Using Spreadsheets in the Classroom

I like what I have learned so far about building and using spreadsheets. I can really see so many possibilities for exciting opportunies to use this in the classroom as a strong resourse and variation for pumping up enthusiasm and reinforcing informaiton gained for many assigments. One idea I saw online that would be great to use currently for 11the and 12th grade English and History students would be to use a spreadsheet activity on a Presidential candidate. It was called
Campaign Hot Buttons - This simulation activity asks students to work as staffers for a politician (played by the teacher). They are assigned to design, administer, and analyze a poll on an important community issue; to develop a position statement based on poll results; and to persuasively present the candidate's stand on the issue. I think this could even have broader applications for 11th and 12 th grade students who could expand to further campaign issues as well., such as getting the data on the political issues, polls, campaign agenda and the plans and promises of the candidate.
Students could also conduct a poll at the school and enter this data into the spreadsheet, learning the functions and formulas. I can see them getting excited about this approach and feeling that their learning had risen to a higher level and is correlated to the real world in ways they could see it and use it and internalize it throught this hands on approach, rather than hearing a lecture, or simply reading and not applying.
I can see that having this format would really help the student dig for and organize the information in a fun and challenging way. Inserting the data into the program would help reinforce what they are learning and help them give an organized and convincing presentation. This way of learning would also increase their presentation confidence as well.
I like the interactive spreadsheets that give the students direct feedback on their information and answers right away, and encourages them to keep looking for more information, follow links, checking sources and to get the accurate facts without getting discouraged.
Having access to learning from making a variety of graphs would also help them visualize the information gathered and be a more concrete way of grasping the concepts of the complicated issues of presenting, gathering and explicating the data and how it applies.
I am anxious to keep learning this program so I can feel confident to use such a terrific resource for valuable learning that I think will challenge upper high school grade students.

Joan's Goals and Education Ideas

My name is Joan Rudd and I am 47 yrs. old. I began pursuing my degree in English 30 years ago before I was married. I am just now going back and finishing my degree so that I can teach high school. I love to read and write and discuss books, poetry and literature of all kinds.
I plan to finish my degree the same year as my last child graduates high school and then I plan to teach and have the summers off to spend time with my 4 children, all of whom will still be in college.

As a teacher, I have been working as a substitute at Mountain View High School where my children go as well. I love working with this age of students and love the challenge of helping them prepare for college and their futures.

My teaching philosophy seems to be centered around helping the students understand why they should want to learn and how they can use this education in the future of their lives in so many ways. I want to promote the ability to think past the ordinary and expected, to get excited about wanting to learn for their own sake and not to please the teacher.

I want to help them be better reader, speakers writer and thinkers. There is too much apathy, too much poor grammar, too much inablity to communicate and to really think and apply knowledge to a broader base of life experiences.

I want to teach forward thinking, open mindedness, amd the value of learning and using knowledge to improve society, iprove literature and ideas and history, even if this means just helping their own children be better learners.