Performance Record
Google Sheets Link: https://goo.gl/9Dx7My
Having no notable prior experience working with any spreadsheet program, I was hesitant to dive into Google Sheets at first; however, this quickly changed once I began tampering with the program. Through confiding with my classmates regarding this program for grade book use, I became more confident in working with spreadsheets.
In order to help organize my thoughts, I began by adding an additional sheet in order to keep up with detailed scores while keeping a master grade sheet separate. Through utilizing this tool, I believe educators can effectively manage grades because of organizational skills. The most convenient feature on Google Sheets is the formula converter used to average scores together. Once understanding how to program the grades into the formula, I was able to quickly average student grades without much confusion. This, of course, is helpful to my mathematically challenged mind.
Although I find this app useful in managing student grades, I am still a little hazy on many features Google Sheets has. Firstly, I would like to know if there is any way to connect the individual grades on the more detailed spreadsheet to the master grade sheet without having to enter them manually. I would also be open to finding a more efficient attendance tracker in keeping up with absent and tardy students.
In order to help students meet Common Core State Standards through working with Google Sheets, student can manipulate mathematical formulas through plugging them into the cells on the spreadsheet. Many may question how students can learn if the program is computing the mathematical problems for them. The answer to this is students can manipulate the formulas in order to see which tool can help interpret results, thus leading to critical thinking skills. Through manipulating Google Sheets, students can add data which can be converted to graphs and diagrams. In turn, students can be asked to report their findings utilizing evidence gained from the spreadsheet program. Because this Google app is shareable (alike Docs and Slides) students can meet the Common Core standards for collaboration and utilization of technology.
Overall, Google Sheets provides effective means of communication and storage of data which proves useful to educators and students alike. However, this program, alike any other spreadsheet software, requires time and practice in learning the varying features. Through keeping this in mind, beginners to this program need not be discouraged in learning how to create spreadsheets which prove to be beneficial, especially in the classroom setting.
There is no practical limit on the size of any given spreadsheet, so one could keep the more detailed information in another section of the same spreadsheet ("Attendance data starting a line 50," maybe). Then information can be plugged in using the equals sign and the cell coordinates.
ReplyDeleteCrossing between spreadsheets successfully requires adjusting Sharing settings and using huge URL addresses that easily can be corrupted. While it is possible, the connections break easily and can be pretty frustrating.
On the other hand, one can very easily add "chunks" of additional lines at the bottom of a spreadsheet. Additional columns can be added, but only one column at a time. Nonetheless it still is possible and only a bit more difficult than adding rows.
One could track attendance by running analytics for each student that tallies a "1" for each day attendance is recorded, then at the end of the total days attendance running a "=sum()" across the range, divided by "n" in a cell that you increment each day by 1. That will give you a percentage of attendance for each student when you update "n."
Thanks!
I am double checking on your weighting. I now understand your question about moving data between sheets as I see your data detail on the second sheet. Leaving a manual intervention to move data from one sheet to another is not the optimum, with consideration for the weighting grade expectation. You could have more fully automated this either with keeping all data on one sheet or by moving it between sheets as discussed above. Stopping with a manual operation in the midst of things is a little less than optimum. Sorry...
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