Week 4 - Using Excel in the Classroom

Microsoft Excel is a great program that can be used in many different ways for the classroom.Using spreadsheets in the classroom can be very useful for keeping grades, attendance, or listing activities and work that you do over the year. You could also use a spreadsheet to develop a homework assignment for the students, or as a list of activities your class will be participating throughout the year. I would use a spreadsheet as a gradebook or to keep track of work we have done over the year, such as papers, essays, or journals.

As teachers, we use spreadsheets as a tool to enhance the learning experience and to help teachers keep track of information on their students. Spreadsheets have the advantage over calculators because it allows you to quickly find averages for all your students. Most teachers have around a 100 students they need to have grades for, so by using a spreadsheet we can efficiently and effectively get their grades tallyed up and report it back to them. The three primary functions of a spreadsheet include storing, calculating, and presenting information. I think these three primary functions are the most effective functions for a spreadsheet and using these in the right way will provide a tool for teachers in the classroom. I cannot think of any other functions for a spreadsheet other than what I have above.