Do You Want to Excel? Enter Data

The best way to learn Excel, is to do a project. Although many teachers use a grade book program, this example will be used because it easily incorporates all the details needed to make the samples cited in the Introduction. Even if this grade book will not used, it would be best to follow the step by step instructions. Comparing your project with the samples will be an evaluative tool for you. If your monitor is wide enough have this tutorial "Restore Down" so it fills only one-half of the screen. Then open Excel, "Restore Down" and have it fill the other half of the screen. You can arrange the screens either to be side by side vertically or horizontally. If your monitor is smaller just toggle back and forth between the two programs. To do this you can click on the icons on the task bar at the bottom of the page or key "Alt" and "Tab".


Horizontal tiling of screens	Vertical tiling of screens

Entering Data

To make a spreadsheet of student' grades:

1. Open a new spreadsheet: Click Microsoft Excel on the desktop or in the Start menu. (Start > All Programs > Microsoft Office > Microsoft Excel)
2. The new spreadsheet is made up of many rectangles: these rectangles are called cells. The cells are arranged in columns across the top of the spreadsheet (labeled A, B, C ...) and the rows down the left side of the spreadsheet (labeled (1, 2, 3 ...).The top left cell in the spreadsheet is cell A1.
3. Click in cell A1 and key Names. Hit Enter. I have bolded the word Names. If you wish to do so, highlight the word Names and click the in the Formatting Toolbar . (Click the "Back" button to return to this page)
4. Click in cell A2, key a student's name, and then hit Enter.
5. In cell A3, key another student's name, and then hit Enter.
6. Continue down the page until all students' names are entered. If you make a typing error, double click in the cell to correct it.
7. Click in cell B1 and key a name for an assignment you are recording (e.g. Math page 45 #1-15). Hit Enter. You will notice that your work is now in more than one column. This issue will be addresses in Excel 301 but can be remedied now if you desire by following this link.
8. In cell B2, key the first student's score and hit Enter.
9. In cell B3, key the second student's score, hit Enter, and then continue down the page with the rest of the scores.
10. Click in cell C1 and key the name of another assignment, whose scores you wish to record (e.g. Math page 49 #16-40) Hit Enter.
11. In cell C2 key the first student's score for the second assignment and hit Enter.
12. In cell C3 key the second student's score for the assignment and hit Enter.
13. Continue down the page until all scores are keyed. Finish additional assignments.