The Revolution in Math Education: Beyond AI and Towards Human Connection
Key points:
While almost every industry is struggling to integrate artificial intelligence, most schools are still teaching high school math the way it has been taught for decades – based on teaching materials that are abstract, disjointed, and disconnected from the world in which students actually live.
It’s no wonder so many students decide early on that math “isn’t for them.” The way we have structured math lessons makes it difficult for them to understand why it is important. Our standards were designed for a university pipeline, not for the realities of a dynamic economy that values creativity, problem solving, and the ability to ask the right questions.
AI: Not the Panacea for Math Education
To move beyond outdated approaches and materials, the field has focused heavily on AI as a solution. But efficiency alone cannot replace or promote the human relationships and sense of purpose that provide meaning and engagement in education.
In this case, we confused rigor with relevance.
What we see in most high school math classrooms is a system based on persistence rather than understanding. Students rush through fragmented topics to prepare for exams while the deeper “why” behind the math remains out of reach. The problem is not that we teach difficult concepts, but that we teach them as if the meaning will magically appear at some point.
The Human Element: Beyond Rote Learning
Students move through isolated parts of algebra, geometry, and calculus without ever hearing the storylines that connect them—the human motivations and the real-world intrigues that led to mathematics in the first place. When we teach mathematics without the curiosity that inspired it in the first place, we deprive students of the very spark that moved mathematics forward in the first place.
As we look forward and begin to redefine math education, one thing is abundantly clear: AI will not fix bad pedagogy.
AI is already integrated into almost every aspect of education – from generating practice assignments to providing on-demand tutors. But these tools, while impressive, risk reinforcing what is already broken. By mimicking what we already know, AI does not challenge fundamental assumptions about what or how we teach. It personalizes, but it doesn’t humanize.
Pedagogy: A Connection, Not a Code
Investors and edtech companies view AI as the next frontier – the “holy grail” of scalability and efficiency. But pedagogy is not a technical problem. Teaching is an act of connection. Students learn through human storylines, through emotional safety, and through conversations that encourage dissonance and exploration. These are the moments where true understanding arises – and they cannot be automated.
If we continue to build AI into the same outdated frameworks, we are simply pouring concrete onto something that is already flawed, cementing it.
Reimagining the Math Classroom
We want students to thrive in an AI-driven world. That’s why our approach to teaching mathematics must evolve to emphasize what makes us special: following our curiosity and thinking through ambiguity to find clarity, structure and connections. This means reframing the student experience to ensure it is humanized through two key components:
- Human teachers who guide learning with empathy, context, and real-time understanding of students’ emotions and misunderstandings.
- Human storylines that connect mathematical concepts with lived experience – and show not only how we do mathematics, but also why mathematics resonates.
Teaching materials should be designed like great plays – with structure, narrative and meaning. This requires authors who understand both mathematics and the art of storytelling. It’s not enough to create more problems; We need to inspire more curiosity, and what better way than to bring people together to share these experiences rather than working independently with a machine.
The Quadratic Formula: A Case Study
Take the quadratic formula for example. Surely this term triggers an emotional reaction or a vague memory of high school. When you were introduced to this formula, you were probably asked to “complete the square” – but have you ever actually been given a square with a hole and asked to complete it? Or were there conversations or demonstrations about how people solved these types of problems before there was a quadratic formula?
Current math classes use words that seem entirely human, such as “complete the square,” and yet we fail to teach students the human story to make it tangible or comprehensible. In conversation there is no room for curiosity, for asking or pursuing a question in order to better understand or assign meaning.
Future of Math Education: Embracing the Human Aspect
AI could probably solve any quadratic equation better than any human. But why is the goal simply to memorize or do things accurately, rather than to think, ask questions, and argue together?
The economy our students are entering does not reward memorization; It rewards adaptability and creative thinking. We need a generation inclined to ask, “Is there such a thing as completing the triangle?” – and not just one generation that can solve for x.
AI will continue to change the landscape of all professions, but its rise should prompt us to double down on the human elements of learning and not abandon them. If we want students to be leaders in an AI-powered world, we need to design math experiences that foster understanding, purpose, and agency—not just automation.
It’s time to stop digitizing old lessons and start rewriting the history of math education itself.
Jill Diniz and James Tanton, SmartWithIt
Jill Diniz, CEO and Founder of SmartWithIt, is a curriculum innovator, ed-tech entrepreneur, and longtime math educator committed to changing the way we think about learning. Jill has a deep background in software development, curriculum design, and classroom teaching, and brings a rare blend of technical rigor and pedagogical sensitivity to every product she develops. Her work at SmartWithIt reflects her passion for joyful, affirming educational experiences that are scientifically sound, deeply accessible, and built to last.
James Tanton, PhD, Chief Mathematics Officer and co-founder of SmartWithIt, is an award-winning author and mathematics educator committed to changing the way the world perceives mathematics. Drawing on his experience in both universities and secondary schools, he designs curricula and outreach programs that emphasize joyful, accessible learning. Tanton’s work, including the Global Math Project, aims to bring the beauty and wonder of mathematics to all students.
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