How long would this take your 11ish y/o?

[amo_mea_filiis.]

The point of the assignment iscreating an excel spreadsheet. Thats the easy part for dd.

 

In the spreadsheet she needs 4 columns. Numbers 1-10, number prefixes, three words using that prefix, and the definition of each word.

 

How long do you think it would take your child to get this information on paper?

[Tap]

Niether of my kids made spread sheets at 11yo.

[Coffeemama]

My DD would like that assignment, tends to get side-tracked, and would most likely take about 30-40 minutes on it....inputting the definitions would bore her and make it take longer than necessary.

 

Not sure why my ipad jumped the smiley up to the top...

Edited April 26, 2012 by Coffeemama
Smiley

[nukeswife]

Niether of my kids made spread sheets at 11yo.

 

:iagree:

[6packofun]

Mine wouldn't. I think it would really depend on how much instruction about Excel or whatever program is being used has been given *first*.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

If the spreadsheet part is taken out- just write everything out, how long? Im just wondering about the research side of this.

[MomatHWTK]

If he didn't have a list of the definitions somewhere? A couple of months. :tongue_smilie: If he did have the list, 3-4 hours of crying over how much writing that was going to be and who knows how long to actually do it. ;)

[swellmomma]

Well even now with my kids being a bit older than that my dd would finish it in about 30-45 minutes if she was focused.

 

DS would have a fit that he just can't do it for 20 minutes. Then assuming he knew how to use excel, he would be able to do teh list of 1-10 and the number prefixes in about 10-15 minutes. Followed by another crying fit that he can't do anymore, the next part is too hard for another 15 minutes. Eventually he would get the 3 words per prefix done, so 20 minutes or so for that, after all he is coming up with and typing in 30 words. Then he would realize he now needs 30 definitions which would result in the biggest melt down of all for a good 30 minutes. Then with coaching he would spend anothe 45 minutes looking up and typing in definitions. Grand total for that assignment 2.5 or so hours. He is my one that is headed to teh neurodevelopmental clinic with a suspected asperger's Dx. Is this an assignment given by her cyber school or by you?

[regentrude]

I myself would probably search quite a long time to find three words that use the prefix for "nine".

[Cosmos]

If the spreadsheet part is taken out- just write everything out, how long? Im just wondering about the research side of this.

 

So, to think of 30 words (three for each prefix), look up their definitions and then copy them?

 

Or could they just write, "Bicycle = a cycle with two wheels"?

 

You can recycle a lot of the ideas: pentagon, hexagon, etc. Is that allowed?

 

If those short cuts are allowed, I'm thinking it would take my ds 30-60 minutes. Probably at least 40.

[Cosmos]

I myself would probably search quite a long time to find three words that use the prefix for "nine".

 

November, nonagon, nonagenarian.

 

If November is disqualified, then I have no idea.

[Tap]

The point of the assignment iscreating an excel spreadsheet. Thats the easy part for dd.

 

In the spreadsheet she needs 4 columns. Numbers 1-10, number prefixes, three words using that prefix, and the definition of each word.

 

How long do you think it would take your child to get this information on paper?

 

As I understand:

 

Column 1: Just entering numbers. 1 minute total on a keyboard (less if it was handwritten)

 

Column 2: Prefixes for the numbers 1-10: Look up the number to find the pre-fix. For dd13 to look up a word, read various definitions, select the appropriate one, and type it into a chart, I would allow 2 minutes per each=20 minutes.

 

Column 3 and 4: Using a dictionary to look up each prefix would take 1 minute each. To read 3-5 words/definitions (to find 3 appropriate words) and to write each out I would allow 5-7 minutes per prefix. 10 prefix=30 definitions60-80 minutes, possibly longer.

 

 

 

DD13 is in private school. Each week they have 15 unique vocab words. She looks up the word, writes her own definition and part of speech. It takes about an hour, to and hour and a half, for her to do this. She usually does one-half one night and one-half the next. She uses her itouch or dictionary on her computer to make it faster (she does not use cut/paste--they must be unique definitions). If she was using a paper dictionary it would take her longer.

