"Convergence: Where Mathematics, History and Teaching Interact" -- An Online Magazine on the History of Mathematics and Its Use in Teaching

Mathematical Association Of America, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) proposes to create an online magazine on the history of mathematics and its use in teaching, entitled "Convergence: Where Mathematics, History and Teaching Interact." "Convergence" will make available to teachers and teacher educators (Grades 9-14) a continuous flow of new material in the history of mathematics, which they can easily use in the classroom to enrich their courses, spark student interest and make mathematics more accessible. The types of materials appearing in the magazine will include: (i) Expository articles with corresponding discussion groups; (ii) Translations of original sources, both Western and non-Western; (iii) Reviews of resources (books, articles, websites, etc.) on the history of mathematics; (iv) Lesson plans; (v) Three attractive special sections, updated daily: "A Historical Problem of the Day," "A Mathematical Quotation of the Day," and "What Happened Today in History?" (vi) An up-to-date guide to what is happening around the world in the history of mathematics and its use in teaching; and (vii) Historical illustrations The magazine will be a part of the MAA Mathematical Sciences Digital Library (MathDL). Most of the technical work on "Convergence" will be done at "Math Forum," now housed at Drexel University. "Math Forum," which provides similar services to MathDL, will host the magazine's web pages, maintain the site and develop the software for the discussion groups.