[Dante Hicks]

Originally Posted by Tomkat

If they aren't made aware of Excel and its capabilities, how will they know that they could/should use it?

Making someone aware of it's capabilities in (for example) a voluntary Computer Club type affair is a bit different from "forcing someone to learn it" which is what I was talking about.

You can't just wave your hand vaguely at the different software on offer and expect them to pick it up and use it as and when they need to, without showing them what it does.

Did I say you shouldn't demonstrate to software to those interested? Although, generally people should be encouraged to look into these things themselves - being reliant on being shown how something work seems quite a bad habit. I notice it in my colleagues - unless they've had formal training in something they'll refuse to believe they can understand anything. Needless to say somethings requires instructions and these may well be best delivered in a classroom environment. None of this has anything to do with what I said originally though.

Also it's not really absurd seeing as most office jobs require you to use it at some level

I agree Excel is a very important tool in the modern office. Since I'm asked at least forty excel related questions a day at work, believe me I know this.

My point is if you're delivering lessons like this to an unreceptive audience only a very small proportion of 11-12 year olds in that audience will benefit. Maybe you'll turn 20% of them round, 60% won't absorb anything, but wouldn't have ever looked anyway and the remaining 20% you're probably making them despise spreadsheets forever when actually they might have found them quite interesting otherwise if/when they discovered them.

I'd also doubt you need (unlike languages) you need a four-five year continuous stint to make you competent at Excel. A couple of my relatives started using computers for the first time when they were in their 60's actually picked up things quicker than I would have thought. Continuous exposure and a good reason are all that's needed. Children who were otherwise proficient with computers (even just in terms of typing, using interfaces, clicking on things - skills they could get from games in most instances) wouldn't really suffer if they didn't have Excel training until six months before leaving school. If you're going bore 11 year olds about computer stuff which will one day benefit them they'd benefit more from typing lessons, how to use a search engine effectively and learning about the principles behind managing data/information generally.