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Workshops for Math, Science Teachers Held in Boston

1 October 2014 641 views No Comment

Eighth annual Meeting Within a Meeting held in conjunction with JSM

Katherine Halvorsen, MWM Program Chair, and Rebecca Nichols, ASA Director of Education

The American Statistical Association sponsored a two-day Meeting Within a Meeting (MWM) statistics workshop for middle- and high-school mathematics and science teachers August 5–6 during the 2014 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) in Boston, Massachusetts.

This year, 18 middle-school and 30 high-school teachers, administrators, and mathematics educators attended the workshops that addressed statistical concepts taught in middle and high school. The MWM workshops emphasize the growth of statistical literacy and thinking as teachers explore problems that require them to formulate questions; collect, organize, analyze, and draw conclusions from data; and apply basic concepts of probability. Additionally, a follow-up program is planned that will help keep the teachers who attended MWM and the ASA in contact via webinars and email.

ASA President-elect David Morganstein (2015 president)

ASA President-elect David Morganstein (2015 president)

The primary goals of the MWM 2014 program were to introduce middle- and high-school math and science teachers to the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Report: A Pre-K–12 Curriculum Framework and statistical content of the Common Core Mathematics Standards (adopted by most states, including Massachusetts), as well as provide an opportunity for teachers to discuss and apply these data analysis and statistical concepts. A secondary goal was to encourage cooperation between mathematics and science teachers in the teaching of statistics.

The MWM program was designed to enhance educators’ understanding of statistics and provide them with hands-on activities they can use in their own classrooms to strengthen the teaching of statistics in their schools.

ASA President-elect Jessica Utts (2016 president)

ASA President-elect Jessica Utts (2016 president)

“One of the primary missions of the American Statistical Association is to work for the improvement of statistical education at all levels,” said Ron Wasserstein, the ASA’s executive director. “We are pleased to reach out to the K–12 mathematics and science community through the MWM workshop and follow-up activities,” he added. “MWM will not only enhance understanding and teaching of statistics concepts in the classroom, but also provide participants with a network of statisticians and educators to assist in developing the quantitative literacy of their students.”

The first MWM workshop was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2007 and focused on middle-school math and science teachers. Its success led Martha Aliaga, former ASA director of education and creator of MWM, to recommend expanding the Denver MWM workshop in 2008 to a two-day format that included separate strands for K–4, 5–8, and 9–12 teachers. MWM 2009 in Washington, DC, included parallel strands for K–4, 5–8, and 9–12 teachers on the first day with a field trip to the U.S. Census Bureau on the second day. MWM 2010 in Vancouver, BC was the first international MWM workshop jointly sponsored by the ASA and Statistical Society of Canada and included both U.S. and Canadian presenters and participants. MWM 2011 in Miami Beach, Florida, and MWM 2012 in San Diego, California, included separate workshops for middle- and high-school teachers focused on the statistics content in the Common Core State Standards. Additionally in 2012, MWM participants could choose to attend the International Census at School workshop for two days after MWM. In 2013, MWM was held after JSM at the ASA office in Alexandria, Virginia.

MWM attendees from JSM in Boston, Massachusetts

MWM attendees from JSM in Boston, Massachusetts

Each workshop day of MWM 2014 consisted of three sessions and a closing period used to reflect on the day’s work and provide comments about the program to the organizers. The workshop sessions were preceded by an overview of the GAISE report and Common Core standards relevant to the audience.

Middle-school teachers attended the workshop sessions on both Tuesday and Wednesday and participated in discussions about formulating statistical questions, univariate analysis of measurement data focusing on measures of center and spread, using random sampling, bivariate measurement data analysis and categorical data analysis, and investigating patterns in data.

The three sessions in the high-school program on Tuesday included discussions about statistical questions and study design, displaying and summarizing categorical and quantitative data, and using randomization tests to make inferences and justify conclusions. High-school teachers were given the option on Wednesday to attend the second day of the middle-school workshop (to see what should be taught before students reach high school) or attend statistics education sessions at the Joint Statistical Meetings. Some also attended the Beyond AP Statistics (BAPS) Workshop, which was held in conjunction with JSM on August 6.

MWM program chair Katherine Halvorsen planned the program, while ASA Director of Education Rebecca Nichols managed the website, registration and evaluation procedures, and logistics of setting up and advertising the conference. Also, Sharon Hessney and the Boston Chapter helped spread the word among Massachusetts educators.

MWM 2014 presenters included former ASA/NCTM Joint Committee chair Jerry Moreno (John Carroll University), past committee chair Patrick Hopfensperger (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), GAISE report author and ASA/NCTM committee member Chris Franklin (University of Georgia), ASA/NCTM committee member Robert Gould (University of California at Los Angeles), and Halvorsen (Smith College). Additionally, ASA President Nat Schenker, ASA President-elect David Morganstein (2015 president), ASA President-elect Jessica Utts (2016 president), ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein, and members of the Boston Chapter welcomed the attendees.

All teachers attending MWM were given a certificate of participation issued by the ASA and are eligible for one semester graduate credit hour through Adams State University. The ASA and Washington Statistical Society will provide follow-up activities throughout the 2014–2015 school year, including webinars that will continue to be archived.

The 2015 MWM will be held in conjunction with JSM in Seattle, Washington. Do you know K–12 mathematics or science teachers who are interested in enhancing their understanding and teaching of statistics within their mathematics and science curriculum? Encourage them to register for the 2015 workshop.

For more information, visit the MWM website or contact Nichols at rebecca@amstat.org.

Editor’s Note: Monsanto generously sponsored half of the registration fee for the first 40 teachers to register for the workshop. We appreciate their support to help the teachers attend the workshop.

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