This reply is not as superficial or teasing as it may seem. The wide use of spreadsheets, such as Excel, in many fields has made them common, relatively inexpensive, powerful, and user-friendly tools that have become almost as popular as word processors. Therefore, using spreadsheets in the mathematics class requires relatively little preparatory effort. If students have previously encountered them, no introductory activities are needed at all. The reasons are more complex and should be considered both from a cognitive and a content-related point of view.
Spreadsheets seem to fit particularly well in the early stages of learning algebra.
The fact that students can construct formulas without actually naming a variable makes their transition from number use to symbol use easier. They expand the realm of algebra concepts that can be acquired at this stage. They allow a free, two-way movement between the world of numbers and the world of algebra. They present an environment in which the use of algebra is a natural need rather than an arbitrary requirement. The following selection of questions can be asked.