Databases and Spreadsheets

I agree with Emily that chapter 7 offered many more beneficial ideas for the classroom. However, I still believe that knowing how to use databases and spreadsheets are important skills to have. As I read chapter 11, I realized that I was not exposed to many of these skills until high school. I have always thought that databases such as library records and web search engines are very helpful and I agree that they should be incorporated into elementary level learning and research. I also thought that the acrostic poem idea was creative and a great way for younger students to become familiar with using spreadsheets.

I thought the most effective idea presented in this chapter was using spreadsheets to learn about income and expenses. This is a very important skill for students to develop, so why not introduce managing money using spreadsheets in elementary school. As students mature and eventually start working, they will already possess skills to carefully manage and keep track of their money.

This week, I was surprised by the many uses of excel spreadsheets. I was always somewhat intimidated of working with spreadsheet because I wasn't confident in my ability. After this week, I am much more comfortable using spreadsheet and I even am aware of tools I didn't know existed. I am now able to create interactive quizzes that give immediate feedback. These skills will be very helpful in the future because I will be able to present my students with various methods of learning and testing.  I will also be able to expose my students to technology starting at the elementary school level so they can begin to develop their own technological skills.

Databases and Spreadsheets

Chapter 11

I agree with Emily that chapter 7 was much more informative, but that there were many good ideas in this chapter. When I was in elementary school, I did not use databases or spreadsheets, so I had not even thought of the possibility of using these tools in the elementary classroom.

One of the ideas that I thought would be beneficial for elementary students was using spreadsheets to teach money management. I think it is a wonderful idea to teach this to students at this age, and spreadsheets are a really creative and convenient way to do this.

Spreadsheets are also really good for making graphs. I remember making graphs by hand in elementary school, and I think using spreadsheets makes it easier for students to be organized and accurate when making graphs. It also gives them an opportunity to be more creative.

Another thing that I appreciated about this article was the "resources" box on page 147. I know that those websites will come in handy.

The Wonderful World of Databases and Spreadsheets

Although I found the first chapter we read much more informative, I still thought that the chapter about spreadsheets and databases was interesting. As Hamilton said, "some would question whether these two tools are appropriate for elementary students" (145). I am guilty of this as well. I was skeptical when we began discussing spreadsheets being used in the elementary classrooms besides using them for math purposes.

Little did I know, databases and spreadsheets are used for many other things than mathematics. Still, I think my favorite part about Hamilton's book in general is the great ideas that are presented in each section. I love discovering new and interesting ways to use this technology! Because I am an elementary education major, I think the activity that struck me the most was acrostic poems. I loved these as a child and never realized that by using spreadsheets, much creativity and thought can be put into them. I was also interested in the way that classrooms used spreadsheets to track their reading by genre (English) while also using it to make a graph of their findings (Mathematics).

Overall, spreadsheets and databases are very functional and can be used in many different ways in the elementary classroom.

Using Databases and Spreadsheets

As I read Chapter 11, I realized how little I really know about databases and spreadsheets. Hamilton states, "databases and spreadsheets receive the least attention and use" (145). This statement was completely correct for my grade school and high school. I adequately learned how to use word processing and multimedia presentations, but we never specifically focused on spreadsheets for classroom projects. I had also never stopped to think about how simple it is for students to learn how to use databases. The word database sounds very complex and confusing, but it can be as easy as teaching students how to use Web search engines.

Another aspect that I love about this book is how many resources and ideas for lesson plans it gives you. I especially enjoy the Citation Tools because I had never heard of any of those websites. They will not only benefit my future students, but also myself as a student. As I read about the ideas it gave for Acrostics, I remember doing a similar project in grade school. The only difference for me was that we simply did it on paper. This book gave me the idea to turn Name Poems (the project we did in grade school) into a spreadsheet project. Then the students would not only be using English but also Technology to fulfill this project. Continuing this book, I plan on coming up with many more plans for future activities for my students.

Databases and Spreadsheets

There were two things I really enjoyed in this chapter. 

The first thing was they discussed using and teaching students to use automated databases. I agree that this is so important.  A lot of school libraries are databases and teaching children to use these as effectively as possible will better their research skills.  Teaching children to research also means teaching them, "skills for selecting, evaluating, and citing resources," (146). I think this is so important. There is so much on the internet today that is not credible or has been plagiarized from another site. Teaching these skills and enforcing them will help students for the rest of their lives. The book provided a website "Searching The Net" that sounded great for teaching  students about web searching. 

The second thing was using the Spreadsheets. We have already learned so much in class that I never knew was possible with Excel. But my favorite part in the book was the idea for the middle school survey.  Whether it is 5Th grade going to middle school or 8Th grade going to high school there are always worries and rumors. For example a large concern is always: Do the older kids stuff you into lockers?   By doing this activity the teacher is able to teach math skills, excel skills, english skills and calm concerns all at the same time. For these reasons I thought doing this graph was a great idea for those students who will be changing schools very shortly. 

Technology in the elementary classroom

Since I could not figure out how to become a contributor or post my own blog I have decided to leave a comment that is rely my responce. I like the reading, and I thought the all of the examples of for using technology were helpful. I would not have thought of that many ways to incorporate technology into the classroom. I feel like I have learned a lot in just one week, but since I can't figure out how to blog yet, it seems I could still learn much more. I was excited to learn how to use the editing feature on Word and how to insert a hyperlink into the document.

I was surprised when the reading mentioned the early ages that students are being taught to type. I don't have any recollection of typing in the school setting until middle school. I did have a typing program at home also, but I did not actually learn how to type efficiently until I took keyboarding class my freshman year of high school. I think it is extremely important to teach students to type, even if they can not master the skill at such an early age. I agree with the book that the word processor can be used even if the skill of typing has not been perfected.

I think it is important to balance the use of technology and the use of paper and pencil writing. One reason I think this is because the students we will teach have grown up using instant messanger and texting, so they already have an idea of typing. They also are probably in the habit of using shorthand when they are typing, and I think writing in school will help break that habit. They can learn when to use formal and informal language. I was excited to hear that teachers are trying to incorporate so much technology into the "standard" school curriculum.