Module Three

Textbook Reading:

Explain the three measures of central tendency, and how teachers can help children t better understand each of these measures.

1. Mode: The mode of data is basically whatever answer has the most answers. Ways to teachers to help children better understand this is I always remember that mode was like word most like "most" so if you tell students in order to find the mode you look at what answer comes up the most. It also makes it easy to figure out when you take your data and put it into a frequency chart to see how many times each answer was given. 

2. Median: The median is the number in the middle when the numbers are put in order from least to most or most to least. I remember my teachers always telling me to find the median we first have to put the data in order from least to greatest, writing all numbers (even if they showed up more then once). After doing that you would cross out the number farther to the left, then the right, and keep doing it to each side until you are left with only 1 number. If you have an even amount you have to take the 2 numbers and find the average (mean) of those numbers. 

3. Mean: The mean is basically the average of the set of data. You add up all the numbers in the data and divide that total by the total number of data entries. To teach students what the mean is it would be best to start with two numbers and then use things such as interlocking cubes to show them how to really see it. What I mean by this is taking each of the cubes and dividing them equally into two groups. 

Median as a Tool:

 The Mode, Median, and Range of each grade in written on each of the sets of data. Both Kingergarten and 1st Grade start at 0 teeth lost, while 2nd and 3rd grade they start at 2. The sets of data are different because they all end at different points. If just the mode was reported the data of kindergarten would seem to be way different then 1st 2nd, and 3rd grade. You wouldn't know all the different numbers of teeth that each grade lost. If just the median for the grade levels was reported that would say that what the amount is the middle point of the data. If just the median and range were reported it would show that the range for 3rd is the biggest. The range for Grade 1 and 2 are about the same. Just looking at the highest and/or lowest value would not give a good description of the data collected. Did you get the same answers for Median, Mode, and Range as I did? 

Designing Data Investigations:

The students are noticing that the data changes if people change their mind on what the data question is really meaning the data itself can change. The teacher and Sally's role is to ask the students questions on what they think and why they think that certain thing. The emotional issues that are coming up is students changing their mind of their answer but not wanting to admit they did because they dont want to be considered wrong. 

As a teacher what would you have done?

The students are learning that you have to ask very specific questions when collecting data. They are also learning that you need to base your questions on the audience you are asking. You can't ask 7 years old how many vacations they went on in 10 years since they arent even 10. 

In Andrea's class the students asked very open-ended questions. They needed to be more specific on the answers they wanted. Like instead of asking how many people are in your family they should of asked a question like how many family members do you have that live in your house? or How many family member do you have just counting your parents and siblings? You need to be specific in these questions because if you arent you wont find the answers you are wanting or the answers will vary a lot. How specific would you make your students be when coming up with data questions? Natasha wants to find out how many states people have visited. Natasha was not content with the question they ended up coming up with because it wasn't what she wanted to know. She wanted to know if they actually visited it, like stayed longer than a few hours and actually meant to go there. 

I Scream, You Scream:

I believe that children at these ages would be able to come up with questions when being helped by a teacher or an adult, I feel they would need help starting but after getting started they would be able to do it. As for gathering data they would be able to do this because they love to ask questions. Representing the data in graphs they would be able to do once they are given the proper instruction on how to do so. 

Do you remember collecting data when you were these ages?

Questions:

The importance of recording data in meaningful ways is super important because if we don't ask specific questions then we don't get the answers we really looking for or wanting. Without coming up with meaningful questions we don't learn anything and that is the whole purpose of collecting data. What do you think is the purpose or purposes of collecting data?

Lower elementary questions: Can you tie your shoes by yourself? How many sight words do you know?

Upper elementary questions: What is your favorite TV show? What is your favorite subject? How many sports do you play?

I think many questions can be asked to lower and upper elementary students. What do you think are the differences in the questions that you ask to certain grades?