We are excited to share this issue of Statistics Teacher! We realize many of you are finishing the spring semester, beginning to plan for next semester, and getting in a bit of relaxation and reflection time. We hope you are inspired and find ideas in this issue you can consider implementing now or in the future.
This issue includes one article, one lesson plan, and three highlights from the ASA-NCTM Joint Committee on K–12 Education in Statistics and Probability.
In the article, “How MAD Must We Be? A Robust Test for Identifying Meaningful Differences Using the Mean Absolute Deviation,” authors Jon Hasenbank and John Appiah Kubi of Grand Valley State University demonstrate how the mean absolute deviation can be used to determine whether a difference is meaningful in relation to measuring variability.
The issue also includes three featured resources from the ASA-NCTM Joint Committee in areas of interest to those in statistics and data science education. First, “Preparing Pre-K–12 Teachers to Teach Statistics” provides publications and workshops the ASA-NCTM Joint Committee supports. Second, “Penguins in the Classroom: An Example Data Set” introduces the Palmer Penguins data set, which provides a real-world example and can bring ecological research to the classroom. Finally, “Authentic Data for Teaching Statistics and Data Science: Easy Access in CODAP” describes CODAP and how to use it as a resource for analyzing data and accessing real data.
In the lesson plan section is a lesson geared toward high school students called “Human vs. Machine: Unveiling Randomness with Data Visualization and Stats.” The lesson focuses on the concept of randomness and how human decision-making contrasts with computer-generated choices.
We continue to enjoy this statistical journey with everyone!
Trena L. Wilkerson
Statistics Teacher Article Co-Editor
Baylor University
Jennifer L. Green
Statistics Teacher Article Co-Editor
Michigan State University
Charlotte A. Bolch
Statistics Teacher Lesson Plan Co-Editor
Midwestern University
Catherine Case
Statistics Teacher Lesson Plan Co-Editor
University of Georgia