1. Setting the Stage Opportunities and Challenges Roxy Peck Chris Franklin

2. MWM 20072 Consider the map of counties shown below. The number in each county is last month’s incidence rate for a disease in cases per 100,000 population. (Dick Schaeffer, 2005)

3. MWM 20073 Statistical Versus Mathematical Thinking Mathematical Thinking  Explain patterns  Often a deterministic way of thinking Statistical Thinking  Search for patterns in the presence of variability  Acknowledge role of chance variation

4. MWM 20074 Statistical Thinking Statistical thinking is HARD! Needs to be developed and nurtured over time, much like mathematical thinking Is a skill that is critical to making informed decisions based on empirical evidence

5. The Challenge… Changing role of statistics in the K-12 curriculum Moving from “another year, another graph” curriculum to a curriculum that is focused on developing statistical thinking and the ability to communicate statistical ideas

6. The Opportunity Nurturing and Developing Statistical Thinking  Integration of new topics and concepts  Recognition that reasoning matures over time and requires a developmental approach