CED0540 week 5 – Google Trends and Statistics Sites

This week we looked at Google Trends.  Google Trends is a cool way to quickly do statistical comparisons.  Our group compared NFL, NHL, and NBA.  This was a fun way to look at data.  Google Trends creates charts with the data, making it user friendly.

The other assignment was to compare statistical websites.  Our group chose to look up diabetes.  We compared two sites and it was amazing to me how different the data was presented.  One site was great for engineers or statistical people, however, the other site contains the same information but in a much better format.  I really like the CDC Center for Disease and Prevention.  I can find so many uses for this site.  It lists the information, and then there are so many different ways to narrow the results.  It also showed confidence level and standard deviation on some of the charts.  I found myself spending a lot of time on this site.

CED0540 week 4 - Bill Tancer and survey

This week we closed and complied our surveys.  I must admit I really like the use of the Internet when it comes to surveys.  Yuck, can you imagine creating and analyzing a survey without it.  I like Survey Monkey, but the free version does have its limitations.  Something to keep in mind.  Overall there really wasn’t anything surprising in our survey.  It did leave me wondering though, about what kind of people use animal daycares?  Who are those people?

Learning about Bill Tancer was interesting.  I found it even more interesting that I had never heard of him before this class, even though he seems to have left his mark in many different places.  I found his work interesting, but I little unnerving that someone can find out so much information with the right program and a little work.  I think it does open the door to errors, just like he himself stated with his couple of examples, if you don’t break down the data enough.  I think it’s good for examining Internet trends, but wonder how much value it has in other areas.

CED0540 week 3 - Survey Monkey

As I continue through my journey through the world of statistics, we have to design, implement, and analyze a survey.  My group chose to create a survey about pets using Survey Monkey.  When designing a survey the questions are important.  The designer needs to think about the types of questions (the reason for the survey and support it), how many questions to have, and the wording.  A good survey topic can go array without these important elements.  You also need to make sure the questions have a good flow about them.  If they don’t make sense, the person providing feedback most likely won’t complete the survey.  In order to get good data the questions have to be worded well, as well as having “just the right amount of questions.”  After all these elements are in place, you need to choose your tool.  We choose Survey Monkey; it’s a free, easy, online survey tool.  Our next step will be to analyze the results.

CED0540 week 2

What is it about statistics that I just can't wrap my head around?  This course reminds me a lot of my special education courses in regards to calculating and interpreting standard deviations.  I like math and do well in it, but for some reason stats and I don't see eye to eye.  I'm really glad that the majority of our assignments this week were group work so that I have others to work through the problems with.  If I could just get my head around stats, especially the terms, I think I'd really like them (or at least I want to believe.)  The irony is that we use the stats all the time.  This week we spent more time on the central tendencies and how to calculate them, terminology, and surveys.  For my two terms I looked up market research and paid surveys.  There wasn't too much new to me for paid surveys, but I found market research interesting.  I always thought it had more to do with the product itself and marketing it, but it really has more to do with marketing the project.  Hey now I'm talking in circles - maybe I'm starting to understand stats.  :)  After I read up on marketing research, I thought no wonder people like marketing - it sounds interesting.

CED0540 week 1

This week was about stats.  The part that I find the hardest about stats is the language.  I feel like stats lingo is similar to an insurance policy – it goes around in circles.  This week we looked at the different types of stats, including the central measurements of tendencies – mean, median, and mode.  Part of our assignment was watching a video that had 9 examples of ways in which stats are used.  The reality is that on a daily basis we come across or use stats, for example surveys and polls, averages, etc.  I’ll really need to take some good notes on the statistics language.  I like math, so that part won’t be to bad.

I use stats in my classes when I collect data for assessment whether it is for grades or for some of the teams I belong on.  In education stats are used all the time by just about everyone.

CED0530 week 5

This week we put our final touches on our Pecha Kucha.  This is a time consuming project, but unlike anything I've done before.  As I continue to work on this project, I'm trying to think of some ways to use this either in the classroom or for presentations to my peers.  Any ideas?  With all this being said this really puts all of the "zen" qualities in place that we have learned thus far - pictures, minimal text, short, not reading from the slides, and story telling.  I'm curious besides voicethread, what would be some other programs that this could be creatd in?

My group is looking at iMovie and Moviemaker.  I'm looking forward to hearing about the other programs.  I know about some of them, but others I've never heard of. 

CED0530 week 4 - Delivery and Prezi

Zen presentation this week was about delivery and the next steps.  In the video Garr Reynold’s mentioned some things I already do.  He stated to practice and time yourself.  When I have to do a presentation I practice and practice while timing myself.  I do both so much that by the time I’m done I have my presentation memorized.  No, I don’t find it mechanical, because I never say it the same way twice.  I think that by rehearsing I feel I can include more of my personality in it because I have the content down.  He also mentioned Toastmasters.  I found that interesting since I have been a Toastmaster member in the past.  As a matter of fact, if I hadn’t done Toastmasters I’d never have been a teacher.  I was SO afraid to talk in front of an audience.  It still happens, but it’s better – thanks to Toastmasters.

Prezi was the tool used this week for presentations.  It’s an interesting program.  I think it could make the audience dizzy depending on how it’s used.  For me personally, I kept losing the content on the very large canvas.  I wish it had something that showed where you are (similar to video games – the small screen showing the whole track for example.)  I had to keep starting over.  For me, I think it’s a program I’ll need to use a little more before I give it a fair assessment.  I’m hoping after I read my classmates thoughts I can come up with some good ways to use Prezi in the future.  It’s an interesting program.

Now I’m working on my Pecha Kucha.  I like the concept, but I think it will be challenging.  I’m hoping I can do it justice.  I looked at some really good examples, so we’ll see where this goes.