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Many educators -- even those who are quite comfortable with most uses of computer technology -- avoid using Excel. They view the program, with its alien commands and odd layouts, as incomprehensible -- more suited to number crunchers than to classroom teachers. If you're one of those Excel-phobes, the helpful reminders below might shed some light on Excel's apparent mysteries.

It's a Wrap
Enlarge a cell to hold all required data.

Have you ever wondered how you would ever fit the data you need to record in a single tiny cell? Simply type all the required data, click Enter (or Return), and click the cell again. Then go to Format > Cells > Alignment, choose Wrap Text, and click OK.

From A to Z
Excel can rearrange data too.

To order data in an Excel spreadsheet, highlight all the cells you want to put in a particular order, click Data > Sort, click Ascending or Descending, and then click OK. You can change the criteria Excel sorts by, and even undo your sort if you like.

A Perfect Fit!
Resize columns with just a (double) click.

When using Excel, save time by first typing in all the data. Then, double-click the lines between each column to automatically resize the columns to fit the data.

Article by Lorrie Jackson
Education World®
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