Excel Lesson Plan

Since we've already learned how to create lesson plans, this project wasn't so much about the lesson plan format as it was creating a lesson plan that involved spreadsheets. We learned how to do basic spreadsheets as well as interactive spreadsheets in class, so with this lesson plan I needed to create my own spreadsheet to incorporate into a lesson. I assigned a "Hero Cycle" assignment to the students that would require them to make their own cyclical timeline of the epic poem, Beowulf. I created an example for the students to follow that would be an example of a clean, simple, and effective hero cycle. This shows their understanding of both the plot of Beowulf as well as its correlation to the epic hero's cycle. The project could also be used for studying purposes, since it required students to provide the major plot points in the epic poem.

I really liked this lesson plan. I think it's extremely helpful for students to understand the plot points in relation to the epic hero's cycle and to use as a study tool. Rather than merely filling out a worksheet, the students are creating their own cycle. They can add as much or as little information as they feel necessary, they can use whatever graphics they feel are appropriate, and can have fun with the project.

I feel as though this project might take up a little more time and effort (from the students) than I'd probably like to spend on the epic hero's cycle, however. Sometimes we have to compromise innovation in the interest of time. Although, the project does make up for the time spent on it by they fact that it can be used for study purposes. I also think the rubric for this project could have provided a bit more information for the students. I will definitely have to revise the rubric for real in-class use.

By creating my own spreadsheet rather than following set directions to create a carefully laid-out, pre-made excel worksheet, I displayed my knowledge of the program and what it's capable of. My spreadsheet was organized and designed in a way that is easy to understand and fairly easy for students to replicate. I showed that I can incorporate spreadsheets into a lesson plan in which many teachers who haven't taken this Education Technology course would find difficult to do so.