From Algebra to Architecture

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From Algebra to Architecture, with Jim Ellis

In this episode of Data Talks, we sit down with Jim Ellis, math teacher at the American International School of Vienna and author of "Educators as Designers," to explore how his background in architecture reshaped his approach to teaching math. Jim walks us through the parallels between architectural design and effective data-informed instruction, and how that lens has shaped a career built around curiosity and critical thinking.

We dig into the World Insights Challenge, the global math competition Jim co-leads with Kat Petra from the International School of Amsterdam, where students from around the world use real data to explore questions tied to the SDGs, building original visualizations that matter to their own communities.

Jim also opens up about AI's growing role in education: its potential to identify learning needs like dyslexia and dyscalculia far faster than humans can, and the coming shift away from homework toward classrooms as spaces for live, creative learning. He paints a picture of what math class could look like for the next generation, one where students lead their own discovery rather than simply absorb instruction.

We close things out, as always, with Jim's favorite number: 360, and the surprisingly rich history behind it.

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Data Talks is produced by World Data Lab, bringing global data to life through insights, conversations, and stories that matter.