I watched the first minute or so and had to stop. He's not showing us "statistics;" he's showing us anecdotal evidence. There's a big difference. Anecdotal evidence shows us what CAN happen, while statistics show us what is LIKELY to happen. Sure, you CAN be successful without going to college, but you are LIKELY to be more successful if you do go to college. Besides, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg both went to Harvard; they didn't graduate only because they left college early after their Harvard connections allowed them to pursue their businesses without a degree.
At my school, I teach my students what statistics are and what evidence is. And they know that when using evidence, they shouldn't deliberately tell only part of the story when the full story would undermine their point.
I don't know if this guy's overall point is a good one, because I never got through the video. He lost my trust early on.
Are you familiar with the MaNamara Fallacy? http://www.joebower.org/2011/03/macnamaras-fallacy-and-standardized.html
Scientific evidence and statistics can be very portably but so can anecdotal evidence. Ignoring the latter because its hard to quantify is willful blindness. That you couldn't even finish a 6 minute video leads me to wonder if you have fallen prey to this.
My first thought was about how many students will succumb to desperation when confronted with the score on a CCSS based test here in the states, and lose faith not in school, but in their curiosity. We don't need more ways to put students down. Students like this will develop the new education.
I watched the first minute or so and had to stop. He's not showing us "statistics;" he's showing us anecdotal evidence. There's a big difference. Anecdotal evidence shows us what CAN happen, while statistics show us what is LIKELY to happen. Sure, you CAN be successful without going to college, but you are LIKELY to be more successful if you do go to college. Besides, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg both went to Harvard; they didn't graduate only because they left college early after their Harvard connections allowed them to pursue their businesses without a degree.
ReplyDeleteAt my school, I teach my students what statistics are and what evidence is. And they know that when using evidence, they shouldn't deliberately tell only part of the story when the full story would undermine their point.
I don't know if this guy's overall point is a good one, because I never got through the video. He lost my trust early on.
It's very annoying when people put capital letters into sentences like that! It's an insult to the reader.
DeleteAre you familiar with the MaNamara Fallacy? http://www.joebower.org/2011/03/macnamaras-fallacy-and-standardized.html
ReplyDeleteScientific evidence and statistics can be very portably but so can anecdotal evidence. Ignoring the latter because its hard to quantify is willful blindness. That you couldn't even finish a 6 minute video leads me to wonder if you have fallen prey to this.
Thanks Joe,
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was about how many students will succumb to desperation when confronted with the score on a CCSS based test here in the states, and lose faith not in school, but in their curiosity. We don't need more ways to put students down. Students like this will develop the new education.