Over the last two weeks, we have been working with online spreadsheets and discussing software evaluation. I am fairly comfortable with spreadsheets as I have used them often in my classroom, but there are always new things to learn when using a new software.
I have used Microsoft Excel for many things in my own life. I coach track and field and use spreadsheets to track athletes' personal records and points earned throughout the season. In my classroom, I use spreadsheets often in Accounting. The spreadsheets become a valuable tool for the students. Once we cover basic accounting principles and the students become comfortable doing problems written, I then require them to work with spreadsheets for many problems. I create the form they will be using, and they fill in the required information and the formulas needed in the spreadsheet. The spreadsheets make journalizing and posting transactions much faster and prevents errors in math. The students also use spreadsheets for the financial statements. Again, I create the forms and they enter the appropriate information and formulas. By using these spreadsheets, students see there is another way of doing accounting. I also use spreadsheets in Personal Finance when the students are creating budgets. The spreadsheet allows them to use categories for income and expenses. The students can then use a formula to total each section and then subtract the totals to balance their budgets. It is very easy for them to then change the numbers the next month.
Where I teach, teachers are responsible for evaluating software and submitting a request to purchase the software. On the form, the teacher must indicate for what class the software will be used, how the software aligns with curriculum and what learning objectives will be reached by using the software, who will be using the software and where it will be used, how many copies of the software are required for purchase, and hardware/software requirements. The form is then submitted to the district technician for approval. If it is approved, the form must be attached to any requisition form to be approved by administration. It is a good process since the teacher is the one requesting the software and knows it is valuable to their curriculum. It also is a good process because the technician is consulted to see if the servers and computers have the capabilities required by the software.
This week's lessons have been very valuable for me and could easily be used in my classroom.
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ReplyDeleteHow do your students like spreadsheets? Do they find entering formulas confusing, or do they like it once they know it? I know you stated you create the spreadsheets and they enter the information. Have you ever thought of having the students create their own spreadsheets?
ReplyDeleteOur district has adopted a simliar way of purchasing software. Have you gone through this process to order any specific software? If so, what have you purchased? Do you think with all the new web 2.0 tools will eliminate the need to purchase extra software?
ReplyDeleteTammy-often the kids struggle with the formulas. Some of them haven't taken the required Computer Lit class yet and don't know how to do the formulas, so I have to work through those when we do the spreadsheets. The kids who have taken that class have forgotten how to do the formulas, so the refresher is helpful. I create the spreadsheets for them so the forms are created correctly.
ReplyDeleteCarl-I purchased the Adobe CS3 a few years ago for a site license rather than for just my lab and about five years ago I purchased Peachtree for my Accounting class. I think districts will always have to purchase software. I think a lot of companies don't want to put their software online, especially the specialty software that is used specifically for certain content areas.
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