The Many Uses of Spreadsheets in the Classroom

This is a chart that I made based on the estimated and the actual costs of a sample wedding budget which I created in excel format. This is just an example of how spreadsheets and graphs can be utilized. I think this kind of project, utilizing excel spreadsheets and charts, would be great to do with students in the classroom. If you want to see more, check out my "Wedding Planner Spreadsheet"

Spreadsheets are a wonderful tool that can be utilized in the classroom. There are many possibilities for integrated spreadsheets, and graphs made from these spreadsheets, in your class. I would love to incorporate a WebQuest with a particular spreadsheet project for my students. I think that this would be a fun way for the students to interact with technology while learning about a new subject or topic. In my opinion, it would be best to use an inquiry-based approach for introducing this new concept of spreadsheets to your students. An inquiry based approach is basically one where you seek for information by asking questions or questioning things. For example, I would ask my students questions about the new tool, being the spreadsheet, to get them thinking of questions that they may have. There are three particular guiding questions that I would use while introducing this new concept of spreadsheets to my students. These three guiding questions are listed below:
1. How can we use spreadsheets to collect and/or analyze information?
2. What kind of information can we collect in a spreadsheet?
3. How do spreadsheets help us learn more about a set a data or information?

In conclusion, spreadsheets are a great learning tool which, in my opinion, should be introduced to children at an early age. This will most likely not be the last time that your students will see and work with spreadsheets. Therefore, this will be a skill that your students can take with them for the rest of their lives. There are endless possibilities when it comes to incorporating spreadsheets in your classroom. Give it a try!!!