Jon Pace

Mathematics

MS Environmental Systems

MATH-5 Contemporary Mathematics
MATH-15 Intro to Statistics
MATH-25 College Trigonometry
MATH-30 College Algebra
MATH-50A Differential Calculus

I graduated with a Master's Degree in Environmental Systems with an emphasis on Mathematics Modeling. I've been teaching a CR since 2009 and have also taught periodically at Humboldt State University.

Mathematics is one way we can better understand the world we live in. Our world is full of complicated systems that are constantly changing, and modeling these systems with mathematics provides us with insight into how the system works and how our interactions with the systems may affect both the system and ourselves.

Learning is an active process. Only through doing will folks truly understand how to apply a process. This can sometimes be a frustrating and uncomfortable experience; however, this struggle is the key that unlocks understanding.

My advice to a student who wants to be successful is to try to develop persistence. A fundamental process in learning is making mistakes, struggling to identify where these mistakes happened, determining the underlying cause of these mistakes, and then applying this knowledge through practice to develop a robust problem solving skill set. This process takes time, patience, and persistence.

My favorite part of teaching is interacting with my students and experiencing their productive struggle evolve into understanding and I find that College or the Redwoods students are the hardest working and most passionate students I've shared the learning experience with.