Dear Educator,

The census is the official count of people and dwellings in New Zealand. At Statistics NZ we are committed to working with community groups and service providers like you, to make sure everyone can take part in the census and benefit from the information we produce. Students’ families will be involved in completing the next Census, your role in educating students about what, how and why statistics are collected, and the integral part they play in decision making cannot be overlooked.

The enclosed infographic poster about education and training in New Zealand is one of our latest census releases. The infographic shows some of the key facts about education and training from the 2013 Census – including information about people with qualifications; highest qualification; post-school qualification field of study; and study participation.

You can find more information on this topic in the summary report 2013 Census QuickStats about education and training, available on our website.

The education and training infographic is just one way we are displaying the data we collect, to inform and broaden our audience base and tell New Zealand’s statistical stories.

Other products on our website that may be of interest include:

• Infographics on a range of topics – which tell New Zealand’s statistical stories visually
• QuickStats – summary reports about topics including Māori; income; work and unpaid activities; transport and communication; and education and training
• Stat – a tool that lets you create tables of the data you want from large datasets
• Schools corner – resources to help you learn and teach about statistics, the census, and other topics.

Census information helps determine how billions of dollars are spent in the community. It is needed for planning vital public services such as education, health, housing, and transport. Census data also provides information for community service funding. Businesses, councils, community groups, and iwi also use census information to plan for the future.

We are making big changes to the 2018 Census, to modernise how and what we collect. For example, in 2018, we are expecting most people in New Zealand to provide their information online. We will be asking for your help in the lead-up to the 2018 Census, as you play an important part in helping us reach a range of audiences.

We hope you take the time to have a look at our products and look forward to working with you in the future to promote the importance of the census.

For further information on the census, including resources in different languages, visit http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census

Ngā mihi

Denise McGregor

Census Manager

Christine (Chris) Franklin University of Georgia Athens, GA USA presented to Mathematics associations around New Zealand. She is a 2014-15 Fulbright Scholar and is spending five months at the University of Auckland, New Zealand working with statistics educators on the project, “Implementing K-12 Statistics Standards: Comparing Practices in New Zealand and the United States”.

Below is an audio recording of her presentation to the Wellington Mathematics Association, May 2015:

Abstract:

The United States is realizing the need to achieve a level of quantitative literacy for its high school graduates to prepare them to thrive in the modern world. Given the prevalence of statistics in the media and workplace, individuals who aspire to a wide range of positions and careers require a certain level of statistical literacy. Because of the emphasis on data and statistical understanding, it is crucial for us as educators to consider how we can prepare a statistically literate population. Students must acquire an adequate level of statistical literacy through their education beginning in the first grade of education.

The Common Core State Standards for mathematics (that include statistics) in grades Kindergarten – 12 have been adopted by the most states and the District of Columbia. These national standards for the teaching of statistics and probability range from counting the number in each category to determining statistical significance through the use of simulation and randomization tests.

This presentation will provide a brief history of statistics at K-12 in the U.S., an overview of the statistics and probability content of these common core standards, resources that support the K-12 standards in statistics, describe the knowledge and preparation needed by the future and current K–12 teachers who will be teaching using these standards, and the desired assessment of statistics at K-12 on the high stakes national tests will be explored.

Chris is the Lothar Tresp Honoratus Honors Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator in Statistics at the University of Georgia and a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. She has been recognized with numerous teaching and advising awards at UGA. She is the co-author of an Introductory Statistics textbook with Alan Agresti (Pearson 2012), co-author of the textbook Statistics Reasoning in Sports with Josh Tabor (Freeman 2012) and has published more than 50 journal articles. Chris was the lead writer for the American Statistical Association Pre-K-12 Guidelines for the Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) Framework. She chaired the writing team of the recent ASA Statistical Education of Teachers (SET) report.

Articles and updates on all aspects of Mathematics and Statistics for teaching and learning.

Professional reading for middle managers and teachers.

Updates to Statistics standards on page 4:

Experiments: AS91265 AS91538

Bivariate data: AS90136 and AS91581

Secondary Mathematics and Statistics Newsletter Term 2 2015

Be part of giant graphs and visual data representations, stretching across the fields of Wellington’s Macalister park. Artist Siv B Fjærestad is working with public art producers Letting Space, in partnership with Wellington City Council to create a data inspired artwork on the fields of Macalister and Liardet Street Parks, Berhampore: a dynamic backdrop for activity.

Now all they need is you! Opening Public Picnic Sunday 19 April 2015 12-3pm for a programme of family events and a community picnic.

Over 2013 Fjærestad and volunteers surveyed the local community to inform the painting’s design and use.  Fjærestad states “The painting design contains representations of statistical data and ideas for the park collected from the community, visual references to current activity and also to the landscape and its history. The park is perceived, used and interpreted differently at different times of the day and week. This work involves contributions from local communities, sporting groups and businesses, and extends what we consider both painting and public art to comprise. It asks questions about how we use our city public commons.” The paintings are for the public to look at and play on, encouraging leadership from the community to value the park as a public good.

Projected Fields has been funded by Wellington City Council’s Public Art Fund.

NZCER has just released a book titled Mathematics and Statistics in the Middle Years: Evidence and Practice, edited by Robin Averill.

