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Excel was developed
as a spreadsheet program. It is an excellent tool for that, no
doubt. However, educators all over the world have taken the tool
and transformed it into an amazing interactive vehicle for
learning just about anything, from fractions to sentences,
history, geography, games, on and on.
Four tools in Excel
that provide the most flexibility and application are its
graphing ability, its formula adaptations, its function uses,
and its "comments" action. Check out the tip of the iceberg by
following the links below. I created very simple projects just
to give you a taste. Some of the files only have two or three
examples of the activity. You don't have to know anything about
Excel to create these and many more on your own, with very
little help. (See the offer below.)
Allow time for each
project to open in your Excel Application. Save as
you please.
Body Parts Crossword
- Sheet 1 has the crossword; sheet 2 has the answer. I just used
"comments" to give the clues. To click on the second sheet, look
for the tabs at the bottom.
Colors - Super
simple examples to show how you can have students fill in the
answer and get immediate feedback.
The Human Skeleton -
Another example on fill-in-the-word and get immediate feedback.
Colorado Map - Use
comments to provide information with a click.
Trip Cost Estimator
- Complete the information in each cell, and see the formula
work.
See Fractions
Work - Very simple and easy project that uses a spinner form
and a related chart.
Literacy Chart
- Look at examples of very simple activities for ABE, ESL,
or adaptable to any student. Click on the links from the 1st
sheet or simply click the tabs at the bottom for additional
sheets. I didn't create this one. The link is on the sheet.
Want to learn how?
You can create several of the above in a one-hour workshop. Grab
your computer with Excel 2003, and we'll connect over the phone
where you can see my computer and I yours.
Contact me for the best
date, and we'll go from there. All you pay for is the long
distance call, which, with a phone card, can be as little as 3-5
cents a minute!
Click on
LINKS to Excel
Resources (in Word). I checked the links a week ago and they all
worked. Hope that's still the case. If you find a faulty link,
please drop me an email. If you have a link to contribute, do
the very same thing with my thanks.
PBS Launches New Teacher Site Today!
Find
thousands
of free lesson plans, local and national educator
resources, teacher professional development, videos,
blogs, and more! Yes, it is designed for PK-12, but
there is a lot there that we can adapt for adult
educators. Enjoy!
From Arlington, VA; March 1, 2007 – PBS
today unveils one of its most comprehensive
Web undertakings in years with the debut of
PBS Teachers, PBS’ portal for pre-K-12
educators (www.pbs.org/teachers).
In production for more than a year, PBS
Teachers is the front door for all
educational resources and services PBS
offers, and provides information on
effective ways to use media and technology
in the school- or home-based learning
environment.
The site offers a one-stop resource for
educators searching for wide-ranging
curriculum resources, video products (Shop
for Teachers), online professional
development opportunities (PBS TeacherLine)
and more.
“With the launch of PBS Teachers, PBS and
our local stations will make available an
unprecedented array of state-of-the-art
resources for educators across the country,”
said Mary Kadera, vice president of
education. “The breadth of content showcased
on the site will be valuable to teachers of
all grade levels and subject areas.”
I
searched this new site for plans in Grades 3-5,
in Applied Math, for example. One lesson
was designed to "Measure different parts of
bicycles that have been designed for different
purposes, and find the ratio of the frame size
to the chain stay. Compare and contrast the
ratios, and explain the reasons for the
differences."
There
are many resources waiting to be discovered. If
you find one you like, send me a short
description of how you used it and we'll share
it here!
Send me
your ideas for future issues! |
