Google Spreadsheet

For our evaluation of Google Applications, I chose Google Spreadsheet. Overall I thought it was a very good mimic of Excel. I entered some mock data and did several manipulations including generating random numbers, sorting, calculating averages, changing formats, and creating charts. Looking through the menus showed most of the same options used by Microsoft Excel. There were some minor differences. The overall feel definitely left me thinking this is the lesser of the two. The responsiveness was a bit slow. When creating the chart, some of the framing for the spreadsheet overlapped with the chart options and I couldn't see it all.

To use the spreadsheet, students simply need to know general spreadsheet operations. Creating formulas, holding values, creating charts, and the like are the same as any other spreadsheet I've ever seen.

To share this product, I simply have to save it in Google Docs, click the Share option, then input all of the email addresses of the people I want to share it with.

Statistics is an easy answer for how to use this application in a math class. Kids at home could take data on something, open up the document, enter their results, and help build a class file. This would be a good collaborration idea. To help facilitate this, the teacher could send out an email with directions, add comments to the spreadsheet, or have text boxes with specific directions.

One thing the teacher will need to guard against is whether any information is private or not. Also, guidelines must be instilled in the students to use the spreadsheet appropriately and not act as if it is solely their own file.