This website created by another education student, describes some uses of spreadsheets and databases in the classroom:
I had never really thought about using a spreadsheet to track student data. I have used it to format my evaluation methods in the past, but this article got me thinking about using charts and data to track my own effectiveness as a teacher. I could create a flow chart where I monitor myself on each new concept that I teach. Allowing for variables, I could create an input coefficient for different teaching methods I may use to teach a given topic. I could then correlate my effectiveness based on my methods and resulting student scores and evaluations. Recently, after watching the documentary on education called, Waiting for Superman, I've been made aware that a teacher's successes based on student scores are always monitored by administrators. They are used to evaluate a teacher's ability, though the teacher may have little knowledge such methods. Therefore, why not use database software to stay one step ahead of the game, to set goals for oneself as an educator, and to always know where you stand and the progress you are making with your students.
In the past, I've used databases and spreadsheets mainly for my own planning and inter-departmental purposes. However, after reading more about the uses of databases in schools, I thought about my use of "Kid's College" or "Dreambox," which are programs provided by my school, in which children complete quizzes and play games for scores, and an administrators have the ability to check periodically and see statistical evidence of progress or lack thereof. After reading more about the uses of spreadsheets and databases, I also thought about using them to teach children how to categorize, compare, add, subtract, use charts (like a pie chart to compare parts to a whole), and even to track their own progress. I think it would be great to teach children from a young age how to input their own data into a program. This is one area of technology that has been difficult for me to learn, and has taken me a lot of time to acquire. It would have been great to have someone teach me how to use it from the start!
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