A website I found in search of information on spreadsheets in the classroom is www.alicechristie.org/edtech/ss/ I enjoyed looking at this site as it had great examples that students had used working with spreadsheets in the K-12 classroom. The use of graphs in Excel was noted in several examples as younger students displayed how they liked their eggs and potatoes prepared was given in two examples. There was a great amount of interesting resources on spreadsheets. One for grades 3-5 was an interview activity that I wouldn't have thought of using Excel for. It noted it was a good way to get students familiar with the program and that it was a way to show their work organized, which was a better option than word processing.
A database website I found about applying them in the classroom is www.internet4classrooms.com/examples_data.htm There was an interesting use a science teacher used a database for which was to have students enter information the first day which then became her gradebook, birthday list, and roster. What a neat way to get the students involved instead of just collecting the information.
I have used databases and spreadsheets in my work as a RD. At a previous job a colleague of mine kept up with her documentation list on a spreadsheet she developed. She could then figure out each month which clients needed a nutrition assessment and/or a nutrition progress note charted. It was color coded. I have to admit, at first it didn't make sense with all the colors. To her though it kept her organized easier. I suppose it depends on the person on what organizational type works best for them. I have worked with a number of databases through job experiences. Our foodservice department at another job used a database system to look up client names which would then bring you to that client's file, which you could then enter progress notes or modify a menu for that person. Also with my work at a local health department, we also used a state database to fill out WIC paperwork in the clinic area on a specific client that could then be printed and saved as a reference for the next visit.
The technology exploration on free concept mapping programs was interesting as I haven't used this type of program for personal or professional use yet. I enjoyed learning how they can apply to both teachers and students in the classroom. I think it's really been interesting so far all the technology that is available to the classroom. It's actually exciting to see how we can move from a traditional lecture to something more exciting for us as educators and for our students.
All the information given on wikis has been a tremendous asset to see how they are applied. I liked the experience in viewing several wikis that educators use in their classrooms. The Wiki Repository article was neat to see how a wiki was started and what teachers that participated in it thought about it. It was also good to see both the pros and cons in the classroom. I think as a new educator entering the field it's helpful to know that we can look to wikis as a resource for materials, tips, and ideas. The article was interesting too to point out that a wiki would give the opportunity for teachers to interact with other teachers that they normally may not get the opportunity too. There was a section in the article on communities of practice. It noted that it was common in schools for a sense of independence and isolation since educators are in their own classroom. Hopefully technology can and will fill in that gap for educators to collaborate and share information. It appears that in many sites given in the lesson this is happening. That's wonderful to see since our common goal is educating our students not just ourselves.
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