April 1, 2009

This week we have been working in Microsoft Excel. We learned how to make worksheets and the codes that can be entered so that when you type the answer the computer tells you if you are right or wrong. I thought this was an interesting activity. I think that it could be useful to use in a classroom, but the limitations of computers have to be taken into account. If a classroom had three or four computers in it, making these worksheets to be completed on the computer could be a great idea for a center. It is a good way for students to be able to work independently and be able to look at their answer and figure out why it is wrong and try again. This is also a great way to help them succeed. There is not a limit to how many times they can try a problem to get the right answer, and as the teacher, I would just be looking at the total points at the end. This gives them the chance to get all of them right even if they had to retry them a few times. This can be very effective for their learning, because they are not just being told the right answer, but they have the opportunity to try again to come up with the right answer. I think that this is effective for students in keeping the skills in their long term memory. It becomes more meaningful to them when they have worked to get the right answer.