Friday, March 7, 2025

8:00 - 9:00am

Francis Su, Harvey Mudd College

Building Virtues, Not Just Skills

A great education does more than prepare students for careers. It should also shape their characters, equipping them with virtues that will allow them to navigate a complicated world. Virtues are dispositions that shape a person's character and enable them to flourish---such as creativity, persistence in problem-solving, and intellectual humility. Sadly, math education often focuses solely on procedural skills. I'll discuss why virtues have always been more important than skills, and urge us to retain what's essential in math education (its humanness) in an age where AI is causing people to re-evaluate what an education really for.

Francis Su is the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and a past president of the Mathematical Association of America. In 2013, he received the Haimo Award, a nationwide teaching prize in the United States for college math faculty, and in 2018 he won the Halmos-Ford writing award. His work has been featured in Quanta Magazine, Wired, and The New York Times. His book Mathematics for Human Flourishing, winner of the 2021 Euler Book Prize, has been translated into 8 languages. The book is an inclusive vision of what math is, who it's for, and why anyone should learn it.

Saturday, March 8, 2025

8:00 - 9:00am

Moderator – Chris Hess, Ph.D., Director of AI Product Management

Empowering Education: The Future of AI-Driven Learning in Mathematics

The integration of AI in education is transforming how learning happens, providing new pathways for engagement, personalization, and inclusivity. Join Pearson’s Director of AI Product Management, Chris Hess, along with thought leaders on the front lines of math and statistics teaching and learning to explore the broader implications of AI's impact on education, moving beyond the traditional confines of the classroom to look at how AI can revolutionize learning experiences. This session will address the opportunities and challenges inherent in integrating AI in education, such as balancing innovation with ethical considerations and ensuring equitable access. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of AI’s potential to foster a more engaging, effective, and future-ready educational landscape.