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

On 05/23/2012 10:31 AM, webmaster-Kracked_P_P wrote:
> I was looking for free educational software for a Church's day care 
> center.  I looked at several sites, I saw LibreOffice.org is listed 
> under Education Software / Mathematics on the SchoolForce.net web site.
>
> https://schoolforge.net/education-software/mathematics
>
> I am looking for good offline and free educational software for kids 
> under 13 years of age.
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!

That said, Calc, as any other spreadsheet, can do all the "basic" math 
functions--add, subtract, multiply, divide.  It can do calendar functions,
and of course, monetary functions like percentage.

To me, it would make more sense to teach beginning programming, using a 
language like Python.  Programming languages can do math also,
of course, but they have so much other capability, and the modern 
digital world virtually demands some understanding of programming.
(Back in the "dark ages" of the 70s or so, kids learned BASIC on 
Commodore and Amiga computers.  Real programmers hated BASIC,
but you could do a lot with it, in spite of the professionals' disdain.  
Unfortunately, the "easy" BASIC of those days is gone now, and its
modern descendants require the user to create "visual" inputs and 
outputs and work in GUI environments.  Phooey!

Just my 2¢ --doug

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


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