Elegant Formulae: Taking Spreadsheets to the next level

 

Elegant Formulae: Taking Spreadsheets to the next level

 Slide doc - Toolkit by David Clarke

Spreadsheets to valuable tool for Data! 

If data exceeds 10,000 records (probably best to use database software). Hard to see all data and software becomes a slower. Database structure becomes more suitable. Freeze tool is always worthwhile. Always makes it easier for others to view your sheet. At least freeze the heading rows/columns. First thing you do when open spreadsheets. Merge cell button is cursed. Think about why you are using this tool. It can break things. Use wrap text. 

Magic Functions: 

1- Importrange 

Pull data from multiple sheets into one sheet page. 

I felt stressed watching this section of the toolkit because that large amount of data on a sheet gives me OCD vibes where I felt like i needed to significantly reduce this to make it easier to find information and see it all on one page. Thankfully, David quickly reduced my OCD by introducing VLOOKUP which I had not heard of before.  

2 - VLOOKUP

Pulls adjacent data together to find specific information. It works by matching two cells from different sheets in a sheet formulae code follow "=vlookup(search key, range, index, is_sorted)". is_sorted should be false because it makes formulae information unmatched.  Very sequential. 

3 - ARRAYFORMULA

Allows you to use range formula that don't usually accept them. Useful for dynamic datasets like form response sheets. 

4 - QUERY 

run a sort of SQL-like query string against a range, treating it like a pseudo-databases. Pulls values from a list based on multiple conditions and formats them in a way you want. It is advanced but once you apply it, very useful.

I found this formulae really useful to learn. It will be helpful to use when working with school data information and I need only certain information for contacts/emergency lists  or sports results etc.. Also helpful for cleaning up and simplifying sheets that may have unnecessary information. Important to remember if data is importrange or not. Importrange data will mean queries will take data from previous sheet. Change A, B,C to Col1, Col 2, Col3 to resolve.

Minecraft Coding and Esports

Today I took an online toolkit on how to use Minecraft in the classroom to extend my knowledge on this platform and make learning more engaging for students. 

Minecraft is collaboration, creative, communicative and allows for critical thinking.  There is a classroom mode app that allows for 40 students to work on  group tasks. There are pre-made lesson plans that you can take and modify for certain activities. 

Students can create complex structures to show learning through building i.e. Bees unit 

Unleash esports - There are STEM learning projects and coding units students can use. Each activity needs a learning outcome that they can share with teacher and peers. There is a camera inside the game. This allows students to take pictures on their work online and take selfies of characters in game to prove it is their work. Additionally, an inbuilt photo album. Students can create a portfolio for learning - book and Quill is more extensive (50 page) to write in. Export as a pdf 

Classroom Mode: move students and pause the game. link on final slide (classroom app download)

Border blocks restrict group movement 

Python101 - available in game - coding 

Addition of hardware digital technology that allows students to create games through coding and export them on to a device like a Nintendo. 

There is an Esport course that allows teachers to become educated in Minecraft esports. 

Thank you to Crispin Lockwood who delivered a great toolkit. 

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Educationgate: Minecraft in the Classroom - Put in presentation mode to open extra links inside. 

Coding link attached to slide 

Te Reo for Classrooms with Makaore Wilson

 

Today's Toolkit was presented by Makaore Wilson. Makaore delivered a clear presentation on basic instructional languages we can use in  the classroom and generate into our own everyday vocabulary. It was so good to have a clear list of vocabulary words and phrases with soundbites to repeat translations for my own practice and use and my students.  I find learning Te Reo quite complicated at times due to different dialects, speed of pronunciation. The soundbites were a great attachment as rewindable resources. 

Instruction language: 

Tone of delivery is important in using instructional language within the class. It was good to have a clear teaching of these basic instruction phrases as a teacher who attends PDs I hear these words all the time but I did not grow up in New Zealand so I've never been taught what these phrase mean. I feel a lot more confident in hearing these phrases and using them in class.  My goal this week and onwards to practice and use a new phrase a week; for example Haere mai ki te whariki noho ai. 

I am looking forward to using more kiwaha and in particular "kei kona au - I agree" in my Talkmoves with the students. 

