Friday, July 8, 2011
Quite Possibly the Most Useful Tool So Far
Teaching 8th graders is sort of like training lions. Just when you think they are friendly, listening to you, and controllable, it all goes out the window and the trainer is attacked. Ok, so it might not be that bad, but like animals, my 8th graders have a huge range of abilities and mind sets. One day they are brilliant, exceeding every expectation, and the next, helpless.... My students have had such huge ranges in ability the past few years (thats another topic, for another day) that making a graph using a computer can be like rocket science to them, even if given lessons, tutorials, step by step instructions etc. After tinkering with Create A Graph, I really think this tool can find a home in my classroom, can be used by the students at the lower ability levels, and can produce similar results to MS Excel. While I still think Excel is a better program, the Create A Graph tool can match the students abilities until they feel comfortable entering data and interpreting graphs.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I had my students use Create a Graph this year for their science project reports, a student actually told me about it. You're right -- they can be very successful and it's easy to go back and forth from the data to preview the graph. My thinking is that they pretty much know what a graph should look like but may not be able to construct it from scratch in a program like Excel. It's also easy for one student to help another. The thing I would change for next year is helping kids resize the final PDF so they don't have to print an entire page.
ReplyDeleteI just started using Create a Graph this summer and also want to use it in my classroom. I think that it will help them not only understand the graphing process, but it helps them produce a nice neat graph that which is hard for some of my students.
ReplyDeleteI had been using GraphSketch with a HS group I was working with, but that seemed a bit high-level for some of them, so thank you for the plug for Create a Graph. I'm adding it to my wiki for my 5th graders! I'm very excited because I think my groups, no matter the level will be able to interpret data that they collect using this tool. I am very excited for school to start and to ease my students into technology use!
ReplyDelete