Spreadsheets

The spreadsheets program by Google is a great asset for teachers to use in the classroom.  It has the same great features as the other Google Apps, such as collaboration and cloud storage.  Of all the programs, however, spreadsheets is probably the most complex.  It seems difficult in the beginning, but the more you use it and learn how each function works, it is an extremely useful program.

Because it has the collaboration feature, data collected can instantly be shared, modified, and presented in graphically appealing ways with charts and gadgets.  It is primarily a program to organize math data, but can be used for many other subjects as well.  Integrating math into other classes is important for learning about decision making.  Being able to present information in a concise, easy to read format, will help to convey an idea and persuade others of a particular point of view.

The Common Core Mathematics Standards guide the teacher to instill into the student certain behaviors and ideas that make them develop critical thinking with mathematics.  Being able to apply the knowledge they have gained in math and relate it to other fields of study through those same processes will help them build the critical thinking skills required to be successful in college and career.  Usually people to whom one would be presenting to in the workplace, are pulled in many directions and time is a very valuable commodity.  When an idea can be presented quickly and easily understood, it is more likely to persuade rather than an idea that requires a lot of reading and time to comprehend its effects.

In my first career, I was a clothing buyer for a department store.  Because most decisions were made based on financials, Excel spreadsheets were a necessity for sharing information.  Every idea that was presented had to be accompanied by a spreadsheet displaying how it would be accomplished and what the outcome would be as it related to numbers.  At some point in every business, numbers have to be considered.  That is why learning spreadsheet software is vital to one's career outside of school.  School, however, is the best place to learn how to do spreadsheets.  Having a class on how to use a spreadsheet is a great way to get introduced to the program.  Learning the complex uses, such as formulas and functions, usually comes once you are familiar with the basics and have a need for using these functions.  It is a program that one could probably never stop learning how to use in a new and different way.  

Being somewhat familiar with the Excel program, though it has been a while since I have used some of the more complex features, Spreadsheets was very similar in its maneuvering.  I thought, for the most part it was just as easy to use and manipulate the data just as I had done in Excel.  A few things I found while doing our project that I liked better about Excel were:  in copying and pasting, items did not always translate as copied, especially formulas; resizing columns and rows was more cumbersome; and it seemed to take longer to process certain commands.  Otherwise I think it will just take time to learn to navigate the new program, as some commands were just located in different places than in Excel. 

Overall, to be able to access a program of this quality for free is a huge plus for school.  It will help them to be able to reach the Common Core objectives without having to buy programs for every computer.  And again, the ability to share a project and see the changes made by others in real time is an amazing tool for learning and time saving.

Here is the link to my gradebook spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlnlNpa7QhwrdC0ydXNlQUhQT1oyZDN2YVJfRS1fRnc&usp=drive_web#gid=0