Educational Technology Week 2

Living in such a technology-based society as we do, I often find myself feeling a little technologically impaired. I feel like my knowledge of a lot of things in the area of technology is very limited, which can make using new technology a little intimidating at times. However, I am open to learning new things, especially if it will improve my lessons and make my teaching more effective. I have very little experience using spreadsheets and databases, and have only used Excel a handful of times in my undergraduate study. I had a research and statistics class in my undergraduate work, and I think that is the only class that I had to use Excel in. Using programs like Excel is something I need to work on so that I can utilize them in the classroom.

While researching websites on spreadsheets and databases, I came across one that I found to be an excellent resource for teachers wanting to implement their use in the classroom. The site is the Trumball County Educational Service Center: http://www.trumbull.k12.oh.us/Teachers/resources/usingss.htm  , and this site has a page titled "Using Spreadsheets in the Classroom" that provides a great number of resources for teachers. The site provides links to articles, activities, lesson plans, online spreadsheet sites, and tutorials for using Excel. It's like a one-stop shop for teachers wanting to find out more about utilizing spreadsheets in their instruction. When navigating this site, I was surprised at the vast amount of possible activities teachers can do with spreadsheets. One of the links on this site is called "Excel Activities," and it has several interesting ideas for spreadsheet activities. For example, an excellent beginner activity to have students do is analyzing M&Ms data. This activity allows students to become familiar with how to use Excel functions like calculating and graphing. Not to mention the fact that you and your students will be able to enjoy eating the M&Ms at the end of the activity. I was surprised to find that using spreadsheets in the classroom can be both educational and fun.

The use of spreadsheets and databases in the classroom addresses Standard 2 in the NETS-T: Design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments. Having students do activities like the M&Ms data analysis would address this standard in that it involves the students using an important technology and becoming familiar with it. This activity would also address Standard 3 in the NETS-S: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Using Excel would give students the opportunity to use technology to analyze and interpret data in an efficient and effective manner. 

One of the videos I watched "Tools for Tracking Student Success" in Ch. 7, describes how one school district implemented an online report card system that allows teachers to input student data and then have that data create an online report card. Parents can view these report cards and see how their child is progressing in his or her classes. The program is able to chart student progress over time, which helps teachers, parents, and students get a clear picture of how well a child is doing. This report card system is an excellent use of database and spreadsheet technology in the classroom. 

I am not yet a teacher, so I have not used spreadsheets and databases in the classroom yet. However, I see how I could definitely make use of both of these tools in the classroom. I could use Excel for projects like the one I described earlier. I could also use spreadsheets to track student grades and progress in the class. I could utilize databases to keep records of my students that could be passed on to their next teachers each year. This would give other teachers accurate background information on the student, and allow the teacher to more effectively meet each student's individual needs. 

After this week, I have realized the importance and usefulness of both spreadsheets and databases for classroom instruction. I plan on using both of these tools in my future classroom.