Fibonacci, the nickname given the great medieval mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, is connected in most of our minds with the Fibonacci sequence. Spreadsheets make wonderful tools for creating such sequences. This one is amazingly simple. Just select a cell, any cell and write a formula in that cell that adds together the two cells above …
In introducing Spreadsheets we want you to learn to build a numberline by using a rule (a formula). We begin with a simple rule that you can copy and paste into the entire numberline. Then we want to add an input from another cell into the rule to give you a chance to change the numberline. And finally you build …
Picturing exponential growth, powers of 10, can be hard for any of us to imagine. The spreadsheet has the flexibility to enable us to explore the powers of 10 and to get a visual image of them. We can see the difference in shape between odd and even powers, and get a sense of the speed of exponential …
ERC Educational Resource Consortium We’re suggesting a “New Architecture” for learning – one that foments deeper and more naturalistic intellectual engagement, provides flexible yet durable structures, proven inquiry practices with a “tool kit” for student and teacher success, and a vision of personalization that is far more than “blended learning” or the pursuit of “competencies”.
Spreadsheets with their natural grid make a great, though not entirely flexible, platform for architectural design and for working with shapes. Build a house introduces students to using spreadsheets to create floor plans and to measure area. Most spreadsheets have amazing graphic flexibility. You may want to encourage students to use spreadsheets for art. Here …
This is one of those math puzzles that come up in contests but which turn out to be quite interesting mathematically. Imagine a long hallway with lights in the ceiling, all on and each controlled by its own chain. A long line of people (as many as there are lights) walk down the hallway. The …
Spreadsheets are not limited to algebraic functions, they can also display trigonometric functions. We are modeling the sine function, but you can try any of the trig functions by going to the Formulas menu and choosing it. We have the 3 most significant parameters of the sine function, to control the amplitude, frequency and phase. …
Spreadsheets make it very easy to switch axes and add graphs. They enable students to play with what may have been difficult and abstract concepts like the inverse of a function. You may want to approach the inverse of a function by challenging students to fill in a table of values with a rule that …
This year we are celebrating the 35th anniversary of spreadsheets. The first showing of VisiCalc was October 17, 1979. NPR did a terrific podcast about spreadsheets we suggest you listen to. We think this quote symbolizes our spreadsheet/functional thinking vision. KESTENBAUM: Spreadsheets have left us in a different world, though. It’s a world where we …
How much are your credit cards costing you? If you are like most of us, they are very expensive because we have credit card debt. This Lab will help you to see what your credit cards are costing you and help you to keep track and pay off your credit card debt.
