Email 00

Planned FIRST EMAIL, (never actually) sent to all participants, via YAMM extension to Chrome, which personalizes the emails.

Welcome our online course "Real Statistics: An Islamic Approach". This email shows that you have successfully registered for the course. I am looking forward to an exciting intellectual journey through a vast and largely uncharted territory we will be exploring together. I have been working on this new approach for over a decade, and I keep learning new things. This is a Third Generation version of the course, which will reshape the discipline of Statistics on entirely new foundations, very different from those currently available in Western textbooks. We take the point of view the Statistics is a branch of Rhetoric - a way to make arguments by numbers. Thus a statistical calculation must be viewed in the context of the argument that is being made using this calculation. This point of view, and the difference it makes to our approach, will be explored in detail in the reading assignments during this course. But one thing we note immediately -- by going forward from a statistical analysis to HOW it is used in real world arguments, we immediately move from a theoretical orientation to a practical, applied, real world orientations - this is ONE of the reasons for the title "Real Statistics"

This portion is worth using in a later email

All knowledge comes from the treasures of Allah T'aala. Let us start with the prayer to Allah, to guide us from the darkness of ignorance to the Noor of knowledge, which He has promised to those who have faith. This is used to correct our intentions for study, to acquire beneficial knowledge for service of the creation of God, out of the love of God. We should make it a habit to start our classes by clarifying our intentions, and asking the students to do the same, in order to turn education into an act of worship. Some links which provide appropriate prayers for study are given below, and many more can be found by searching:

http://www.duas.org/student.htm

https://studentsofquran.com/dua-for-students-increase-knowledge/

As the Mashaykh and Ulema have written, knowledge is Noor which enters the hearts. We must cleanse and purify our hearts to allow this light from Allah to reach our hearts. For this purpose, it is useful to start with Syed-ul-Astaghfar -- Here is a 36s recitation you can follow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37E98pOECsI

After making Istighfar, feel that you have been forgiven, and your heart has been cleansed and purified, so that you are ready for the deep learning that enters the hearts.

Course Name and CopyRights: This is my course, meant for teachers, with title "Real Statistics: An Islamic Approach" -- this describes how I developed the course, when I started thinking about how to teach Statistics as an act of worship. All knowledge is a gift from God, and I hereby make this freely available to all, as it was given to me. According to hadeeth, knowledge is a treasure which is not lessened by the sharing of it. All students of this course are free to borrow whatever they like, and use it to whatever extent they like, in their own courses. There is no need to attribute anything to me, but you can do so if you would like to. I would like for teachers to prepare their own materials, borrowing and adapting freely from lectures, writeups, or slides, as they wish. Depending of their particular situation, they can omit the "Islamic Approach" and teach the material without reference to its origins. It is possible to re-express the ideas behind the course in secular language, if the environment is hostile to direct use of Islamic approaches. Typically, I would assume that the course name would be whatever is prescribed and approved in the syllabus, and the material can be introduced within the course, creating change from the inside - in substance - without any apparent change in the form.

Personal Biography: For those who would like to know more about me, see the about-me page on my website: https://asadzaman.net/about-me/

Technical Issues: Our main method for interaction will be via comments on my wordpress blog, which will contain posts about the reading materials for this course. In order to be able to post comments, you should be a follower of the blog. At this point, there are 182 people who have registered, and I am about to close the registration. I have sent invites to all of the people, and about 130 have accepted while 52 invites are pending. Those who have not received invitation, or else have not used it, can become followers directly by going to the blog (http://bit.do/aziwv) and clicking on the blue FOLLOW button somewhere in the middle on the right hand side of the page. You will need to create a wordpress account, which is a simple process of providing them with an email address and a username.

If you have a gmail email address, that automatically gives you a Google Account. If you dont have one, then either you can create a gmail email address, or else you can open a Google Account, WITHOUT gmail on your current email address. Instructions on how to do so are given below:

https://www.wikihow.com/Use-YouTube-Without-a-Gmail-Account#Creating_a_Google_Account_Without_Gmail_sub

I think (but I am not sure) that some of the features of the online course may require you to create a Google Account, if you dont have a gmail address -- do let me know if you have any difficulty accessing any of the course materials, or doing any of the tasks.

Substance of the Course: The first week of materials is all PRELIMINARY material, which is about the ideas which went into the creation of this unique course. This material is meant for the teachers to absorb, but it is not meant for direct presentation to the student. Material to be taught to the student will be introduced from the second week onwards. .

Weekly assignments for the course will be posted on the Google Website for the course, which is linked below:

https://sites.google.com/view/realstatistics/ -- This website will keep a clear and organized record of the sequence of weekly assignments for the course. It will also keep a record of the quizzes which will be given weekly. It will also provide more details of technical issues. It will also provide tips on Pedagogical Methods -- which you use to improve your own learning outcomes, and you can use the process to improve learning outcomes in your students.

I will also post a copy of the weekly assignment on my Wordpress Website - An Islamic WorldView {Shortlink: bit.do/aziwv }. THIS is where students can write comments on the assignments, and ask any questions. I will be watching website for comments and questions and will answer. DISCUSSIONS about the assignments can also take place here on the wordpress website. Because a lot of supplementary material and readings will be posted and discussed, this wordpress website will be more chaotic and less organized, but if students follow it continuously, they will be in touch with what is taking place in the online course on a real-time basis. The Google Website Real Statistics in the previous paragraph will have a clean copy of the proceedings, and also other, more technical aspects and pedagogical aspects of the course .

The Real Statistics Website will have FOUR parts:

EMAILS - Keeps track of Weekly emails to registered members of the group

READINGS - Keep track of Weekly Readings/ Videos to watch/ and other assignments

TECHNICAL: Provides weekly guidance on technical aspects of the course, having to do with the computers, blogs, Google Accounts, websites, etc

QUIZZES - has not been made yet -- will be launched later.

TASKS TO BE DONE:

1 -- FOLLOW the Islamic WorldView Blog, by going to http://bit.do/aziwv and clicking on the blue "follow" button on the middle of the right hand side.

2. Go the the page Real Statistics Readings for Week 1, which lists your reading/viewing assignments for the first day. Currently, I have only listed the tasks for the first day. Later, I will put assignments for the second day on THIS SAME PAGE -- either directly, or by providing a LINK -- So go BACK to this page on SUNDAY to see the next daily assignment. If everybody joins the Google Group AZ-Research Group then I can send emails to the group, which will automatically go to all members of the group. .

3. TECHNICAL TASKS -- Go to the page: Technical Tasks Week 1. to see the three tasks that need to be done first

For those who have Facebook Accounts, I would recommend joining my FB group called "Transforming Knowledge". An Invitation to join is linked below

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