Spreadsheets in the Classroom

I started off with visiting a site that had many ideas and examples of how to use spreadsheets in the classroom. There are links to Science, Math, Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, and Miscellaneous. Kids love to create something of their own, as well as eating candy. On this website under math it has a suggestion of using little bags of M&M's. Let them estimate how many of each color is in their bag and chart in on a spreadsheet through Excel. They can chart one with their predictions and with the actual results. This website also provides links to many other helpful and wonderful ideas.

Another useful website is Integrating Spreadsheets in the Classroom. The first link provides a tutorial for Excel. This is something children can do in their spare time. If they finish other work early they can hop on a computer and go through the steps of learning Excel. I think this is very helpful for teachers as well. I may only be speaking for myself when I say this but I do not know everything and learn something new every time I turn on the computer. So maybe this is the best way for them to learn about Excel. Not that everything should be done by computer but they can learn a little, practice a little. This website has about 75 other useful links about working with Excel. Awesome website!!

Until this class I had no idea there were so many resources available to teachers on the internet. The majority of people I talk to make it sound like you have to come up with everything under the sun on your own. Which makes it sound really difficult! I'm not saying teaching is easy, but knowing these resources are out there make it simpler.