. Regurgitated Alpha Bits: I'm Where?

Sunday, August 14, 2011

I'm Where?

Do any of you like to number-crunch?

Love chewing on some data like a ham bone?

Sadly, I do.

It's scary to admit, but Excel is my favorite Microsoft program...

 (I know. It's pathetic that I even HAVE a favorite Microsoft program...)

because you get to dump in some data, move it around, compare it, color code it, put it in order and then reorder it in countless ways, average it, and then make a graph outta all of it.

A graph that you can pick the colors of the lines, the backgrounds, the floors, you can make it 3D, adjust the size, insert pictures, label things, blah, blah, blah...

I just LOVE it all!!

Putting Excel aside for a while, let me just say that the next best thing for me and my number obsession is to combine it with my blog using Google Analytics. This site gives me detailed information, in the form of numbers, about how my blog is doing, who is reading it, how they found it, how long they stay on it, where they're entering it from, how often readers return, what countries they live in (Hello, Germany!), etc.

Oh! Don't worry. There is no personal data on it. You are all just a number to me.

Which is why I LOVE ya, 'cause I can CRUNCH ya!

I pour over this site about once a month and stay on it for hours. (Sometimes I even dump some of the info into Excel and make a graph, just for sh!%s and giggles. Ssshhhh, my husband thinks I'm actually working when I do that.)

One of the most interesting aspects for me is to see just how you people found The Bits.

By far, the number one referral site I have is Scholastic. Thank you for naming me one of your top 20 blogs! It's an honor and has led readers to my cyber-doorstep many, many times and I am grateful.

The number two referral site was a new one this month and one I was surprised to be included on: The Teachers' Lounge Blog on Really Good Stuff. (!!!!!)

I love the stuff at Really Good Stuff (although I usually call it "Really Good Stuff I Don't have the Funds to Purchase" but I see why they go with the shorter name.)

I'm listed with nine other blogs in their "Related Sites" section.

Me.

Related to a blog about Really Good Stuff.

Me.

Really Sarcastic Stuff, THAT I can see.

Really Honest Stuff, THAT I fit.

Really Inappropriate Stuff That Could Get Me Fired or At Least Earn Me a Stern Talking - To Stuff, I'm a match.

Really GOOD Stuff?

Me?

Ha!

But I am grateful nonetheless.

I am grateful that we found each other, dear readers, no matter how it happened. Your comments keep me motivated and laughing and I am awe of your great ideas and tenacity. Many of you are bloggers who share your stories and ideas and there is nothing more interesting for me to read.

Thanks for reading and for sharing!

3 comments:

Ginger Snaps said...

I love Excel! Standardized test data? Excel. Pre/Post assessment data? Excel! lol I love it! I will definitely have to check out Google Analytics! Thanks for sharing! Annnnd your blog deserves all of those things!

Edna Lee said...

Ginger! If you are lovin' Excel and are already crunching all those sexy little numbers, then hopefully you've moved on to Mail Merge that Standardized Testing Data into form letters in Word that tell parents how their kids have been doing. Simple to do and so useful! Lemme know if you need a template to get started. I can email you what I have and you can tweak it for your needs. (I need to find mine anyway to get ready for the coming year!)

Oh, since you're interested in Analytics, do you have a Feedburner Account on your blog too? Beware, you might never stop obsessing over your numbers, but it's oh so satisfying.

Mia Zweig said...

Hi Edna,
I love your blog and I'm sure there are plenty of other german teachers who enjoy it too!
Keep on writing... reading your blog entries is my before-preparing-time-activity and I have a hard time starting my work before I had some distraction from you (and some other really great blogs!). So I just wanted to let you know how happy I am about the start of the new school year in the US, because everyone started writing again :)
Bye, Mia