What is Pi
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Posted by Debbie DeSpirt Oct 7, 2006 |
In high school, my teacher scribbled pi and other mathematical calculations on the board. She asked us to write them in our math books and memorize them. I had no idea what pi was, it was just a number required when calculating the area or circumference of a circle. Other than that, pi was just a number.
It was not until I was pursuing my Master's degree that I actually learned what pi was and how to calculate it. The class was exciting and I will never forget pi, sure I have memorized the number to 2 decimal places but if someone asks it to more than 2 numbers I can quickly calculate pi with any circular object such as a coffee lid.
High school and intermediate students should be active in learning and not be passive learners if they are to understand and retain the information. Often information we memorized in high school is quickly forgotten after the test. Teach students pi and they will never forget the answer.