Using spreadsheets to make algebra more accessible - part 1: equations and functions

'[T]he true ability to think, perceive, and analyse mathematically.' What does this mean? Some might argue that it is the ability to solve problems. Others might say that it has more to do with advanced applications of procedures in particular contexts. I would like to put a slightly different spin on this by viewing it, at least partly, in terms of one's ability to use understanding in one concept to bridge understanding into another. The making of such connections will help to make the teaching and learning of mathematics more interesting and more attainable especially for those who might struggle with the discipline. This article is the first in a series of two papers that attempt to address such an idea. The articles endeavour to give teachers some practical, spreadsheet-based ideas for helping students make appropriate connections between particular algebraic concepts, in order to understand, through a contemporary context, some of the processes by which mathematics develops