 

It seems like a simple task, but it is harder for kids that it seems. We already know the definition of most of the words....they don't. To read and understand foreign words, then to select an appropriate definition, then to transcribe it appropriately, takes some work. Language is not one of dd13's strengths, but she absolutely reads/writes on grade level. To do this task with 30 words would likely take her a couple of hours.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Tap, tap, tap

[Tap]

I myself would probably search quite a long time to find three words that use the prefix for "nine".

 

You wouldn't have to come up with your own unique words. They would be in order, in the dictionary. The student would need to look up the number, find out what the prefix is. Then look up the pre-fix. They would then need to just read definitions to decide which words use the number as part of the definition.

[black_midori]

I relieved to hear that a dictionary is involved - since I was thinking that without either Google or a Dictionary I myself probably wouldn't be able to complete the assignment at all!! lol

 

On a side-note, I think the "spreadsheet" aspect of this is kind of a distraction. This is not really a spreadsheet activity, imo, except perhaps for formatting purposes. If you just list 1 - 10 in the first column and the prefix in the 2nd, what do you do in the 3rd? Just put all words & definitions in one big line? More likely you insert a row for each word/definition - so now #1 has 4 columns (#, prefix, word, definition) and 3 rows (word/def1, word/def2, word/def3). Are you actually trying to work on that? It seems like adding that on top of the actual work of coming up with prefix, words & definitions is starting to make it pretty elaborate - I work with adults who can't do the insert rows & format "nice" (although I totally think they should get spreadsheet training!!).

 

ETA - nevermind - I see that creating the excel spreadsheet actually IS the object now! lol. Spreadsheet creation can be super-fun, but honestly seems like a pointless side-note to an activity like the one you are describing. I totally thought that the definitions & prefixes were the object here. You could just as easily (and probably more nicely) display the information on a word document using bullet points. Is this an outside assignment?

Edited April 26, 2012 by black_midori

[Tree House Academy]

15 mins...if the spreadsheet part was done for him or he wrote it on paper....but he is in 8th grade and is almost 13. I can't even remember 11 these days. LOL

[MomatHWTK]

You wouldn't have to come up with your own unique words. They would be in order, in the dictionary. The student would need to look up the number, find out what the prefix is. Then look up the pre-fix. They would then need to just read definitions to decide which words use the number as part of the definition.

 

 

Ok, it would take me about 3 hours to figure this out. I'm sure the assignment would go much more smoothly then. :lol:

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Thank you all! It's taking her a looooong time to complete this (unfocused and distracted, but going on 3 days!). It's an assignment from the cyber for the educational technology course. I think it's "off" because this is a lot of research to do when the purpose is basically playing with excel. However, she has not even gotten to the excel part. She's still writing and has 9 and 10 to finish. I'm going to walk her through the excel part (which is I why I said easy for her).

[Annie G]

If the purpose is to play with Excel and get more comfortable using it, then the assignment that goes with it seems overdone. They're asking her to use dictionary skills for a large part of the assignment. They could just have easily asked her to list ten friends and three things about each one, or ten foods and some nutritional info about each one.

She's gotten so bogged down compiling the data to put into the spreadsheet that by the time she gets to the actual spreadsheet part, she's frustrated.

[MariannNOVA]

:lol::lol::lol:

 

Oh, :001_huh:, you're serious?

 

Ds11 could do it in minutes, BUT he would have to ask 5 million questions -- not about how, but about why.

 

DD11 would not do it -- it would be an incredibly frustrating thing for her -- (anxiety issues - but we are working on it).

 

DD13 could have done it at age 11 in a few minutes. She could do it now in mere minutes as well.

 

My 11 yr old niece, well, it would take her about 30-45 minutes, imo.

[woolybear]

I myself would probably search quite a long time to find three words that use the prefix for "nine".

nm

[Spock]

Well even now with my kids being a bit older than that my dd would finish it in about 30-45 minutes if she was focused.

