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History of Mathematics
Posted:
Sep 25, 1999 3:04 AM
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I am currently having a debate with my professor regarding the NCTM
Standards stance, or rather lack of a stance, on the History of
Mathematics. I am an older (34) student in my last semester before
student teaching. We obviously discuss the standards at length in my
Methods of Teaching Mathematics course. Although, this is not as
heated a topic as Algebra for All, Geomtric Proof or Calculator Use, I
amazed if not shocked that there is no mention of the historical
nature of mathematics in the NCTM Standards. Would any other
discipline dismiss thier history. What would English be without
studying the classics? What would Psychology be without studying
Freud? Social Studies without studying early governments? Yet nowhere
in our National Standards do we even mention that our children should
know the great men of mathematics such as Euclid, Gauss, or Erdos.
Yet, children would be ostracized if they did not know Shakespeare,
Napoleon or Beethoven. The injection of historical notes not only
makes for a more interesting class but answers the question of where
or how did this come to be this way.
Bruce Nelson
Northern Kentucky University
Nelson4047@aol.com
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