| Since mathematics as a whole is a difficult subject to | | | | What came out of this experience was the idea to |
| learn, maybe different approaches are needed to | | | | write a collection of math poems--some humorous, |
| enhance the teaching of this discipline. Certainly the | | | | some witty, some pedagogical--which would both |
| hands-on method gives students a tactile perspective | | | | teach and entertain the reader. Thus during the |
| to the inner workings of this subject, while the real-life | | | | summer of 2003, I worked on the novel collection of |
| applications approach lets students see and | | | | verse called Poems for the Mathematically Insecure. In |
| understand how mathematics is actually used in life | | | | this collection, the reader finds the humorous Help, |
| and in different worldly settings. Could poetry be | | | | Please Help, Teacher! and the instructive Chief |
| another approach through which to teach and learn | | | | SOHCAHTOA, the latter of which teaches the basics |
| this most fascinating subject? | | | | of trigonometry in a torrent of rhyming verse. There is |
| There is an interesting story behind the creation of my | | | | even the classic, How Can This Be?, which proves in |
| work Poems for the Mathematically Insecure. While I | | | | verse in a manner that anyone can understand, the |
| was tutoring one of my learning disabled students, he | | | | famous fact that the real numbers between 0 and 1 |
| asked me to do something for him for pi day. For | | | | are more numerous than all the counting numbers put |
| those of you who do not know, pi day is March 14 of | | | | together. Now how's that for teaching math in a novel |
| any year (March 14 is 3/14) and the decimal | | | | manner! |
| approximation to the famous mathematical constant | | | | The textbook approach to learning mathematics |
| known as pi is 3.14. Every year in schools across the | | | | definitely has its place in the classroom. Indeed there is |
| country, math teachers like students to do some | | | | a limit and some restrictions to what math can be |
| special project involving the number pi. | | | | learned from poetry, but these limitations are mostly |
| While sitting there tutoring him, I asked him if he would | | | | imposed by the confines of our minds. As educators, |
| like me to put together a poem on pi. He naturally said | | | | we must constantly look for new and interesting ways |
| yes, and while he worked on some practice examples | | | | to pique our students' interest, and manners in which to |
| I gave him, I sat there and hammered out the lines to a | | | | break through learning barriers. Learning math through |
| poem which would be called Wonderful Pi. I decided to | | | | poetry just might be an instructive way to accomplish |
| keep a copy for myself to use in my classrooms the | | | | these objectives. And who knows? We might churn |
| next day, assigning one volunteer in each class to read | | | | out some good poets as well as good mathematicians. |
| the poem aloud. Because the poem was well | | | | What an interesting thought. |
| received, I decided to write some others. | | | | |