We all want to give our kids choices when it comes to how they master a concept, but a lot of times, we just don't have the time to make that kind of magic happen. And, tracking all of the choices is a whole other issue.  With limits to class time, and even less time to prep and follow up with students, I am always thinking about ways to streamline checking up on student progress while empowering students to be able to monitor and track their own progress. 

The question becomes, how do we successfully give students choices that allow for higher order thinking skills, while keeping kids engaged and responsible for their work?  

This is why I love spreadsheets. We can restrict editing on certain pages and ranges, add in drop-downs and text areas, while giving students a simple organization system that works with links, images, text, and more.  Then we can add in options for videos, articles, activities, and more that we have sourced or created. 

For those who love a little creativity, you can add thematic colors, fonts, and images in cells for additional opportunities for engagement. 

Then, we can extend the idea! Can we use something like this in other ways? 

The template and video below give you a starting place to think about how you can setup a template that could work for you and your students.