Institute in the History of Mathematics and Its Use in Teaching

在过去十年的数学改革努力中，人们越来越认识到数学史应该成为各级数学教学的一个组成部分。K-12数学教师准备的国家标准要求将数学史纳入职前课程。 教授数学史并利用数学史来改进教学的数学家需要更多的知识和资源来准备教他们的学生。 美国数学协会（MAA）与美国大学（TAU）合作，正在创建数学史及其在教学中的应用研究所（IHMT）。其目标是增加历史在本科数学课程和教师准备数学课程的存在。 通过连续两个夏天为期三周的密集课程，80名数学教师正在准备教授数学史课程，并利用历史来提高标准本科数学课程的教学。13位数学历史学家，他们都是优秀的教师，领导着从古代到20世纪的数学史的探索，强调数学不同领域之间的应用和联系。 将历史纳入本科数学课程的具体技术是一个中心主题。通过在国家和地区数学会议上的演讲、出版物和电子通信，IHMT的信息和技术正在全国范围内传播。家庭机构，学生在这些机构的几代人和大学数学界将受益于这种更广泛的理解数学及其教学。 通过将历史纳入本科数学课程，新一代的教师，由于他们的本科经验，将能够丰富他们教的课程，并使所有学生受益，在各个年级，有趣的和相关的数学课程。

In the mathematics reform effort of the past decade, there has been growing recognition that the history of mathematics should be an integral part of the teaching and learning of mathematics at all levels. National standards for the preparation of teachers of mathematics in K-12 call for inclusion of history of mathematics in pre-service programs. Mathematicians who teach the history of mathematics and who use this history to improve their teaching are in need of more knowledge and resources to prepare to teach their students. The Mathematical Association of America (MAA), in cooperation with The American University (TAU), is creating an Institute in the History of Mathematics and its Use in Teaching (IHMT). The goal is to increase the presence of history in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum and teacher preparation in mathematics curriculum. Through intensive three-week programs in two successive summers, 80 mathematics faculty members are being prepared to teach courses in the history of mathematics and to use history to improve their teaching of standard undergraduate mathematics courses. Thirteen historians of mathematics, all of whom are known to be excellent teachers, lead explorations of the history of mathematics from antiquity through the twentieth-century, stressing applications and links between different areas of mathematics. Specific techniques for incorporating history into undergraduate mathematics courses are a central theme. Through presentations at national and regional mathematics meetings, publications, and electronic communications, the information and techniques of IHMT are being disseminated nationally. The home institutions, the students at those institutions for generations and the collegiate mathematics community will benefit from this broader understanding of mathematics and its teaching. Through the inclusion of history in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum, a new generation of teachers, as a resulty of their undergr aduate experience, will be able to enrich the courses they teach and benefit all students, at all grade levels, with interesting and relevant courses in mathematics.