+

Using Excel for Data CollectionMarch 2012(OK. It’s less painful than it sounds…)

+

Bob GauvainKelley Lanahan

Excel

+Let’s start with some Vocab

CellActive Cell

Cell grid

Formula Bar

Row

Column

Formula Builder

Range

+Formatting Palette

•View>Formatting Palette•Formula Bar, makes it easy to see what is in a cell.•Turn it on. It’s your friend!

+Text

•Enter text into Active Cell as you would with a word processer•Double-click the Cell Grid to make columns and rows “fit”•Formatting palette has font, size, alignment options available•But…keep it simple until your worksheet is done…

+Hands On Open Excel Spreadsheet

Name and save your Workbook to your documents folder

In cell A1 enter the words “Last Name”

In cell B1 enter the words “First Name”

In cell C1 enter “Homework”

In cell D1 enter “Quiz”

In cell E1 enter “Group Work”

In cell F1 enter “Test”

In cell G1 enter “Total Points”

Highlight Row 1 and make all text Bold

Save

Excel Tab Header

+Your Worksheet Should Look Like:

04/19/23

+Adding data from other places

PowerSchool lists

http://pst.region10ct.org/teachers/pw.html

Other Excel lists

Word processing documents

It’s as simple as Copy and Paste! Excel Spreadsheet

+Hands On

Open your PowerSchool account and your student backpack list

If you don’t have access to PowerSchool use the Excel file I sent to you

Highlight and copy your class roster (in blue on the left side of your screen)

Open your Excel Worksheet (Click on the green X in your dock)

Click on Cell A2 and Paste the data into your worksheetExcel Spreadsheet

+Your Worksheet Should Look Like:

Excel Spreadsheet

+Hands onText to Columns

To separate students first names from last: First – insert at least three blank columns before column C

Select all of column C>Insert>Columns Highlight column A Click on Data>Text to Columns Check the “Delimited”>Next Uncheck the “Tabs” button>Check the “Comma” and button

(note: this is what is separating the students name on your spreadsheet)>Next

Check that the Preview screen looks correct>Finish Delete the “extra” rows by highlighting them>Edit>Delete Fix your column headers so they correctly identify First and Last

Name

Excel Spreadsheet

+Your Worksheet Should Look Like:

Excel Spreadsheet

+Numeric Entering Data

•Do not use spaces or alpha characters…numeric values will always align right•Formatting Palette will allow you to chose what type of number you’re entering

+Hands On Entering Data

Using the Cell Grid, arrange the columns so that no text is hidden or overlapping

Enter “sample” numeric values into cells C2-F2 (hint: you can copy/paste info OR use the “Edit>Fill” command

Excel Spreadsheet

+Your Worksheet Should Look Like:

+Freezing Cells So You Can See The Top.(better known as keeping your place…)

“Freezing” will force a column (or row) heading to stay in place

+Hands On

Open your spreadsheet

Click on the row heading (numbers) to select ALL of Row 2

Go to Window>Freeze Panes

Experiment by scrolling up and down on your worksheet

Excel Spreadsheet

+Sorting Data

You can sort by any of your header rows – largest to smallest, A-Z

+Hands On

Open your spreadsheet

To quickly select the whole worksheet click on the

Go to Data>Sort

Make sure the Header Row button is clicked

Sort by Last Name>Ascending

Sort by First Name>Ascending

What happens when you click on Descending?

Excel Total Points

+Using Mathematical Functions

All functions start with the = sign.

=sum(cell range) will add the values in that range of cells

=average(cell range) will average the data in a range

Use the Formula Builder

Or manually type in the formula. Your choice!

+Hands On

Open your spreadsheet

Find the SUM of the scores Click in cell G2 and type =sum(C2:F2) and enter.

Find the AVERAGE of the scores Click in H2 and type =average(

Then click in cell C2 and hold, then drag to F2 let go, then close the parenthesis.

Click and hold on cell G2 and hold, drag down.

Highlight all of the other cells in column G that need an entry. Release the mouse.

Use Control+D key to fill the function into all cells (or use Edit>Fill>Down

Voila! Your formula is magically where you need it to be!

Excel Spreadsheet

+Your Worksheet Should Look Like:

+Conditional Formatting

Will change the physical color and/or font style when a particular CONDITION is met

For example, all students with an average of <70 will show up in red for easy identification:

+Hands On

Open your spreadsheet

Highlight column G by clicking on the letter G or highlight all the cell that you want to format.

Go up to Format>Conditional Formatting

Set Condition 1 so that if the value in column G (the average score) is between 0 and 70, the text will turn bold and red

Add a second condition and experiment!

Excel Spreadsheet

+Insert A Graph

04/19/23

+Let’s do some work!

Highlight from A1 to H6

Go up to Insert, and scroll down to chart

Select column graph.

Click on the Chart and go to the menu Chart, Source Data

Click on Switch Row/Column, see what happened?

04/19/23

+Emailed Questions:

Forgot how to use printing ranges and toggling between spreadsheets in one doc.  etc.. Dana

+Worksheets vs. Workbooks

Worksheet = the Excel page you are working on

Workbook = a collection of worksheets that are related.

Think of this as a big file folder….and in addition….

Worksheets can be authored to reflect common data sets. (Ok, this just means that you can enter the information once and have it travel to other worksheets as you choose)

Workbooks can be linked. Not foolproof, however.

Resist the impulse to call Excel a database. It’s not. But it’s an excel-lent way to manipulate data!

+Bob’s WikiStay Up To Date!

http://studentweb.region10ct.org/groups/rgauvain

Send me your suggestions!

Special thanks to Kelley Lanahan for her help creating this PPT.

Also a thanks to Tiffany and Michele for helping me present today.