Basic Probability And Statistics For Elementary School Teachers With Computer Applications

A textbook introducing the basic principles of statistics and probability and their application in such fields as education, industry, and economics.

Do you avoid teaching probability and statistics because the subjects seem confusing and complex? Are you less than sure about your knowledge of the topics? Let Chances Are . . . take you and your students on a fun and exciting mathematical journey none of you will ever forget! Filled with easy-to-understand explanations and creative activities, this book offers teachers a simple method for teaching probability and statistics in an enjoyable way. This book can serve as an introduction for any beginner, from gifted and advanced students in upper elementary school, to high school students needing enrichment or preparation for Advanced Placement Statistics or future college courses. From helping to win a card game, to making life-or-death medical decisions, the uses of probability and statistics are virtually endless. For teachers of elementary students, the book offers simple, hands-on lessons and activities about probability and basic statistics. For teachers of older students, advanced statistical concepts are discussed and activities are provided. Reviewers have found the book's level to be appropriate for a wide range of ages, from fourth graders to post-secondary students.

Exploring Probability in School provides a new perspective into research on the teaching and learning of probability. It creates this perspective by recognizing and analysing the special challenges faced by teachers and learners in contemporary classrooms where probability has recently become a mainstream part of the curriculum from early childhood through high school. The authors of the book discuss the nature of probability, look at the meaning of probabilistic literacy, and examine student access to powerful ideas in probability during the elementary, middle, and high school years. Moreover, they assemble and analyse research-based pedagogical knowledge for teachers that can enhance the learning of probability throughout these school years. With the book’s rich application of probability research to classroom practice, it will not only be essential reading for researchers and graduate students involved in probability education; it will also capture the interest of educational policy makers, curriculum personnel, teacher educators, and teachers.

This book has been written to fIll a substantial gap in the current literature in mathemat ical education. Throughout the world, school mathematical curricula have incorporated probability and statistics as new topics. There have been many research papers written on specifIc aspects of teaching, presenting novel and unusual approaches to introducing ideas in the classroom; however, there has been no book giving an overview. Here we have decided to focus on probability, making reference to inferential statistics where appropriate; we have deliberately avoided descriptive statistics as it is a separate area and would have made ideas less coherent and the book excessively long. A general lead has been taken from the fIrst book in this series written by the man who, probably more than everyone else, has established mathematical education as an aca demic discipline. However, in his exposition of didactical phenomenology, Freudenthal does not analyze probability. Thus, in this book, we show how probability is able to organize the world of chance and idealized chance phenomena based on its development and applications. In preparing these chapters we and our co-authors have reflected on our own acquisition of probabilistic ideas, analyzed textbooks, and observed and reflect ed upon the learning processes involved when children and adults struggle to acquire the relevant concepts.

Statistics and Probability with Applications, Third Edition is the only introductory statistics text written by high school teachers for high school teachers and students. Daren Starnes, Josh Tabor, and the extended team of contributors bring their in-depth understanding of statistics and the challenges faced by high school students and teachers to development of the text and its accompanying suite of print and interactive resources for learning and instruction. A complete re-envisioning of the authors’ Statistics Through Applications, this new text covers the core content for the course in a series of brief, manageable lessons, making it easy for students and teachers to stay on pace. Throughout, new pedagogical tools and lively real-life examples help captivate students and prepare them to use statistics in college courses and in any career.