Learning Activities From The History Of Mathematics

Biographies of 23 important mathematicians span many centuries and cultures. Historical Learning Tasks provide 21 in-depth treatments of a variety of historical problems.

In the mid 1980s, the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) inaugurated a series of studies in mathematics education by comm- sioning one on the influence of technology and informatics on mathematics and its teaching. These studies are designed to thoroughly explore topics of c- temporary interest, by gathering together a group of experts who prepare a Study Volume that provides a considered assessment of the current state and a guide to further developments. Studies have embraced a range of issues, some central, such as the teaching of algebra, some closely related, such as the impact of history and psychology, and some looking at mathematics education from a particular perspective, such as cultural differences between East and West. These studies have been commissioned at the rate of about one per year. Once the ICMI Executive decides on the topic, one or two chairs are selected and then, in consultation with them, an International Program Committee (IPC) of about 12 experts is formed. The IPC then meets and prepares a Discussion Document that sets forth the issues and invites interested parties to submit papers. These papers are the basis for invitations to a Study Conference, at which the various dimensions of the topic are explored and a book, the Study Volume, is sketched out. The book is then put together in collaboration, mainly using electronic communication. The entire process typically takes about six years.

This ground-breaking book investigates how the learning and teaching of mathematics can be improved through integrating the history of mathematics into all aspects of mathematics education: lessons, homework, texts, lectures, projects, assessment, and curricula. It draws upon evidence from the experience of teachers as well as national curricula, textbooks, teacher education practices, and research perspectives across the world. It includes a 300-item annotated bibliography of recent work in the field in eight languages.

This volume examines how the history of mathematics can find application in the teaching of mathematics itself.

"Active engagement is the key to learning. You want your students doing something that stimulates them to ask questions and creates a need to know. Teaching Mathematics Through Games presents a variety of classroom-tested exercises and activities that provoke the active learning and curiosity that you hope to promote. These games run the gamut from well-known favorites like SET and Settlers of Catan to original games involving simulating structural inequality in New York or playing Battleship with functions.The book contains activities suitable for a wide variety of college mathematics courses, including general education courses, math for elementary education, probability, calculus, linear algebra, history of math, and proof-based mathematics."--Back cover.

In an increasingly electronic society, these exercises are designed to help school and collegiate educators use historical devices of mathematics to balance the digital side of mathematics.

This volume presents multiple perspectives on the uses of the history of mathematics for teaching and learning, including the value of historical topics in challenging mathematics tasks, for provoking teachers’ reflection on the nature of mathematics, curriculum development questions that mirror earlier pedagogical choices in the history of mathematics education, and the history of technological innovations in the teaching and learning of mathematics. An ethnomathematical perspective on the history of mathematics challenges readers to appreciate the role of mathematics in perpetuating consequences of colonialism. Histories of the textbook and its uses offer interesting insights into how technology has changed the fundamental role of curriculum materials and classroom pedagogies. History is explored as a source for the training of teachers, for good puzzles and problems, and for a broad understanding of mathematics education policy. Third in a series of sourcebooks from the International Commission for the Study and Improvement of Mathematics Teaching, this collection of cutting-edge research, stories from the field, and policy implications is a contemporary and global perspective on current possibilities for the history of mathematics for mathematics education. This latest volume integrates discussions regarding history of mathematics, history of mathematics education and history of technology for education that have taken place at the Commission's recent annual conferences.