Lab TA Notes, CALS 85, Oct 6, 2011
For labs Oct 10-14, First Excel Lab

BEFORE LAB:
•    Log in to Blackboard and check, reply, and record the entries for your lab
•    Meet with your lab partner to go over the lab
•    Bring to lab graded homework assignments to hand back

THE LAB:
1.    Go Early, Pass out name tents (if you don’t know everyone’s name).
2.    Take Attendance.  Collect Resumes, remind students of late penalty (-10% this week, -20% next, no credit after that).  
3.    Make sure students get out paper and pen and take notes.
4.    LAB: Open up Excel, show students arrow keys to move active cell, go out to cell XFD, down to cell 1048576, Ctrl-arrows, Ctrl-Home.  Go over text, numbers, formulas.  Explain how spreadsheets can be used to model any quantitative system with inflows, outflows, and some balance or stock.  Build a simple budget for the semester.  Show summation methods: (=B1+B2+…B500), (=sum(B1:B500)), the sigma AutoSum key.  Label columns by month, copy columns out to right so September - December.  Add a Grand Total column at the end.  Add a title that explains WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN and includes a formal data source.  Construct a graph for just one column of expenses data.  Make it a pie, show how to use the Chart -> Source Data to label legend categories.  Delete legend, turn on data labels, and show how to resize and move the data labels around.  Make a complete title (What, Where, When, data source).  Also create a bar graph with the same data.  SORT the data, see how it affects the graphs.  Explain how to use page setup to format the printing of the table.  Show how to toggle formulas on (Ctrl ~).  
5.    Read assignment out loud to the students.
6.    Ask students “How many understand the assignment?  Any Questions?”
7.    Make sure students know they may contact you and meet with you outside of lab if necessary to get extra help with the lab.
8.    Collect Name Tents at end of lab (so you can hand them out at the beginning of next lab).

AFTER THE LAB:
•    Record absences and comments on spreadsheet template.
•    Meet with your TA partner and record grades in spreadsheet.
•    Both TAs should save the spreadsheet in two places on your PC, data stick, and upload to your zoo accounts.
•    Contact Dr. L if students are missing or having trouble with Blackboard (in wrong lab, can’t log in, etc).  EMAIL DR. L NAMES OF STUDENTS PERFORMING AT A C OR LOWER.

TAs for next Spring:
   CALS 002 Foundations: Information Technology
   CALS 085 Computer Applications