Statistical Disagreements and Other Random Stuff

If I were giving a lecture on how the demands of education are constantly changing and I wanted to put in my personal input, I don't think I'd have a whole entire slide show dedicated and titled "Me". Debra Humphrey's lecture was an interesting one but I have to admit that the opening slide show entitled "Me" came off a bit self-centered. But then again, it was her slideshow.


There were some things I liked and there were some things I didn't like. The fact that she had been a first-generation college student made her someone completely relatable. I absorbed her advice with a higher sense of trust because like her, I am also a first-generation college student. However, I wasn't a big fan of her shoving statistics everywhere she could. I don't know why, but I always feel that whenever someone throws a statistic they are trying to maneuver around their argument without facing certain truths. I guess it's that with statistics there's always the exceptions. For example, she stated that one could guess a student's SAT scores by just looking at their parent's income. Thus, the relation would show that the higher the income the higher the score. Yet I went to a high school where there weren't many wealthy students but we still had a high amount of National Merit Scholars every year; so would these students be the exception? I did like that she stated that dedication and work are important factors for success. I've always been an advocate of this concept. Talent can only take one so far, one would have to be willing to reach and work for the success they wish to attain.


Overall I was pleased with the presentation. I felt as if the message that Mrs. Humphrey was trying to send was that success is one of the possible outcomes of hard labor. Whereas Danna Walker's presentation seemed to portray the idea that success is an outcome of luck and strategy. I think I'd rather go through my life depending on my own strengths rather than the unpredictable path of luck.