Excel, a Gradebook, and You How to use this “financial/business” software for your educational purposes a.k.a. How not to have to use a calculator to figure grades

Not to offend anyone, but... zMake sure your computer has Microsoft Excel on it. If you use a thumb drive, make sure the computer you access also has Excel. Open the program by double-clicking the Excel icon zSave your work periodically. VERY frustrating to get it exactly as you want, then you lose it. zAgain - SAVE, SAVE, SAVE

Definitions zColumns = vertical zRows = horizontal zCells = what look like “blocks” zFormulae = self-explanatory zText = self-explanatory zWorksheet = what you see on the screen

So... what’s it look like?

What can I enter? zYou can enter text or data into the cells, but not both within the same cell. zHere’s an example:

How do I know which cell I’m working with? zYou can always tell which cell you’re working with because it’ll have a dark box around it:

What about the formatting?  You can format (bold, italicize, underline, center, change font style, change the font size, etc.) by using the toolbar at the top of the screen, just like in Microsoft Word.

Alan’s “Tricks of the Trade” zCreate your column names first by adding the titles you want (text) into the first row. Don’t forget to “Tab” to get to the next cell over. zFormat your column names zAdd your information (text or formulae) to the cells under your column names. zFormat your information zSAVE, SAVE, SAVE

Formulae Each cell is designated by column & row z1 + 1 = 2 z2 - 1 = 1 z2 x 2 = 4 z4  2 = 2 z100 x 50% = 50 yRemember, to convert the % to the “.” you move the “.” 2 spaces to the left. y50% = 50. =.50 z =sum(d1:d2) z =sum(d2-d1) z =sum(d1*d2) z =sum(d2/d1) z =sum(d1*.5) yEach letter within the parentheses represents a column designation, each number represents a row designation, and each symbol represents a mathematical operation

How do I average? zCalculator averaging:  A + B + C = ABC (e.g = 180)  ABC  3 = decimal grade (e.g. 185  3 =  decimal grade x 100 = percentage (e.g x 100 = = 62 rounded up, recorded grade zExcel averaging:  =sum(((d1:d3)/3)*100) adddivideaverage

What do you notice? zEvery formula begins with =sum( zEvery formula ends with a ) zYou put the formula in the cell where you want the calculation to occur zIf you don’t type the formula correctly, Excel will tell you and try to offer help. Sometimes the help is USELESS! zYou’re going to get frustrated! zYou’ll have to change your formulae for each class depending upon the weights you assign each grade. zOnce you have the “gradebook” set up the way you like it, you can copy it over and over and just adjust the formulae

Don’t forget your algebra; this is when you use it. Remember when you asked your algebra teacher, “When will I EVER use this?” z( ) group algebraic operations zFor each operation, you need a pair of ( ) =sum(((d1:d3)/3)*100) addmultiplydivide

I’ll send you a basic gradebook for you to play with.