Chapter 8 Reflection

As Morrison and Lowther (2010) suggest, there are two types of data that can be collected with the use of Spreadsheets. First, there are data in the form of numbers, such grade point average, scoring average in sporting events, math functions. The second kind of data comes in the form of text, such as names of plants or names of students. In a lesson integrated with spreadsheets, students could study how the voting system works by conducting their own vote, collect and analyze the data, and view the results in the form of a graph.

As previously stated, spreadsheets has multiple functions that allow users to enjoy multiple uses. A few of these uses include basic math functions that allow users to easily discover averages or percentages. This can create a short cut for students when looking for any trends in their data. These trends can also be presented in the form of a bar graph, scatter plot, or line graph depending on the class.

As a teacher, I would require my students to keep up their own record of assignments to eliminate the constant questions of how they are doing in my class. They would have every assignment and grade already logged in their spreadsheet. The students could then present this data in the form of a line graph to see if they have progressively improved or regressing in my class. This is important because it can show students how much they have been slacking in class and allow them to correct it. Many times, when I was younger, I would not realize how behind I was getting. If I had a graph that could illustrate my behaviors, I would have been able to eliminate the waste much quicker.

It is also quite possible to create a simulation through the use of Spreadsheets. Morrison and Lowther (2010) offer the example of demonstrating the different weights people would experience on different planets. Each student could input their own weight and convert it through basic math functions to see which planets they would weigh less or more on.  This is a great example but there are many other examples that exist. Another such example could be simulating the currency exchange rate between different countries. Students who have part-time jobs could find this especially interesting if they discover how much their paychecks would be worth in a third-world country.