COLLINSVILLE — Collinsville High School math teacher Bill Gottschalk recently took part in an online discussion activity hosted by the New York Times Learning Network, marking his fifth time participating in the program.
The event featured a graph illustrating the average number of children born to women in select countries and regions between 1960 and 2020.
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Gottschalk was selected for the opportunity due to his active involvement with the American Statistical Association’s K-12 teachers program. During the activity, he moderated an online discussion where students from across the country analyzed the graph and responded to several questions designed to prompt critical thinking.
“Being able to participate in this feature of the New York Times over the last five years has been a fun, learning experience to connect with students around the country as they explore and analyze real-world news through these graphs,” Gottschalk said. He described the 2.5-hour session as engaging, noting that time passes quickly as he responds to student comments, notes unique insights, and highlights notable “headlines” created by students.
Students posted their initial responses over the course of a day, with further information and the accompanying New York Times article, which allowed participants to revisit their thoughts and contribute additional comments. In the discussion thread, Gottschalk appeared as “Moderator Bill, Collinsville, IL.”
Gottschalk expressed appreciation for the diversity of student interpretations, particularly praising responses from students currently enrolled in AP Environmental Science courses.
“The best responses I read came from students who are currently taking AP Environmental Science. They were connecting what they had learned so far to try to explain the patterns they saw in the graph,” he said.
The activity aims to encourage students to apply statistical reasoning to real-world data, fostering analytical skills through interactive discussion. The graph, questions, and resulting student discussion are available through the New York Times Learning Network.
