AP Statistics 

On-Line for 2012-2013 School Year

Teacher: Carole Matheny                                             Email: carolemath@gmail.com

·         Course Fee: $500

Course Schedule: Tuesday September 4th, 2012 to Friday, May 10th, 2013 (AP Statistics exam date)

Registration: If you are interested in taking this course, please return the registration form to me, at: carolemath@gmail.com   Click HERE to download the registration form as an MS Word document. If you are unable to open MS Word documents or if you have trouble with the form, please e-mail me. Thank you!

Technical Requirements:

  • Computer, internet access, e-mail capability a MUST
  • Scanner to submit handwritten material as a PDF file
  • Graphing calculator such as TI 83, TI-84 or TI-89 suggested

Who Should Apply?

This class is open to all homeschooled students in 9th - 12th grades and who have successfully completed Algebra 2. Academic performance should be average or above while a passion for math is not required. Assuming you have met the Algebra 2 requirement and the class is not full, you will be accepted into the class.

 

AP Statistics is not your typical math class and often you will need to think critically and intuitively to address the statistical issues presented to you. While this class is neither reading nor writing intensive you will be required to do some of both. Past students report they spend 1 to 2 hours per day on AP Statistics. 

Why should you take statistics?

Statistics is the most widely applicable branch of mathematics and is used by more people than any other kind of math.  AP Statistics is a great option for students headed to a math- or science-related major, and who are looking for another math course before graduation. 

For students not headed into a math- or science-related major, statistics is a useful and practical topic in today's society and some argue that these students are better served by taking statistics than calculus. The course does not depend heavily on advanced mathematical computation but rather you are asked to use your critical thinking skills to explain concepts and interpret results. To cement these concepts and assist you with interpreting results hands-on investigations are used throughout the course. Technology, such as the graphing calculator and statistical software, is used to lower the drudgery of computation.

Arthur Benjamin, a Mathematician at Harvey Mudd College, recently spoke on how we need to change math education to include statistics for every high school student. You can hear his talk at ted.com:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/arthur_benjamin_s_formula_for_changing_math_education.html

Class Meeting Time: Students do not "meet" at a scheduled time, but work asynchronously to do their studying within their own schedule.  The Daily Message is posted prior to midnight EST for the following school day permitting students in the Far East to work on today’s assignment, today. Class assignments for the upcoming two to three weeks are posted online permitting students to work ahead if needed. Past families have found that I am very accommodating to student and family travel plans and special events.

Course Format:

AP Statistics is a college level introductory course in statistics in which students will learn to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data. These broad conceptual themes are:

  1. Exploring Data
  2. Producing Models Using Probability and Simulation

3.       Experimental Design

4.       Statistical Inference

 

Our class day begins with a Daily Message posting which expounds on the day’s statistical concepts. On a daily basis we read a few pages from our text and apply these new concepts to problems. Students are able to daily test their knowledge through multiple choice questions. Throughout the course we have hands-on data collection assignments where we learn to apply what we are learning to real data. These assignments never require the student to survey neighbors or strangers and can be done from within the home. At the end of every chapter the student has a multiple choice exam and a Free-Response component that develops their ability to “pull all the pieces together.”

 

Students are encouraged to ask questions of their peers and of me on our communication board. The students utilize the online discussion boards to interact with classmates, to post any questions they have from the reading material and homework assignments, to answer classmates questions and most importantly to discuss the interpretation of our  results. The class operates asynchronously and I am available for live chats on an as-needed basis.

Assessment: Student assessment will consist of a combination of class participation, homework, hands-on activities, multiple choice and free response exams. The exams are graded using a scoring guideline in the same manner as the AP exam is scored. My experience with designing scoring rubrics and assessing student responses will help me ensure that the students taking this course are well-prepared for a good score on the AP® Statistics exam next spring!

Texts Required:

1.      The Practice of Statistics, Daren S. Starnes; Dan Yates; David S. Moore (2010) Fourth Edition. New York: W.H. Freeman and Co. ISBN-10: 1-4292-4559-X or ISBN-13: 978-1-4292-4559-3. (This book does not come with a CD.)

 

2.      Fathom, Dynamic Data Software, Key Curriculum Press (Ordering information will be coming in August. Anticipated price is ~$30)

 

3.      2007 & 2002 AP Stat College Board Released exam. (These books are purchased in bulk by Mrs. Matheny and then repurchased by the students in March 2013, $10)

Instructor Qualifications:

I earned a BS and MS in Ceramic Engineering from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Clark University. Prior to homeschooling , I worked full-time for twenty years in industry as a Research Engineer and later as a Manager of Engineering. In addition, I hold five US Patents. During these years I found statistical methods to be a very valuable tool and an integral part of my work life. While in Worcester, MA, I was an adjunct professor for several years teaching both Statistics, and Production & Operations Management at both Assumption College and Anna Maria College. For the past fifteen years I have been a home schooling mom to my two sons; one is now in college and the other is in high school. This will be my fifth year teaching AP Statistics on-line through PA Homeschoolers. I’m looking forward to this coming year!

Click here to read reviews from past participants

Click here to download an application for this class (Word Doc) 

Click here to download an application for this class (PDF)  

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