The Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture announced on March 16 that it held a workshop titled “The Journey of Numbers: How Mathematics Made Artificial Intelligence Possible” to mark International Day of Mathematics. The event was organized in collaboration with the Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE.
International Day of Mathematics, celebrated every March 14, was established by UNESCO to highlight the importance of mathematics in education, technology, and sustainable development. The date coincides with Pi Day and aims to celebrate the role of mathematics in daily life.
The workshop took place both at the Center for Innovation and Experimentation in Educational Technology (CIETE) at the Ministry’s main offices and at the Reverse Engineering and Prototyping Laboratory “CONCEPTS” at ESPE University in Sangolquí. Attendees included officials from the Subsecretariat for Educational Innovation and Integral Development, teachers, students, and university authorities. The session focused on how mathematics underpins modern technologies such as artificial intelligence.
This initiative is part of implementing the Digital Educational Agenda (AED), which seeks to strengthen digital, scientific, and pedagogical skills among teachers and students within Ecuador’s National Education System. CIETE is described as a flexible space aligned with strategic objectives to integrate technology into teaching processes.
During the workshop, participants explored connections between numbers, patterns, algorithms, and artificial intelligence through practical activities. One central activity involved using Hitomezashi—a Japanese embroidery technique—to create geometric patterns based on repetitive rules. Teachers experienced firsthand how algorithms function by embroidering linen bags or canvases following predefined sequences.
At the end of the session, teachers presented their work and discussed plans for applying these methods in their schools. They also shared expectations for student learning outcomes and identified technical support needs for future educational projects. The Ministry said it remains committed to modernizing education systems so that students are prepared to engage with technology-driven environments.
