASA--AMATYC--NSF Year I and II, and the math works project. Wildman has been fortunate to win a number of local and national teaching awards including the Phi Theta Kappa Teacher of the Year, The Rosenthal Outstanding Educator Award at Casper College, the AMATYC Teaching Excellence Award, and the NISOD Excellence Award. In his spare time Wildman writes and performs math songs and plays that are usually centered on mathematical history. Some of his recent plays include C.F. GAUSS EXPLAINS IT ALL TO YOU, Leonhard Euler--mathematical idol, and SIMONE POISSON'S EXCELLENT MATHEMATICAL DAY.