They say knowledge is power, but in the teaching world, data is the fuel that powers our knowledge! Session four of the Digital Fluency Intensive was aptly titled "Dealing with Data," and it couldn't have come at a better time!
Being in a Leadership role means numbers, spreadsheets, and student outcomes constantly surround me. The challenge isn't just collecting the data; it’s being able to:
- Classify information quickly.
- Interrogate the numbers to find the "why."
- Identify trends across different year groups.
- Analyse findings in the most efficient way possible.
Let’s be honest: as teachers, we are notoriously time-poor. We need the shortest, easiest route to the answers so we can get back to what matters most - supporting our tamariki and staff!
The "Docs vs. Sheets" Confession
I have a little confession to make. Historically, I’ve never felt truly comfortable using Google Sheets. Whenever I had a choice, I would default to Google Docs for almost everything. Docs felt safe, linear, and familiar. Sheets? Well, Sheets felt like a giant grid of potential mistakes and frustration!
However, today was a massive turning point. I’ve realised that by avoiding Sheets, I’ve actually been making my mahi (work) harder. Sheets isn't just for math geniuses; it's a powerful assistant designed to do the heavy lifting for us.
My New Goal: Perseverance!
Like every other skill we teach our students, I know that practice makes easier. I’ve decided to stop hiding in the comfort of Google Docs and start embracing the power of the spreadsheet.
My goal moving forward is to:
Persevere through the initial "I don't know how to format this" phase.
Learn the functions that will automate my leadership reporting.
Support my mahi by letting technology save me time rather than causing me stress.
It might take some time to feel like a "Sheets Pro," but I’m committed to the journey. After all, if we want our students to be brave learners, we have to lead by example!
Onward to more data-driven discoveries!
Kia ora Zhydah,
ReplyDeleteI really love your cute graphic of the Dealing with Data day! What a neat visual!
I really love that you've identified the power of Google Sheets once we're able to embrace the beauty of the tool! I too, was not a fan of Google Sheets when it was unfamiliar to me, but I am certainly a convert now and use this experience often to remind myself that fear is often more about feeling inadequate than it is about the actual tool itself. I hope that after today you're feeling a bit more fond of Google Sheets? There are often wonderful new videos out online that can support us in these spaces too.
What was your favourite Google Sheets skill? I love the freezing rows and columns, to keep everything from jumping around, Hide sheets and rows, to keep a sheet manageable when I'm adding to it in a linear way, and alternate line colours to support my eyes to cope with the volume sometimes present in Sheets.
There's so much more! Now that you've stepped away for a bit, are you noticing skills you've forgotten within Google Sheets? Remember that you can always go back to the Google Sheets content
from the DFI day and watch the GIFs to support yourself with the rewindable learning. They can be helpful enough to nudge us in the right direction.
All the best with your new Google Sheets exploring. You can do it!
Ngā mihi,
Amie Williams
DFI Coach
The Manaiakalani Network