My (re)Introduction to Statistics

I have always found statistics interesting. My dad, a mathematician, used to quote Mark Twain quoting Disraeli, “ "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." He encouraged us kids to play with numbers; manipulate them in different ways and play with displays in order to prove our point. I thought it was a fun way to turn numbers into propaganda. Who would have thought that now, 35 years later, it would become useful?

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I feel like my conceptual understanding of basic statistics is pretty good. I struggle a bit with the right vocabulary, but I understand the point of the the various ways of sorting and analyzing data. I think one of my challenges in a statistics course is going to be to use the right vocabulary so that others know what I am talking about, and that I’m able to make sense of more complex statistical concepts. I was surprised at how easy SPSS was to deal with once I got the hang of the interface, but I guess that’s true of most things! I liked the very basic activities that we did, because it allowed me to focus on the interface, and not try to make sense of the data. I know it will get more difficult, but I’m feeling reasonably confident for the moment that I’ll be able to figure things out!

I guess as adults we need that sort of scaffolding too!