The teaching of scientific subjects usually require laboratories where students can put the theory they have learned into practice. Traditionally, electronic programmable calculators, dedicated software, or expensive software simulation packages, such as MATLAB have been used to simulate scientific experiments. Recently, spreadsheet programs have…

Discusses children's use of spreadsheets and the access that this gives to the instantaneous production of a variety of graphs. (10 references) (MKR)

Discusses the use of technology to investigate what graphs represent as well as how to interpret graphs. (MKR)

Presented are ideas for the utilization of Microsoft Works in the secondary mathematics classroom. The spreadsheet and graphing capabilities of this software package are demonstrated for several topics including the concept of slope for first year algebra, and creating and interpreting graphs for a general mathematics class. (Author/CW)

Described is an instructional method that makes use of an electronic spreadsheet for the numerical and graphical introduction of the fundamentals of Taylor polynomials. Included is a demonstration spreadsheet using the expansion polynomial to evaluate the cosine function. (JJK)

Demonstrated in this article are some of the capabilities of a spreadsheet program using data obtained in gas law experiments and a computer interface system. The ability to organize and analyze data which a computer can provide for the student is emphasized. (KR)

U.S. mathematics education has been criticized for being too broad. This article examines ways middle school students use simple problems and situations to foster a deeper understanding of underlying concepts. Presents a sample area and perimeter problem, describes extending the problem using tiles to determine minimum perimeter, and discusses…

Explores alternative strategies to solve algebraic equations that do not lend themselves to traditional methods. Examines one nontraditional equation by a graphical approach using a graphing utility and by a numerical approach using spreadsheets. Discusses new basic skills for algebra utilizing technology. Provides a computer program to solve…

Discussed are the use of spreadsheets for demonstrating and exploring with the whole class, basic and advanced spreadsheet operations, geometric progressions, and graphing. Teacher responses to these methods are described. (CW)

Examines the use of spreadsheets for solving equations by the method of iterations. The combination of the spreadsheets and graphical representation is shown to be appropriate both for teaching and learning the method of iterations and for investigating properties of equations. (Author)

Reports on the graphing work of children, aged eight and nine years, who have access to portable computers across the curriculum. Describes two learning sequences: in one, the children collected data and then explored the computer graphing facilities; and in the other, graphing is used iteratively as an integral part of the ongoing task.…

Presents an activity through which students develop mathematical concepts connected to area and perimeter in a rich, real-life setting and use tables, graphs, diagrams, and spreadsheets to explore the problem, see relationships, and make and test conjectures about those relationships. Encourages algebraic thinking. (SYB)

Presents a unit developed by the 1991 Oregon Mathematics Teachers of Middle School project in which students investigate the average temperature, precipitation, and snowfall in their town using spreadsheets and graphing packages. Students compare the averages over a period of 30 years to a particular year. (MDH)