In-Class, Wed. 29th: Workshop: Graphs

Change in schedule:
Today, Wednesday, Oct. 29th, we will hear ONE mini lesson: Jamie Wolf ("style")

Then, we'll have a workshop about graphs which will continue Friday, Oct. 31st.
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Workshop in-class on Wednesday, Oct. 29th:
GRAPHS

(If you miss this class, do the steps at home so you won't get left behind!)

Today, we are preparing the three graphs that go in the Research Essay under the Results section.

NOTE: Those will be the exact graphs we are going to use later - we will merely exchange the numbers. Today, we simply invent numbers, but the graphs will be the same - xls will update automatically when you modify the numbers in your xls table in two weeks, when the survey results are in.

WHICH QUESTIONS TO PICK FOR GRAPHS:

1) pick your first matrix

2) pick your second matrix

3) pick one other very important question to your topic

4) do NOT pick a demographic question!!! (gender, age, race, income, major, etc.)

You can have more than three graphs (maximum: 6), but the minimum is three.

TASKS:

1) open your survey, and minimize it

2) open xls

3) take your first matrix, and type the headline for your graph (= your survey question) into xls

4) create a table in xls with rows and colums for your matrix question

ATTENTION: Do NOT leave any blank fields, because this will mess up your graph!!!

5) Invent numbers (how many people would have said what. We'll replace those later.)

6) Highlight your whole xls table (WITHOUT your headline! Do NOT highlight any blank fields, for this will mess up your graph!), and then click on the symbol on the top of your xls screen which looks like this:

This symbol will create the graph for you automatically. You only need to choose which kind of graph you want. The first one we will create is a vertical bar diagram. Later, you can create a horizontal bar diagram, a column diagram, a pie diagram, a line diagram, etc. - anything that truly displays your findings, and makes sense.

EXAMPLE for xls table:

Teachers: How often and where do dyslexic students get diagnosed?

................................often....sometimes.....rarely.....never

first grade................10........23...................5..............2

second grade..........20.........44..................4...............7

third grade..............57.........29..................3...............9

fourth grade............78..........9...................7...............0

middle school..........60........20.................10..............2

early high school....70..........8...................0...............0

late high school ......30........40.................20..............9

college....................0.........0................70............30


And here is the graph that goes with your table (you just need to type the title above it):

7) Write a 5-7 sentences statement about the main results you can see from your graph, cumulating in a hypothesis/general statement:

Using the graph above, I would say that:

"According to the results, teachers say that students get often diagnosed with dyslexia in fourth grade (78%). With regard to third grade, 57% of the teachers say that students get often diagnosed, with regard to middle school 60%, and with regard to early high school, 70%. In college, according to teachers' experience, students get rarely (70%) or never (30%) diagnosed with dyslexia. In first and second grade, very few students get diagnosed; only 10% of the teachers think that first-graders get often diagnosed, and 20% of the teachers believe that second-graders get often diagnosed.

These findings suggest that according to teachers' experience, the best time to diagnose dyslexia in students is in fourth grade, and that first through third grade is too early to diagnose a reading disability such as dyslexia. It is further suggested that by the time they enter college, students are already diagnosed."

(This is JUST an example I invented; it's not true, of course!!!)

HOMEWORK for Friday, Oct. 31st, by class time:

Email me your one graph that you created in class today as an xls sheet attached to your email, also containing your table and your 5-7 sentences statement.

On Friday, Oct. 31st, we will have another WORKSHOP to create the remaining two graphs about your second matrix, and another important question from your survey of your choice (with invented numbers).

HOMEWORK for Monday, Nov. 3rd, by class time:

Email me your complete xls sheet with all three (different) graphs, three tables, and three 5-7 sentences statements!!! As soon as I have approved them, you can copy and paste the GRAPHS and the STATEMENTS into your RESULT section of your Word document. Do NOT insert the three TABLES in there; they are not needed any more, because they just served to create the graphs!