Using Spreadsheets in Classroom Instruction

Excel is used in some classrooms to explain math in a more hands on way. It is used to demonstrate how to solve problems with repeated change, surveys, and graphing real world statistics such as exploring mortgage rates at different time periods. They also use spreadsheet to do fun stuff in science! For an example, one class used it to calculate how much they would weigh on Mars. After they calculated it for themselves, they made a spreadsheet for other people to be able to figure out how much they would weigh themselves. After reading various ideas on the web, I have found out spreadsheets could be used for various fun and exciting activities!

Spreadsheets Link

Examples of Blogs Used in the US

In the link provided, there are a series of examples were blogging is used in classrooms within the US. One particular teacher in New Jersey uses blogs for his journalism and literature classes. In the journalism, the students write news stories and edit each others work. They comment and critique class readings in the literature class.
In Conyers, Georgia, a third grade teacher uses blogs in the classroom to spotlight selected writings of her students. It is also used to link students' work and classroom news to other teachers.

Learn more about US blogging here.

International Schools Blogging

In the link provided with this topic, it is explained how students in British schools are using blogs in their classrooms. Teachers use blogs to post homework and class assignments. The children are expected to post their work back onto the blog also. This is a way that students get more interested in school work that they might have otherwise disliked. Teachers have also seen that students are doing more work than they are actually expected to do. It's like they are more excited to actually do their school work!

Click Here

~Mardi Gras~

For my mini Mardi Gras vacation, I decided to start it a little early by not attending my classes on the Monday before the day we were actually out of class on Tuesday. That Sunday after I got off of work, I went home to Mississippi to visit my family since I had not seen them since our Christmas vacation. I really enjoyed spending quality time with them. I also met up with some friends form high school, and we went to go see a movie at the theatre. We had fun just chilling together. I did not attend any parades this year. I was upset about that. I had to work for the one parade that I did want to go to back at home. That's really the one time that I actually get to see everyone that I went to school with cause everyone comes home for Mardi Gras. But other than tha tI had a wonderful mini vacation.