On the Web: Spreadsheets

On the Web: Spreadsheets features popular sites that offer integration ideas, software options that are suitable for K-12 settings, and spreadsheet tutorials. The sections are listed alphabetically. If you know of a site that is missing from this collection but is would provide helpful information to teachers, please contact us.

Integration Ideas || Software Options || Spreadsheet Tutorials

Integration Ideas with Spreadsheets

Center for Engineering and Science Education
Multiple collaborative projects, in which students can participate and calculate different types of data, are provided here. Teachers can allow class participation or simulate the activity in the classroom using spreadsheet software. Find unique projects for your classroom at this site.

Creating Charts
This site at Math Forum provides web units graphs and charts by Suzanne Alejandre. Bar graphs, Pie charts, Pictograms and other types of graphs are found here with “how to” sections.

Create a Graph at Kids' Zone
Kids' Zone offers a tutorial at this site as well as examples. A number of graphs are options here including bar, line, area, pie, and XY (scatter plots). Great site and great interactivity.
Franklin Online Institute
Ideas and resources for real world data to be analyzed and/or graphed. Multiple spreadsheet lessons can be found after doing a search.

Math Forum's Introduction to Math and Spreadsheets
This section at Math Forum, developed by Jan Garner, has a spreadsheet basics sections as well as a section on graphing and interactive examples.

What percentage of your class is right or left-handed: An data collection and analysis class experiment
This activity, hosted by Rice University and developed by Cynthia Lanius, with Math Forum, allows student participation in a data collection and analysis experiment that allows students to use spreadsheets to record and graph real data Try it!!

Spreadsheet software Options

Proprietary spreadsheet solutions

Numbers
Apple has introduced Numbers '09, a spreadsheet application available in iWork '09. Apple says that Numbers is "the familiar yet revolutionary new spreadsheet application." Check out the new features in this cool tool!.

Excel 2007
Microsoft Corporation offers their products of educational settings at this page. Excel 2007, the spreadsheet program, can be found at this page as well as a free 60 day trial or try it online.

Quattro Pro
Navigate to the K-12 section of Corel Corporation and find more information about Word Perfect Office for Students and Teachers. This office suite of programs includes a word processor, spreadsheet (Quattro Pro), presentation and address book applications. Free-30 day trials are available here.

Open Source spreadsheet solution

Open Office: Calc
OpenOffice.org is a multiplatform and multilingual office suite that offers free downloads and has a spreadsheet program named Calc. Read about this option, talk with your technology coordinator about the option of using it with your students and download and try it. Support can be a drawback to open source but try it and come to your own conclusions.

Web-based spreadsheet solutions

Google Spreadsheets
Google spreadsheets is a part of the Google Documents collection. Try this web-based solution to spreadsheet software and have access 24/7 as long as there is a computer with internet connection and a browser.

Zoho.com
Zoho offers a host of programs that are web-based and free if you have an account. Zoho Writer is an online word processor, Zoho Creator is an online database application and Zoho Sheet is an online spreadsheet. These are fully compatible with MS Office counterparts and promote digital literacy and collaboration. There is also a presentation tool as well as a wiki and more.

Thinkfree
Think Free Office offers web-based word processor, spreadsheets, and presentation programs that are are compatible with MS Office counterparts and are free. Getting an account here allows 1 gigabyte of free online storage.

Spreadsheet Tutorials

The following sites provide basic information, lessons and tutorials about computer basics. Annotations provide more information.

Interactive Spreadsheets
This site is developed by Allison Watkinson, a former math and technology teacher. This talented teacher shares information about interactive spreadsheets including the directions for making these electronic sheets as well as sharing a number of spreadsheets created by teachers.

Jan's Illustrated Computer Basics: Working with Numbers
Jan Smith, a mathematician and teacher, designed this site that holds basic information about computer literacy. The site is rich with pictures and includes information on computer types, software applications, hardware devices and much more. This section of her site is Working with Numbers: Spreadsheets and discusses not only the interface and navigation in MS Excel but also discusses formatting issues, formulas and analysis with "what if" explanations. This is available in English or Spanish.

Microsoft Excel Modules
This site at interent4classroom presents this site about Microsoft Excel Modules. At this site there is information about Excel Worksheet Basics for Windows and Mac. There are sample workbooks to download, and many links that are great sources for information.

School Spreadsheet Safari
This site is presented by ThinkQuest and presents a nice overview of spreadsheets with a definition, spreadsheet vocabulary, the basics, the history through 2001, classroom activities, a scavenger hunt, puzzle, quiz and references. A site map assists navigation. The only draw back is the distraction of the animated gifs but well worth the visit!!