The Importance of Statistics

As part of the International Year of Statistics 2013, a video competition was held, with the theme" 'The Importance of Statistics'.

The resulting videos can be viewed HERE, particularly the winning video...

Excellent work by Jason Girouard



This is an excellent video, and was the overall winner of the competition.

How about challenging your students to make their own videos on this theme ?

UK Aid

A useful visualisation of UK Aid...
Do you understand all of the statistical ideas here ?
A reminder of the need for statistical literacy when it comes to large numbers, and the relationships between different indicators.

UNEP Posters

I am grateful to Ben Hennig for letting me know about a series of posters which have been produced by UNEP

We will be referring to the data that lies behind these posters as part of the I-USE project, as we develop the website.

There will also be a guide to some of the iPad Apps which have been produced by organisations like UNEP, as part of the toolkit which is developed for the website.

There are 'BASIC FACTS' posters, as well as some Infographics ones....

Trend and Variability

The I-USE project will involve a range of people working on resources for a number of subjects, to develop the idea of statistical literacy.

For the teacher training materials we will need some simple resources to reinforce key trends....

I was reminded of this excellent video for exploring the idea of TREND and VARIATION in data, which we will hopefully make use of. It's the simplicity of the video that I like, and is something we should perhaps aim for with some of the materials that make their way onto the i-USE site.

Better statistical teaching....

Means focussing on teachers....

This Australian video on VIMEO makes some important points...
Great Teachers are Great Learners...

We are exploring some of the innovative ways that teachers develop as learners, particular with regards to statistical literacy - they will form part of the materials which we develop as part of our iUSE website.


Great Teachers Are Great Learners - AITSL from Innovation Unit on Vimeo.

If we take a look at the TPACK model in this context, what do we need to provide, to ensure that the training package that is created as part of the project finds its widest audience ??

Exciting times ahead...

Significance Magazine

One useful website I've come across while researching the available resources is SIGNIFICANCE magazine.

There are previous copies available to view, as well as a poster on the International Year of Statistics.

There is a useful section of WEB ONLY articles which accompanies the print edition of the magazine. For those who are starting out thinking about statistical literacy, this would make good reading.

If you have an iOS or Android device you can also download an app and request all the issues of the SIGNIFICANCE magazine that are published in 2013 to be sent to your app free of charge.

Statistics in the UK Curriculum

“My basic idea is that the world has changed so much, what people need isn’t more data but a new mindset …countries and corporations alike need to adopt that same data-driven understanding of the world if they are to make sense of the changes we are experiencing in this new century and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead”

Professor Hans Rosling

One of the tasks of the I've started to explore this with the aid of a few sources, is to explore where statistics lies within the UK curriculum. We are looking to map the places where statistics and databases are covered other than the obvious place within the Mathematics and ICT areas.

In early January, there was a useful and timely article in the Times Educational Supplement (TES). I'd bought a copy as there was an article in it by a colleague of mine: Paula Owens, but found the statistics article was perhaps more useful.

Regardless of your subject interest, if you can help and identify a place where statistics is mentioned and forms part of your subject at KS3 or KS4 please get in touch, or add a comment below. That will help feed into the work that is already being done in this area.