There are two chapters that draw specifically on Statistics Education (Arnold & Pfannkuch, and Sharma et al.) Other chapters have pedagogical ideas which are useful for teachers of Statistics. Most chapters have been partnerships between academics and teachers, and all are grounded in practice and research.

Years 7-10 are the main focus area but many of the ideas are transferable above and below these years.

These readings could be useful to new teachers, who would benefit from an overview of how Statistics education in New Zealand has developed in the past decade.

Learn more

Sharleen Forbe’s history paper ‘The coming of age of statistics education in New Zealand, and its influence internationally‘ has just been published in the Journal of Statistics Education. 

Morena

Some information regarding the next few weeks.

The Statistical Education day at the NZ Statistical Association conference on Wednesday 26 November: cutoff for registrations on Thurdsay 20 November

The conference organisers invite teachers to attend this day. Details are on the conference website. At upper left, see 7th green button.

Advertisement for the Bevan Werry Speaker

I have now been a Bevan Werry speaker for one year, and in that capacity I have been visiting mathematics associations around the country, talking to teachers and students of mathematics. I have been engaged in mathematics outreach activities in Wellington for a number of years, and the Bevan Werry speakership has let me present some of those activities to a larger audience. The general theme of the exercises is to expose students to profound ideas from modern mathematics that don’t play a part in NCEA assessment. So I have played combinatorial games with students in Christchurch, tied students into knots in Greymouth, and set students in Palmerston North on a search for a ‘busy beaver’ function.

If you would like to discuss a visit to your school or association, please contact me at  dillon.mayhew@vuw.ac.nz

NZ data website – Wiki New Zealand 

Gathering all our data in one place and making it visual

http://wikinewzealand.org/

WMA

Thursday 27th Maths and Stats teachers day investigating the link between schools and university through level 3 standards.  A link to that website is here http://msor.victoria.ac.nz/Events/TeacherDay/WebHomeThursday 11th December.  The Royal Society presents “The Art of Mathematics” with Prof Marcus Du Sautoy.  See below for details.
http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/events/annual/distinguished-speaker/2014-distinguished-speaker-the-art-of-mathematics/

Kia pai to rā

Derek

Mathematics National Co-ordinator/Central South Facilitator (Secondary).
Education Support Services
University of Otago College of Education
PO Box 56 Dunedin 9054
Mau ki te ako-Te Tapuae o Rehua Consortium
M: 021 913 150
E: derek.smith@otago.ac.nz

Middle Leaders Website
Mathematics resources

Kia orana Pangarau te Whanau

iNZight

If you have a little spare playtime have a look at the online version of iNZight under development at:
https://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~wild/iNZight/online.html

NZQA

The October 2014 newsletter has been published at:

http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/qualifications/ncea/subjects/mathematics/moderator-s-newsletter/october-2014/

Investing in Educational Success (IES)

There is an article in the 28th October Gazette on IES. The process for this component is, teachers put in a project concept first which must involve at least 3 teachers, then they put in their proposal. A panel will decide who gets approved.

http://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/specific-initiatives/investing-in-educational-success/

IEB Programme

New inclusive education resources on-line: Teachers and Teachers Aides, Who does what? Supporting students who are blind, deaf/blind or have low vision.

http://www.inclusive.org.nz/

Statistics Education day at NZSA+ORSNZ conference; Wedn 26 Nov

Plans for the Statistics Education day at the NZSA+ORSNZ conference, Wednesday 26 Nov, have progressed rapidly, are finalised nicely, and are on the conference website. Please see https://secure.orsnz.org.nz/conf48/ and the green buttons at top left. The 7^th one is ours: ‘Statistical Education Session’.

The conference organisers welcome registrations for the day. Teachers could arrive for the 9 am sessions (and choose which one they go to), the 11AM plenary, or the1PM Statistics Education presentations. We’ll be finished by 4.40 pm.

Full details are on the Statistics Education page: the themes, the titles and abstracts for the 10 presentations, and the process for registering with the $40 fee. The title and abstract for Alan Brookhart’s plenary are in the Programme page.

STUDYIT is now at full steam

http://www.studyit.org.nz/communicate/viewtopic.php?p=246681#246681 for some Time Series data on the website use.

Study and exam advice

Study advice
Helps you plan your study, set goals and study routines and, most importantly, to relax and not stress. You can also download your own weekly study planner.

Examination advice
Gives ideas on how to prepare for exams, and has tips for making the most of what you know.

Make the most of Studyit
Shows how to find revision materials for English, mathematics, and sciences.

General revision sites
Useful sites that have revision notes for most subjects.

Examples:

Revision basics
Study skills for students
Revision tips
Study guides and strategies
Basic steps in the research process
The Pulse – Learning styles
VARK – A guide to learning styles
How-to-study.com
Maths study strategies
Maths study skills self-survey
Making an oral presentation
Answering assignment questions

Kia pai to rā

Derek

Mathematics National Co-ordinator/Central South Facilitator (Secondary).

Education Support Services

University of Otago College of Education

PO Box 56 Dunedin 9054

Mau ki te ako-Te Tapuae o Rehua Consortium

M: 021 913 150

E: derek.smith@otago.ac.nz

Middle Leaders Website

W:http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Secondary-middle-leaders/Professional-learning-and-development

Mathematics resources

W: https://sites.google.com/site/mathstatsfacilitators/home

It’s not to late to join Chris Wild’s Data to Insight: An Introduction to Data Analysis MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses)