The second paper (due Monday, 23 March)
You will need to both email a .pdf to me at fjsteachmath@gmail.com,
and submit this to turnitin.com.
Here is the information for our class:
Math 629 History of Mathematics Class ID: 23869119 Class Enrollment Key: Sottile629
A note about length: I'd like to see papers of at least a couple of pages long; I suggest a lower bound of 1200
words, to encourage you to choose to have enough space to develop your ideas, but also to signal that this need not be an all-consuming
activity.
Also, it would be helpful if the papers had page numbers and running heads that include your name, and had some space between the lines,
for me to write comments on. I can pay for the extra paper.
We are studying the history of mathematics this semester, as well as trying our hand at doing mathematics from different historical periods,
sometimes with the methods from that time.
Most of us are teachers or have plans to teach, and we have all long been students.
I would like to hear your thoughts about the following question:
How may the history of mathematics be used to enrich the teaching of mathematics?
(at the high school or college level)
I'd like to hear both some general suggestions, as well as one or two specific examples of
topics that could be presented, including what to present, and why this would be useful
for the intended curriculum.
The example(s) should involve most of your writing. This is a bit hard, as we have barely started the course.
Pay particular attention to the dangers of unintentionally demotivating students:
- women and minorities (the Dead White Male problem).
Note that this changes with time. While a young child in the 1960's (which was when I decided to become a scientist) most of
my heroes were European Jews; the great scientists who came to the US as war refugees,
as well as early 20th century physicists.
That was very different from my working class Sicillian background.
While aware of this, I do not recall that it was off-putting. Now about 50 years later, the cutting edge of ethnicity has changed.
and/or
- Students who should be encouraged to attempt careers in mathematics need not be prodigies,
("I can never be Newton or Gauss...." " When Galois was my age, he was already dead!").