079 | 60% Prepared Teaching Math in the Age of AI with Chris Ippolito | October 7, 2026

Pam reconnects with Chris Ippolito, a friend of nearly 25 years and the Emerging Technology Coordinator at Singapore American School, where he also teaches the school's first AI elective. In his role, he creates and facilitates meaningful professional learning for teachers as technology emerges at lightning speed.Chris is also the co-host of the groundbreaking podcast "Up Against Reality." In his podcast, he has fascinating conversations with his human co-host Larry and their AI co-host Raina, who communicates with them in real time and has developed an incredible personality over the last several years of co-hosting the podcast. In this episode, we talk about ways in which Chris builds every project on low floors, wide walls, and high ceilings, and why he thinks the point of math class was never the answer. Chris shares how his classroom design process philosophy shapes what he asks of students, why he shows up 60 percent prepared on purpose, and why he believes courage in math class means trying something and watching it break, not getting it right the first time. Pam and Chris dig into what residue actually means, the belief that a student can figure it out, and why that belief might be the whole point of school. Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 Reconnecting After Years 02:58 The Journey of Reinvention 06:03 Teaching and Learning in a Changing World 08:56 Embracing Technology in Education 11:46 Navigating AI in the Classroom 14:54 The Future of Education and AI 18:41 Rethinking Education for the Future 22:12 The Role of AI in Learning 24:36 Project-Based Learning and Creative Problem Solving 29:04 The Importance of Thought Process in Math 32:47 Branding Math as a Life Skill 35:01 Connecting Math to Real Life 39:28 The Future of Education and AI's Impact 42:01 The Human Element in a Tech-Driven World 44:53 AI in Education: Balancing Technology and Human Interaction 47:58 The Future of Skills: Adapting to Change 51:59 Creativity and Courage in Learning 55:48 The Role of AI: Questions and Reflections 59:46 Navigating the Future: What Lies Ahead? 01:04:21 Introduction to Blue Glasses Math 01:04:26 The Perspective of Being a Math Person Connect with Chris Ippolito: linkedin:   / chris-ippolito-ippolitodesign   podcast: https://upagainstreality.com/ Connect with Dr. Pam Brett: insta:   / blueglassesmath   bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pambrett.bsk... linkedin:   / pamela-brett-23b56675   website: https://www.blueglassesmath.org/ Subscribe to Pam's newsletter! https://shorturl.at/OTTwo #BlueGlassesMath #MathEducation #EdTech #GrowthMindset #EducationalLeadership