Institute in the History of Mathematics and Its Use in Teaching

在过去十年的数学改革中，越来越多的人认识到数学史应该成为各级数学教学的一个组成部分。预备K-12数学教师的国家标准要求将数学史纳入职前课程。教授数学历史并利用这段历史来改进教学的数学家需要更多的知识和资源来准备教授学生。美国数学协会（MAA）与美国大学（TAU）合作，正在创建一个数学历史及其在教学中的应用研究所（IHMT）。目标是增加历史在本科数学课程中的存在和教师在数学课程中的准备。通过连续两个夏季为期三周的密集课程，80名数学教师正准备教授数学历史课程，并利用历史来改善他们的标准本科数学课程教学。13位数学历史学家，他们都被认为是优秀的教师，带领探索从古代到20世纪的数学历史，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巧是一个中心主题。通过在国家和区域数学会议上的发言、出版物和电子通信，国际数学计量系统的信息和技术正在全国传播。对数学及其教学的更广泛的理解将使国内院校、这些院校几代的学生以及大学数学界受益。通过将历史纳入本科数学课程，新一代的教师，由于他们的本科经历，将能够丰富他们所教的课程，并通过有趣和相关的数学课程使所有年级的学生受益。

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.