Grade Book Basics

Now and days, everything is done electronically, even grade books. Today I got to learn how to use Microsoft Excel to organize my grade book. Using Excel can be a little intimidating if you are not familiar with the program. Excel is all about numbers and formulas and if you are unfamiliar with the two, using Excel can be a little more challenging.

Once you familiarize yourself with the program, Excel can come in handy for many things. Determining grades for students can be easily calculated when using Excel. As you can see below, I created a bar graph averaging students grades from three different grading periods. Check out the Excel worksheet I created to make this graph.

In the past, I rarely used Excel, however, when I did, I only used the basic tools. When creating this Excel document, I had a few difficulties in the beginning when trying to use the painter tool. After I figured out how to use it, I followed the instructions I was given and had not trouble. When following a step by step guide, it makes the process of learning much more enjoyable. 

I look forward to using Excel when keep track of grades. Organizing and maintaining grades is always a tedious process. Now that I know how to use Excel for this purpose, I will be sure to make use of it. Using this for progress monitoring for yourself, parents and students is also a great idea!

When creating a worksheet like the one I created, you will follow ISTE NETS-T 2, Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. Teachers can use this program to communicate students grades with students themselves and their parents. Teachers can also use this program to relay grades to his or her class. For example, if a teacher wants to show either the good or bad grades for a particular assignment, a teacher can show/display the grades anonymously to show where students grades should be and so forth. Creating goals for students is also a great use of this tool!