EDUCATION
CAUSE to Host Pre-JMM Workshops
T
he Consortium for the Advancement of
Undergraduate Statistics Education (CAUSE)
will host two pre-conference workshops on
January 12, the day before the opening of the MAA-
AMS Joint Mathematics Meetings 2010 in San
Francisco. There is no registration fee to attend the
workshops, but advance registration is required.
Geared specifically toward instructors new to
teaching introductory statistics courses, Carolyn
Cuff of Westminster College and Michael Posner
of Villanova University will present “Teaching
Introductory Statistics.” This workshop will con-
sider the implementation of the ASA-endorsed
Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics
Participants take part in the “Become a Catalyst for Change in statistics
Education (GAISE) Report: A Pre-K–12 Curriculum
Education” workshop, held before usCOTs in June of 2009. This workshop
Framework (see www.amstat.org/education/gaise), will be offered again before the 2010 Joint Mathematics Meetings in san
focusing on three questions: What are the big ideas Francisco, California.
of statistics? How can those big ideas be communi-
cated to students? What are effective evaluation and
assessment tools?
involved in statistics education–related conferences,
“Teaching Introductory Statistics” will begin
newsletters, and groups.
to answer those questions by considering ways to
Another workshop, “Become a Catalyst for
engage students in statistical literacy and thinking,
Change in Statistics Education,” will be presented
and the contrast between conceptual and procedural
by Joan Garfield, Bob delMas, and Andy Zieffler
understanding will be explained using examples. For
of the University of Minnesota with Allan Rossman
most of the workshop, participants will engage in
and Beth Chance of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. This
many of the classic activities all statistics instructors
workshop will feature materials developed by the
should know. Different types of available technolo-
National Science Foundation–funded CATALST
gy and choices of texts will be explored and Internet
project. Working toward change in both content
sources of real data, activities, and best practices will
and pedagogy of the introductory, noncalculus-
be examined. Participants will find out how they can
based statistics course, the materials to be shared
continue to answer the three questions by becoming
were designed to help students achieve the learning
goals listed in the GAISE report.
The presenters have developed sets of hands-on
activities that form units based on a particular real-
CAusE activists Danny Kaplan and Victor
world problem (e.g., how to develop a SPAM filter
Addona of Macalester College were recently
for email) and the related statistical ideas that emerge
selected by the Mathematical Association
from this type of problem. The problems, called
of America to present “Remodeling Data
“model-eliciting activities,” are complex, open-ended
Analysis” during the Joint Mathematics
problems that stimulate statistical thinking; engage
Meetings. This hands-on mini-course will students in creating, developing, and testing unique
complement and build on math majors’ models; and prepare students to learn the statistical
aptitudes, reinforcing an understanding of
content that follows. The CATALST materials focus
linear algebra while providing advanced
on important ideas of statistical inference and the
applied statistical skills. In the course,
use of simulation.
statistical methodology will be built from
If you are attending the Joint Mathematics
first principles, without requiring previous
Meetings, consider arriving a day early and taking
course work in statistics. Modeling,
advantage of these registration-free professional
development opportunities. For additional infor-
computation (using R), and simulation will
mation and to register for these workshops, visit
be used extensively. Registration is available
www.causeweb.org/workshop. n
at www.ams.org/amsmtgs/2124_reg.html.
OCTObER 2009 AMsTAT NEWs 53
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100