Does Anyone Still Use Colored Chalk?

摘要

The question in the title might seem strange for an ASA president's corner. However, at this time of year, I always think about the excitement of starting a new school year and collecting the tools needed for learning-pens, mechanical pencils, erasers, notebooks, and, yes, colored chalk for an analog version of the digital whiteboard. I know teachers, caregivers, and students will have a lot of challenges to deal with this coming school year-challenges many of us also faced in the spring. I am excited for the school year to begin so we can share the resources being curated and developed by the K-6 Education Initiative Working Group. Our hope is these resources can help enrich the educational experiences for children and educators. When I first thought about the focus areas for the 2020 presidential initiatives, education was at the top of my list. Our mission commits us to "promoting the practice and profession of statistics." For me, there is no doubt this mission can only be achieved if we devote time, energy, and resources to supporting education at all levels. Our track record of implementing successful programs and initiatives for graduate and undergraduate students, middle- and high-school students, and educators shows me you agree. In fact, this initiative builds on the K-12 work of previous presidents, including Jessica Utts and Barry Nussbaum.