Spreadsheets PGCE Primary School of Education University of Southampton

Spreadsheets Designed especially for working with numbers Designed especially for working with numbers Extremely powerful, with a host of mathematical, scientific and engineering capabilities Extremely powerful, with a host of mathematical, scientific and engineering capabilities Good packages include Excel (Microsoft) and Quattro Pro Good packages include Excel (Microsoft) and Quattro Pro Some packages designed for primaries – any good??? Some packages designed for primaries – any good???

Spreadsheets Flexible, enabling powerful “what if’” solutions Flexible, enabling powerful “what if’” solutions Include graphing capability Include graphing capability Easy to use Easy to use Requires understanding of spreadsheet formulas (not difficult) Requires understanding of spreadsheet formulas (not difficult) Cuts down on calculations Cuts down on calculations

Spreadsheets Dear Amy Now that I am getting on (I turn 70 today), I want to give you some of my money. I shall give you a sum each year, starting now. You can choose which of the following schemes you would like me to use. 1. £100 now, £90 next year, £80 the year after that, and so on. 2. £10 now, £20 next year, £30 the year after that, ans so on. 3.£10 now, one and a half as much next year, one and a half as much againthe year after, and so on £1 now, £2 next year, £4 the year after, £8 the year after that, and so on. Of course, these schemes can only operate while I am alive. I look forward to hearing which scheme you choose, and why! Best wishes Aunt Lucy An example of a spreadsheet used for a mathematical investigation. Acknowledgement: Hertfordshire Spreadsheet Project, 1986

Spreadsheets Main advantage Main advantage Cuts out “inauthentic labour” (unnecessary calculations) and allows pupils to interface directly with the mathematics Cuts out “inauthentic labour” (unnecessary calculations) and allows pupils to interface directly with the mathematics Quick and easy to learn and use Quick and easy to learn and use Flexible easy to use “what if” capability encourages experimentation and effective learning Flexible easy to use “what if” capability encourages experimentation and effective learning