So, it’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything, and I’d like to say I’ve got a great reason like having been on some sort of burn-before-reading secret mission to discover the source of all knowledge, but the truth is, I just got busy.
One of the things that I started neglecting was my reading, and when I started back up, I thought that it might be worth putting out a list of what I’m reading at the moment and why. So without further ado, here’s what I’m planning on reading for the next three months or so. (Yes, this is a lot of reading. No, it’s not really unusual, I read a lot.)
“Latent Factors in Student-Teacher Interaction Factor Analysis” (JEBS – April 2017)
Thu Le, Daniel Bolt, Eric Camburn, Peter Goff, Karl Rohe
This article looks really interesting. The authors are discussing a technique that they’ve developed to predict the quality of previously unpaired student teacher interactions based on existing interactions. If this is proven to work, there’s tremendous implications for student scheduling. Being able to place students with the teachers that they’re likely to be able to work the best with could be a great way to improve student outcomes, not to mention reducing student and staff frustration and stress.
Latent Variable Models: An Introduction to Factor, Path, and Structural Equation Modelling (Fifth Edition)
John C. Loehlin and A. Alexander Beaujean
One of the few books I found on latent factor analysis specifically, I’m putting this on my list on the assumption that I’m going to have a few questions about the above.
Educational Measurement for Applied Researchers: Theory into Practice
Margaret Wu, Hak Ping Tam, Tsung-Hau Jen
I’ve managed to acquire a little bit of knowledge on test theory for various reasons, and it’s been enough to really interest me in the statistics of it. In particular, this area seems like it can be a minefield for educational data science practitioners if they don’t at least acquire a sense of when they need to go to an expert for advice. I’m a big fan of the Springer Series on Statistics, so when I saw this textbook on Amazon, I decided to grab it and try to digest a chapter at a time.
Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction
Philip E. Tetlock, Dan Gardener
I’m a big fan of Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow, and a number of reviews have indicated that this book is another in that same vein. The title makes it seem like this is going to be something on analytics, but it’s actually about developing critical thinking skills to enable people to become better at forecasting the future and also better at recognizing bad forecasts.
On Your Mark: Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting
Thomas R. Guskey
Our district is currently using standards based report cards, and that’s gotten me interested in the best way to represent and use standards based marks, both from the standpoint of communicating with parents and other stakeholders and predicting future student performance. Guskey is one of the leading advocates of this reform (and was recommended by a fellow education stats enthusiast), and this book looks like a good introduction to the history and current status of standards based grading.
Programming Microsoft Office 365
Paolo Pialorsi
Custom SharePoint Solutions with HTML and JavaScript
Brandon Atkinson
We’ve decided to use SharePoint as one of our primary delivery methods for our business intelligence system. Because of that, I’m feeling like my fairly basic “create a list,” “access the list through one of the APIs,” “modify the list” pattern of working with SharePoint should probably get a little more advanced. In order to do that, I’m going to have to brush back up on my JavaScript.
So that’s it for professional reading, but everyone has to relax, right? I’m on a bit of a non-fiction kick lately, and here’s what I’m reading for fun:
Dreadnaught
Robert K. Massie
Castles of Steel
Robert K. Massie
I love the way Massie approaches history, it always feels like reading a serial. It makes it easy to pick up his books, read a chapter, then put them down again. These two books examine the run up to WWI and WWI through the context of the politics and diplomacy surrounding the buildup of the Royal Navy as it shifted from sail to steam. Massie’s style of writing biographical sketches inside the larger context also gives a great look at some of the colorful characters of this period.
British Battleships: 1889 – 1904
A. Burtz
British Battleships of World War I
A. Burtz
Pictures, diagrams, and technology to go with the above.
Pyramids: A Novel of Discworld
Terry Pratchett
Continuing my journey through Discworld. I’m not sure much more needs to be said about this one.
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