Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: LibreOffice is listed as an educational software for math

On 05/24/2012 12:01 AM, Marc Paré wrote:
> Hi Doug,
>
> Le 2012-05-23 11:41, Doug a écrit :
> > >
> > Spreadsheets (LibreOffice Calc) are confusing even to those who are
> > comfortable with algebra.  The notation is clumsy!  I wouldn't think
> > that is something that should be inflicted upon kids under 13!
>
> In our school, we teach:
> MSWord -- starting in grade 4
> PowerPoint -- starting in grade 5
> Excel -- starting in grade 7
>
> There is no reason to get kids to work with spreadsheets even as early 
> as grade 6 (11 yrs of age) in a school setting. They are ready for 
> this and do quite well. In fact many math text books will have for 
> assignments work that is asked to be represented inside a spreadsheet. 
> This is quite common in math studies, and, at the elementary school 
> level. Whether or not these are undertaken rests on the ability of the 
> classroom instructor.
>
> LibreOffice in this context makes for a great learning tool.
>
> Also,
>
> I also usually am part of a teacher-team for lego robotics and we 
> start training our kids who join the lego-club as of grade 4 (9 yrs of 
> age), we also join competitions with the kids after less than 6 months 
> of working with the robotics kits (even if this is a very simple 
> programming language). It give enough experience at basic programming 
> to get them interested in perhaps going further in highschool
>
> I also taught logo programming to kids as of grade 4 through 8 in a 
> "school club" setting, and by the end of grade 8, students were able 
> to do self-programmed "slideshows" and one team even created their own 
> font and had the alphabet run through their font as a slideshow with 
> letter flying around their screen.
>
> I have also taught logo to a grade 2 class over the span of a year 
> with a lot of success. The kids loved it.
>
> There is normally a long waiting list to get into the clubs and some 
> teachers hoping to help even have to wait to join for lack of 
> hardware. The clubs are very popular.
>
> Kids are awesome learning sponges!
>
> Cheers,
>
> Marc
Thanx for the input, Marc.  As an engineer (now retired) I always found 
ways NOT to use a spreadsheet unless it was some kind of
scheduling or accounting problem.  There are so many math programs that 
treat math like you would write it on paper.  But I suppose if
you are taught from the cradle, as it were, to use Excel you will be 
used to it.

Logo!  I haven't heard that word in thirty years, at least!  I'm 
surprised it's still around.  Never really got into it, but it seemed 
like fun,
at least from a distance.  I started using BASIC, and then learned and 
used Pascal. Not being (professionally) a programmer, I never
learned C.

--doug

--
Blessed are the peacekeepers...for they shall be shot at from both sides. --A.M. Greeley


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