Learn/review basic spreadsheet functions
Why it is so important to be able to use spreadsheet software in education? Because it is a powerful tool for organizing and presenting data. Whether it’s for balancing a budget, collating statistical data, createing a chart to illustrate data, there are several ways spreadsheet software can become a good sidekick.
There are several types of spreadsheet software. Here is a short list of the most widely known:
- Microsoft Excel
- Google Spreadsheet / Google Sheets
- Numbers
At first glance, spreadsheet software may seem counter-intuitive and complex to operate. But once you get the basic ins and outs of the software (cell referencing, formatting, functions, etc.), the spreadsheet will become one of your best allies in the classroom and your personal life.
There are plenty of video tutorials to get the basics of how spreadsheet software works. Choose the one that best suits your working environment (Microsoft/Apple/Android, computer/tablet, etc.) and get started! Once you have learned the basics of spreadsheet software you will discover that they pretty much all work the same way.
As a beginner, you should be able to use basic arithmetic formulas (+, -, *, /) and make use of basic formatting tools.
Just like it is for almost anything else, the best conditions for learning are met when you have a project of your own and you try to figure things out by yourself. You’ll find a little exercise you can try in the documents section (on the right-hand side).
This is an example of a video tutorial that might be helpful for your first steps.