 

DS would have a fit that he just can't do it for 20 minutes. Then assuming he knew how to use excel, he would be able to do teh list of 1-10 and the number prefixes in about 10-15 minutes. Followed by another crying fit that he can't do anymore, the next part is too hard for another 15 minutes. Eventually he would get the 3 words per prefix done, so 20 minutes or so for that, after all he is coming up with and typing in 30 words. Then he would realize he now needs 30 definitions which would result in the biggest melt down of all for a good 30 minutes. Then with coaching he would spend another 45 minutes looking up and typing in definitions. Grand total for that assignment 2.5 or so hours. He is my one that is headed to the neurodevelopmental clinic with a suspected asperger's Dx. Is this an assignment given by her cyber school or by you?

 

This is EXACTLY what school is like with my 10yo, for every class, almost every day. He definitely has ADHD, and I sometimes think he might have Asperger's too, though he does a fair bit of imaginative play--though it is repetitive when his 11yo sister is not participating. It's nice to see he isn't the only one like that.

 

My 11yo hasn't used Excel that I can remember, but after I showed her how to make a table in Excel she could probably do that in around 30-40 minutes, if I stayed nearby to keep her from googling animals and other random things instead of working, and assuming she already had the list of numbers and their Latin names to get started, and only needed to find words using those prefixes.

Edited April 26, 2012 by Spock

[regentrude]

You wouldn't have to come up with your own unique words. They would be in order, in the dictionary. The student would need to look up the number, find out what the prefix is. Then look up the pre-fix. They would then need to just read definitions to decide which words use the number as part of the definition.

 

If that's the assignment (just looking them up and not even thinking), it would take my kids forever - because they would see it as busy work and do their best to resist completion. Which is why I would never assign anything like that in the first place :)

[KS_]

You wouldn't have to come up with your own unique words. They would be in order, in the dictionary. The student would need to look up the number, find out what the prefix is. Then look up the pre-fix. They would then need to just read definitions to decide which words use the number as part of the definition.

 

My dd would take a *long* time to do it - she really dislikes using the dictionary and would be constantly asking for my input or to help her ("Is this one of the words?") If I wasn't by her side for moral support, she might have a minor meltdown from frustration (depending on the day and her hormones) or just take forever getting it done.

[elegantlion]

My ds would probably take 3 days. 1 to figure out which is the best way to use Excel, which computer, which layout, play with Excel.

 

part of a day to whine about the insanity of the project and if he has to write things out before he puts them on the computer. The rest of the day would be to complain about the insanity of the English language.

 

Day 3 he would finish reluctantly.

 

If they're trying to teach them dictionary skills and vocabulary, great. If they're trying to teach them Excel, it's a stupid exercise. Because of the varied skills they are lumping together they should probably give a two day lead time for due date, just my uninformed opinion. :tongue_smilie:

 

Honestly it would take my son probably 2-3 hours to finish, mostly on the research side, he's a whiz on the computer. He'd get distracted trying to make it perfect and Excel is know to frustrate non-perfectionists.

 

I would think a better project would be to take already written information and format it into Excel, but hey what do I know.

[Tap]

If that's the assignment (just looking them up and not even thinking), it would take my kids forever - because they would see it as busy work and do their best to resist completion. Which is why I would never assign anything like that in the first place :)

 

 

To me any time a student is creating a chart with information they already know they are dong busy work. It can be helpful work, collecting information to be used in the future but it is still busy work. This particular assignment would require some critical thinking as well so I don't think it is all about busy work. They may not know some of the words they encounter and they would have to decide if they fit the assignment or not.

 

University

Unicycle

Universe.....all uni words in the dictionary, but the student would have to select the ones that have the pre-fix uni representing the number 1. They would then have to have a definition that includes that concept. In this example University is a 'place of higher learning' but if it was broken into its root words a child who has studied latin could say (simplified)'it is a single group of teachers'.