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ERIC Number: EJ1178795
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2156-1400
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Portrayal of Mathematicians and Mathematics in Popular Culture
Barba, Kimberly
Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, v9 n1 p9-14 Spr 2018
Mathematicians are often inimically portrayed in popular culture, resulting in an abundance of non-mathematical identities in the classroom. Various tropes are propagated by the media that dominate our mental schemas of what makes a mathematician: the eccentric Einstein-like old man; the young, tortured genius; and the "genetically different" savant. However, these portrayals in popular culture can be used as a tool--rather than a hindrance--if teachers know how to present them properly in the classroom. Although the media often promotes mathematical myths, it can also be used to debunk them.
Program in Mathematics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. 525 West 120th Street Box 210-M, New York, NY 10027. Web site: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/jmetc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A