Becoming
a Teacher of Statistics
Portfolio
by
Susan
Sexton
Probability and Statistics for Secondary
Teachers
STAT 6070
University of Georgia
Fall 2007
Instructor: Christine Franklin
Name: Activities for Calc-Based Statistics Classes
URL: http://www.mathspace.com/NSF_ProbStat/Teaching_Materials/Primarily_Statistics.htm
Purpose of the Site:
ÒBelow is a table of activities
along with their descriptions. These activities were used in Dr.Rowell's
Fall 2002 and/or Spring 2003 Calculus-Based Statistics courses at Middle
Tennessee State University.Ó
Analysis of
Site:
This site contains a variety of statistical and probabilistic activities, handouts (generally in Word format), and lesson plans (with stated goals and purposes) that are ready to be downloaded and used. Along with the statistical activities and handouts there are also instructions (ÒintroductionsÓ) on how to use statistical options in software packages such as Excel or Minitab. It is a site that is open to be used by any statistics instructor with the one condition that the Òcopyright information [be] kept intact.Ó The site is clearly labeled with the topic and type of each activity, what type of software is expected to be used for each activity, and whether or not the author/creator actually used the activity with her students.
Since the site contains activities used in a college level calculus-based statistics course, it has many activities that require Minitab. That could be a disadvantage for the statistics teacher that does not have access to the software. However, most secondary schools that offer statistics courses should have access to some type of technology (e.g. graphing calculators). Therefore a statistics teacher who does not use Minitab may have to alter the activity to integrate other technology that the teacher may use. The other weakness of the site is that the activities are geared towards a calculus based statistics course. Again, however, an innovative and creative secondary statistics teacher should be able to alter the activities or lessons if his/her class is not calculus based.
Since the links are in Word format if an instructor would like to alter an activity, it can easily be done without having to either photocopy, cut, and paste, or retype the entire document and inserting or omitting what is deemed necessary. A Word document allows ease of facilitation to cut and paste material as desired. One other strength of the site is the detail in which each activity or lesson plan contains. One has a sense of the direction and motivation of each activity or lesson plan given the amount of detail provided. Furthermore, each activity or lesson plan is clearly labeled with the targeted topic and goal. Knowing the topic to be covered will help in lesson planning throughout the year.
As a teacher, as I make my year long curriculum plan, I anticipate frequently visiting this website and downloading activities, lesson plans, and handouts as necessary. If I do not have access to Minitab, I also anticipate altering those activities that use Minitab, with directions for using the graphing calculator. For example, I would use the Random Babies activity to do a simulation by hand activity with the students. The goals and objectives are clearly stated on the activity. They include the exploration of Òthe meaning of probability and equally likely outcomes again through physical and computer simulations.Ó I would create a handout for the students based on the activity (cutting and pasting as necessary) and use the dialogue in the handout as a prompt for discussion with my students. Since the second half of the activity is based on exploring and getting to know Minitab within the context of this activity, I would alter that activity to do a simulation with the graphing calculator (if Minitab is not available at my school).
As
with all great sites, this site contains a link to the authorÕs main home page
which has even more links; one of particular interest is a link to a ÒTutorials
and Lab ActivitiesÓ site where the statistics teacher could find even more
resources!