Time Structures: 

ke tei - present tense sentences 

wåmua = past tense 

I - defines that it is a definte past tense 

Example: I te wera te kai - The food was hot 

I tera wiki = last week 

I tere mutunga wiki = last weekend 

I tera tau = last year 

Inatahira = day before yesterday 

verb = tumahi

Pronoun - tukapi 

noun = tuingoa 

Kiwaha = Slang/ colloquialisms 

Katahi ra! Amazing 

He tino toki koe You're a champion 

Tino kino te pai Wicked 

Day 9: External Recognition

We made it 🥳

I have really enjoyed the last 9 weeks of learning. It was a very intense and tedious at times however, I feel highly accomplished and proud that I can go in a class and physically support my students digitally or at least find quality resources for them to use. Our Northland Cohort have been a fabulous and enthusiastic team to work with, constantly motivating each other to try new things and give the challenges ago. They have also been amazing a providing the yummiest kai during shared lunches 😋

Our day at Waitangi was beautiful and a highlight. We are so lucky to have facilitates and educators around to teach current and future technologies as well as sharing cultural and historical knowledge of New Zealand.  My favourite tips and tricks from the DFI workflow would be pinning tabs, making bookmark groups and Google Keep. I also love using slides, youtube playlist and drawings to make my learning and teaching visible on my class site. Since starting DFI, my class probably uses their Chromebooks 95% of the time to complete assignments collaboratively and individually.

I have always wanted to be in career field that supports tamariki to be confident, engaged learners and leaders of tomorrow. Being on the DFI course and with Manaiakalani, I feel positive that I am  surrounded by like minded individuals who are all on the same waka to support each other as educators and our tamariki to be better. Which is a really nice feeling. Although, our time on DFI has ended I am excited about what the future could hold.

Below I created a comparison slide to show how my digital skills have grown over my learning experience at DFI. 

Lastly, I passed the Google Certified Educator Level 1 exam. Now I can tell people am officially 'Googly Certified' haha 🎓

DFI Northland Cohort 2021

 Day 1 - Day 9 

Day 8: Devices and Rewindable Learning

 

"If it's worth teaching or learning, It's worth capturing" -Manaiakalani (DFI) 

Rewindable learning means learners have access to re-watch their learning over and over again. This empowers students to take control of their learning. Today, I was reminded that students who arrive at school with 30, 000, 000 words (no matter which language) by the age of 5 are more advantageous than those who come with less as use of language outside of school links with learning possibilities. Students who do not have as much language being used outside of school can be supported by providing them with access to ubiquitous learning through harnessing technology. It allows us to reduce barriers of learning for students. 

Upon reflection, I haven't created much ubiquitous learning because of my limited skills and knowledge on how to share teaching and learning within the classroom. Developing my skills in DFI I have been able to create some ubiquitous learning on the site and implement routines to make students utilise these resources. However, I do find them time consuming for both myself uploading content and students uploading their own rewindable resources. My goal this term was to make our DMIC learning more visible and rewindable which I felt I accomplished but I would like to apply these skills to other aspects of learning and have the teaching and learning visible in a more effective and efficient way. 

As a learner of the CyberSmart program it was good to understand the two components of being Smart and Secure. Smart is the component that I am responsible for as a teacher creating learners to be confident, connected, actively involved, life-long learners. We are working with learners who are known as  'Generation Alpha' because they are immersed into the digital world from an incredibly young age since the gross innovation of technology and therefore, as teachers and adults we have a responsibility to make all learners Cybersmart. 

This afternoon I created my first Harpara workspace. It was really simple to use and will make students more accountable on managing their time to finish work. It is a lot easier for myself to keep track on their documents.  My activity was about linking Smartvalues and digital footprints  - ideally my next lesson would be following on with the topic to focus on how to be positive online learner.  This is re-constructed from a previous Cybersmart lesson. I'm looking forward to trying out my activity next term.  

Working on Ipads: 

Day 7: New Digital Technologies

 The New Digital Technologies 

This week we were enlightened with new digital resources and information about future technologies which can empower learners and their whanau on taking control of their lives. Technology is not a tool for learners to become a consumers it is a platform that allows learners to become creative directors in sharing their knowledge.

One way we can amplify students creativity and learning is through computational thinking. This teaches students to understand the 6 fundament stages of programming which can be adapted in many areas of knowledge and workspaces. Students become efficient decision makers through practising and following these stages in multitude of ways.

Today we practised programming through using Scratch and StopMotion. My creations are shared below. Programming on Scratch was a challenge as I could not get the backgrounds to change once I incorporated a song. I had to keep checking my sequence and iteration codes to allow the program to flow.