This week’s tip builds on a previous one that Kristie Hughes did on Pixel Art. I highly recommend that you read Kristie’s tip when you get a chance, but the TL:DR version is this: You can use conditional formatting in Google Sheets to color cells to make pictures. This is called pixel art, and it used to be done manually using graph paper. Here’s an example of a Mario character that is done as pixel art:
I have been helping the second grade classes at Montpelier Elementary School to learn more about using Google. Since the holidays are coming up, I wanted my last class before Christmas break to be a fun and engaging one (teachers, you know all too well how the kiddos can be right before a break!). So I decided to combine pixel art with math facts and it was an awesome activity!

I’m Chris Malanga and I’ve been an Educational Technologist with the Northern Buckeye Education Council/NWOCA since 2016. In this role, I help teachers, administrators, and students integrate technology into our schools. My passion is helping people develop skills to change the world of education!