I was asked what statistics books had helped me the most. That got me to thinking. I have had some experience working with smart, well-educated people who are open about their ideas and articulate in expressing them. They have accurate memories, as far as I have been able to tell. When we have gotten around to comparisons and helpful knowledge, I have found little agreement. It seems to be an individual, personal and situational kind of thing.
The question morphed into the most valuable knowledge I have acquired. After too much consideration, I am suggesting learning to type, learning to drive a car and learning to use a computer. Getting an Apple IIe was a big deal but a more important deal was getting Appleworks at almost the same time. Appleworks started out as a three part program that had a word-processor, a data base and a spreadsheet. Having those abilities and the chance to learn and play with them at home and in my teaching was super helpful.
In my doctoral program, there are two areas that I didn't study and hadn't heard of that later became important: Deming and meditation. I read carefully about both and later made good use both personally and professionally of both subjects. W.E. Deming wrote several books but the one that helped me the most was the first by him that I read: "Quality, Productivity and Competitive Position", his insights into quality control, and what is known today as Six Sigmas, statistical and administrative efforts to reduce errors and mistakes to zero.
Over time, Appleworks morphed into Word and Excel. I still use Excel quite often and Word some but I use Google Drive and its free wordprocessor. It also has a free spreadsheet, a free presenter like PowerPoint and other tools, too, but I use the wordprocessor the most.
Practicing meditation has led to clearer view of what I am actually like and what life is actually like. I don't doubt that I see things thru rose colored glasses sometimes and through sourpuss lenses sometimes but I can tell that things are clearer. It may be that simple aging is responsible to a great extent.
Books and reading are fun and eye-opening. I am surprised that when I try to recall books that taught me things that I use often, they seem to fall back and skills come to the fore. The cumulative effect of books is large, I am sure, but individual books usually contribute only one or two insights of really lasting value. That is just an impression. I think the reading I have done about exercise and about food, diet and eating has also been important.
I can see that the old idea that 'if you really want to understand something, teach it' is true. When you are explaining and designing learning experiences, you really have to think carefully and broadly, too. I taught basic statistical methods for years and I was surprised right to the end at how new questions and new puzzles and new ways of getting confused emerged.
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
