Day 8 - Statistics and probability
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Data Talks today, as part of our learning on Statistics and Probability. The link to various useful graphs was really valuable, as I knew that I could choose the ones the students would relate to. My example today used the stats from Steph Curry's shooting stats, and for my basketball-mad, boy-heavy Year 8 class, that will be right up their alley.
I also liked the slow-release graph, where looking at the graph, and the step-by-step introduction of information, created some interesting predictions.
So what I have always just called the investigation cycle, turns out to be called by the acronym PPDAC. Who knew :)
We had a chance to explore Census at school, which I have used in the past. I checked the interactive maps, and this would definitely be an opportunity for some great 'I notice', and 'I wonder' statements. For example, the population on the West Coast dropped in 2018. This will have been directly related to the mines closing in 2017. However, the age of the students probably means they won't realise that. I think this will lead to some perfect integrated teaching moments.
My question to finish is: in our current scope and sequence, which is well overdue to be updated, we always cover statistics as a unit at the start of the year. While (in the ideal world) we aim to integrate this learning across the curriculum, do you think this is the best time of year for this focus? I see pros and cons, and it's been a question I have been pondering for a while now.
Kia Ora Sharon, it’s fantastic to hear how much you enjoyed learning about statistics today and found our resources both interesting and practical!
ReplyDeleteYour question about when to focus on statistics during the year really resonated with me. I personally think it’s important to integrate Data Talks throughout the year and across subjects, keeping data analysis fresh and linking it to different areas of learning and real world. The opportunities are endless... just as an example from my practice - last year my class was reading fables. We collected related data using Google Forms (with questions constructed by a group of students, which was a lesson on its own), then used Google Sheets to turn those responses into graphs. This sparked great discussions about choosing the right type of graph (as students could select more than one answer) and naturally led to asking critical questions and analysing data. I believe we’re all immersed in data these days, and it’s crucial to teach students how to navigate and interpret it, not just at the beginning of the year, but throughout. Great question Sharon!