Episode 3: Homeschooling with Google Sheets
Google Sheets is one of the Google Drive apps and if you aren't familiar with all the benefits of those apps, listen to my previous episode. In this episode, you will learn some of the applications for Google sheets in your homeschool.

Google Sheets is more limited than many spreadsheet programs - which is actually a good thing if you or your children are just starting to use them. Google Sheets is nice and easy to learn to use.
Learning to use Google Sheets
This podcast is sponsored by FundaFunda Academy and they have a web-based unit study on all the Google drive apps which includes a module on Google Sheets. It is aimed at 6th - 12th grade, but parents can learn alongside their children!

You can also use the "Help" in Google Sheets or find videos on Youtube to show you what to do.

So, I will leave you to learn the basics on your own, and in this episode, I am just going to give you ideas on how you can use Google Sheets in your homeschool.
A fun way to start out: Battleships
To start with, you can practice using Google sheets by playing a game of Battleships against your child (or get 2 of your children to play against each other). Each will need a computer. You can follow the instructions here:

Spreadsheets are essentially rows and columns and are really great to use for

* Lists: spelling lists, sign up sheets etc
* Tables: create weekly schedules with daily activities / chores
* Calculating totals: as you add / change value, totals are magically adjusted. Use it for

* Tracking community service hours for your children
* Budgeting for you and your children
* Trip planning
* Homeschool curriculum purchasing planning / Christmas shopping planning
* Rewards system/payment for chores etc

Other things to know about Google Sheets
 

* In Google sheets, one can use formulas and functions. This can be helpful for students to be familiar with before they learn to program
* Click on Explore at the bottom right corner of a page in Google Sheets, highlight some cells containing data, and you will be provided with statistics and also graphs!
* All the information collected from Google Forms is stored in Google Sheets making it easy to manipulate

If you found this useful, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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