Lab 10: Integrating Spreadsheets into Curriculum

Description: Spreadsheets can be used independently by students in the classroom for a number of different curriculum activities. Students can create their own calculators for specific operations, generate/search for data and summarize this information as part of a project, and more. There are a number of educators who have created spreadsheet lesson plans across a variety of subjects. We're going to look at a number of them and then develop some of our own.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 94 – 101.
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft Excel, Web Browser.

Links:

LT Technologies - Spreadsheet Links - a robust set of links to websites that provide lessons that integrate spreadsheets into K-12 curriculum from Lisa Toulon at LT Technologies.
Integrating Spreadsheets in the Classroom - from Peggy J. Steffens -Instructional Technology Coordinator of Amphiteater Public Schools, Tucson, Arizona.

Lab Procedure:

1. You will create a lesson plan that integrates Excel into the curriculum. Be sure to define the grade level, curricular goal, and a description of how a spreadsheet will be used by the student. Cover the following three steps in your lesson description:

• Set a clear task for the student to accomplish, i.e.: the student will create a spreadsheet and graph that will...
• Create a process, in list format, describing how to accomplish the task. EX: (the method in which data will be collected, how much data needs to be collected, how the data should be organized in the spreadsheet, what kind of graph/chart should be created from the data.)
• Define how the student will present and share his/her work.

2. Save your lesson plan as a word document appropriately named (jones_lab10.doc) with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.
3. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 10).