"We do statistics every day, all the time, but generally are not even aware of it."
INTRODUCING MYSELF
Over forty years ago I began a textbook by saying: “I have long been aware of the difficulty that many students, as well as generally educated people, have in understanding the very basic principles that underly the broad field of statistics. It is to this large audience that I address this text, with the hope of providing them with an opportunity to gain some insight into this challenging subject.” In my introduction to that book I continued with the following: "You are about to embark upon the study of one of the most widely misunderstood and misused subjects known to man - statistics. It is a topic that seems to rank number one in its ability to frighten away or turn off more prospective students than virtually any other college subject. And yet, in ignorance, it is worshiped by these same individuals. Statistics, whatever they are, are quoted continuously as proving this thing or that thing or something else. And of course, if statistics say so, it must be so. “ Those were my comments to launch a thought process. Certainly, there was and continues to be much more to say. Unfortunately, in the years since nothing much has changed except perhaps that there exists an ever greater awareness of both the prevalence of this important subject in our everyday lives, as well as the fear and misuse of it all around us. For virtually all of my professional life I have been a teacher of statistics and a mentor for the understanding of this all too often dreaded subject. I have been fortunate to have been able to engage in a wide range of fields, often a result of my work as a statistician. I try to walk in the shoes of others and have come to believe that we are all statisticians in some way. I argue that this is the true mathematical or quantitative intelligence we maintain. I had been fortunate to have had the opportunity to be at the beginning of the Community College movement in New Jersey in the mid 1960’s and it was in that environment that I came to be a pioneer in the early computer efforts, organized technology programs that tried to span the capabilities and skill sets from entry level workers to future engineers, and struggled with the way we have often failed in our ways of delivering mathematical skills to that wide range of students. I recently began to consider preparing a memoir and compiling the many thoughts and experiences I have had over those years. I revisited an old website I had abandoned at the start of this millennium. So, realizing that there is a new way of potentially sharing with a truly wide audience I have started to rewrite and collect my ideas. I should also note that although I had retired from the college a number of years ago, I have now become re-engaged with many of the prior efforts I had pursued and suddenly was honored to be invited to teach at Columbia University. Thus you will also see references to my consulting and training work which helps keep me abreast of some of the ongoing areas I have real technical interests in. |
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We all must become Educated Consumers, Users, and Doers of Statistics in our everyday lives.
To help achieve this I share my thoughts and work through a collection of efforts I have been involved with over the years. I have started by trying to organize these ideas into several themes that I have tried to briefly describe below. These are certainly not all there is and we may have different ways of approaching the topics. With that in mind, and considering that there is much overlap in these sections, I will try to build other ways to combine, reorganize, add to, and re-examine these topics. I welcome others to begin a dialogue and to share thoughts with. |
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EVERYDAY STATISTICS
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FORMAL EFFORTS
This is such an important perspective which leads to my consulting and training (so also go to Ullman Associates) |
MUSINGS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
It is not all statistics that I do. So I will also share some of my efforts and thoughts including some photography and the children's book on SHARE! I wrote. |
DEJA VU
So is it really so new?
Think about the "fantastic new" 3-D printing.
I say, been there before.
So is it really so new?
Think about the "fantastic new" 3-D printing.
I say, been there before.