SpreadSheets; and why you should teach them to your students
What Are SpreadSheets? Spreadsheets are probably the most powerful and versatile, yet underutilized, of all office suites. A spreadsheet is basically a matrix, i.e. an array of rows and columns, in which information is organized. Simple enough, right? Right, but wait, there's more! In each cell (i.e. the box created by an intersecting row and column), one can enter basic and complex commands to reference and interact with the data in the other cells and therein is where the magic lies. Information is stored in a cell, which is defined by its column and row location; in this case E5. Ok, But What's So Great About SpreadSheets? So many reasons! but the TL;DR version is that it does whatever you are probably already doing, but better and faster. The Calculator You Didn't Know You Wish You Had The first of which being that spreadsheets are basically the calculator you didn't know you wish you had. Anyone who has had to do advanced algebra probably remembers having to solve