Edtech Insiders
Edtech Insiders
Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell
The Math We Teach vs. The Math We Need with Ted Dintersmith
32 minutes Posted Apr 27, 2026 at 12:00 pm.
Ted’s journey from tech investor to education advocate
Why the rise of AI makes today’s math curriculum increasingly obsolete
The “math of life” vs. the “math of school” disconnect
The myth that current math instruction teaches critical thinking
How test-driven systems reward speed over real understanding
Why math should be integrated across subjects, not siloed
Students see schoolwork as irrelevant and why that leads to disengagement
A powerful classroom example: teaching probability through real-world context
How relevance in math can close equity gaps in learning outcomes
Ted’s vision for transforming math into a tool for purpose and real-world problem solving
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Send us Fan Mail Ted Dintersmith is an education advocate, author, and filmmaker who has spent the past 15 years working alongside educators to rethink what learning should look like in the modern world. He has visited more than 200 schools across all 50 states, listening to teachers and students and studying approaches that prepare young people for real life beyond tests. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why school math focuses on skills that AI already does better than humans&...