Spreadsheets In the Classroom

Today in class we went over spreadsheets and charts that can be created by using tools such as google doc or Microsoft excel. Personally I think that spreadsheets and charts are great ways of portraying statistical information or data found through research about any subject. I can see these tools being used for virtually any subject that students in any grade level can use. It is a great way to bring what you learn in class while integrating technology to provide a simple, clean, and direct way to show whatever it is you are creating a spreadsheet or chart about. The inquiry-based learning style can be used with these tools very easily. By providing a question for the students to research about and have them look into possible answers, the students can collect data to turn into a chart. Plus to go with the inquiry-based learning style the students will take the responsibility to gather the research, answers, and statistics to prove that their answers are correct. Gives them the ability to not depend on the teachers statistics and makes them appreciate the whole experience more. For my activity plan I incorporated the weather and looked up one weeks worth of temperatures. The students could find the high and low of temperatures per day, the average temperature, and the difference between the highs and lows. Globally these tools can be used by having the class put together a research project in which they can publish for anyone to see. It can also be used by finding another classroom somewhere else and having them compare one weeks worth of temperatures which then could further relate to others subjects like geography. The difference could prove that there is a difference in weather everywhere instead of students just thinking it is like there town only and could lessen the egocentric world that most students live in.