Math in the Real World
When I was younger, math was never my strong suit. I remember sitting in class, staring at the board, and thinking: “How is this even relevant to my life?” Math felt like a foreign language, a barrier rather than a bridge– And why they started to add letters just baffled me!
However, all that changed when I arrived at university. Suddenly, I had no choice but to pass statistics — a course that everyone told me was the hardest in my degree. My father suggested that I give it a shot in my first year, and if I failed, I could always try again in my second or even third year. To never give up. But my competitive side kicked in when I was issued a challenge; I was determined not to fail.
Armed with a fancy scientific calculator (that was the bane of my existence– Really, it fought against me! Refusing to store formulas…), I struggled significantly at first. But then something shifted: I reached out to a math professor who took the time to gently explain the concepts in real-world scenarios. That’s when math started to click. It wasn’t about abstract equations — it was about understanding how the world works. By connecting and applying math to something meaningful to me, I passed that course in my first year.
Looking back now, that experience shaped how I think about math education — and it’s why I’m passionate about helping every student see math as more than just numbers on a page.
Math and Relevance?
Today, I see students facing the same struggle I did: Why does math matter?
In classrooms across the world, math is often taught as isolated equations on a worksheet — divorced from real life and from the skills students need for the future. This disconnect is especially challenging for students who thrive on hands-on, practical learning. Without that bridge to real-world relevance, math can feel like a subject you just need to get through rather than a tool for solving problems.
This approach doesn’t just teach the math concept — it helps students experience it, building a bridge between abstract numbers and real-world applications.
At Kai’s Education, we believe math should be active, hands-on, and meaningful. That’s why we’re so excited about Math in Action, a program developed by Heidi Williams.
Heidi is the Computer Science Curriculum Specialist at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the author of No Fear Coding: Computational Thinking Across the K-5 Curriculum. She’s dedicated her career to helping teachers integrate computer science into core subjects like math, making learning both accessible and engaging for every student.
What’s unique about Heidi’s approach is that she starts from the math perspective first — showing math teachers how to model concepts like repeated addition and arrays using hands-on experiences. For example, at ISTE this year, Heidi will lead a session demonstrating how repeated addition can be physically modeled using tile movements, helping students understand how addition connects to multiplication.
Bridging Math and Computational Thinking
While Kai’s Education traditionally focused on computational thinking and robotics in the past, Math in Action flips the script: it starts with the math and shows how coding and computer science standards can be naturally integrated.
This synergy is powerful. When students see that math isn’t just for tests, but is the foundation of coding, robotics, and problem-solving, they gain confidence and excitement about learning. It’s no longer “just math” — it’s a gateway to creativity, innovation, and the skills of tomorrow. Instead of one plus one, it’s moving your KaiBot across multiple tiles!
Math + Computer Science: Not the Other Way Around
At Kai’s Education, we believe the key to unlocking meaningful STEM learning lies in starting with math and then extending into computer science — not the other way around. For many math teachers, bridging the gap from numbers to algorithms feels natural, but explaining computer science concepts to seasoned math educators can be a real challenge. That’s why we’ve focused on building resources that embed computer science standards seamlessly into math lessons.
Through our “Math in Action” approach, designed by Heidi Williams, we empower math teachers to naturally extend their core curriculum with computational thinking and problem-solving skills. By starting from what teachers know best — math — we create a bridge to computer science that feels intuitive, practical, and rewarding.
Our Journey with Rudy Neufeld
When we started with KaiBot, we were fortunate to collaborate with Rudy Neufeld, a renowned mathematics and technology leader from Ontario, Canada. Rudy created our initial teacher resource, complete with a student activity book, which is working exceptionally well in helping educators bring math and computer science together in the classroom.
Rudy’s influence on our approach runs deep. In the 1980s, he met Dr. Seymour Papert at MIT — the visionary behind the powerful coding language Logo, which allowed students to program a robot to move both on the floor and on the computer screen. This hands-on, exploratory approach revolutionized how coding could support math learning.
Today, Rudy continues to work closely with Kai’s Education, seeing the potential in KaiBot to upgrade his popular resource, Understanding Math, now in its 11th edition. He is also authoring an exciting new resource for grades 3 to 8: First Steps in CODING TO LEARN. This resource empowers students to experience visual feedback in dynamic worlds rich in mathematics — continuing the tradition of connecting math to real-world problem-solving and computational thinking.
Our collaboration with Rudy laid the groundwork for First Steps in Coding: Through Mathematical Thinking and Game-Based Learning, a foundational resource that bridges math and computer science seamlessly. Building on this foundation, we’re now expanding our math program with Math in Action, bringing even more opportunities for students to see math as a tool they can use — and a subject they can love.
Preparing Students for a Hands-On Future
Finally, we at Kai’s Education know that the workforce of tomorrow will demand adaptability, creativity, and strong problem-solving skills. By integrating hands-on math experiences with computational thinking, we’re not just teaching students to pass tests — we’re equipping them to tackle real-world challenges with confidence.
Math shouldn’t be a barrier. It should be a bridge. That’s the vision behind Math in Action: giving every student the opportunity to see math as a tool they can use — and a subject they can love.
Join Us at ISTE!
If you’re attending ISTE, make sure you come visit us at Booth 3436. We’d love to show you how Math in Action can transform your math curriculum and engage every learner. And don’t miss Heidi Williams’ session on modeling repeated addition — it’s a game-changer for helping students understand and apply math in real-world contexts.
Let’s make math meaningful, together.
Find us at Kai’s Education, and drop us a follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. You can also connect with our growing community on Discord or our Facebook Group!
Warmly,
Ronel
CEO, Kai’s Education
