Salman Khan is doing a great service to humanity. I saw his videos on youtube a while back & wished his videos were available when I was in school. He makes tough & boring concepts, very easy to grasp & interesting. His videos make it fun to learn.
Now I watch his videos to learn concepts I have forgotten & learn new ones too. I have recommended his videos to my family & friends. Learning is a continual process. We are not growing if we are not learning. Its not just for schools but also for anyone interested in learning & gaining knowledge.
His desire to make education free for everyone is commendable. Thank you Mr. Salman Khan for the great work. I salute you sir. We need more teachers like you.
The Khan Academy is the future of Education. Your 60 minute segment captures its potential very well. Innovations in Education's 2004 proposal submitted to the Utah Legislature contained a competency based education/learning support system module that was exactly what the Khan Academy is doing. I can make a pdf version of that proposal available to the Khan Academy at no cost and it contains significant research that supports this approach. The Utah Legislature appropriated $1,000,000 for a pilot of this proposal (line item 84 HB 3) but the Governor made a line item veto pressured by the educational establishment. We had the software model and team all ready to go prior to the veto. Our overall view of the future of education is contained on a 7 page summary document that I can also make available to you.
Actually, the Utah State Office of Education is working with institutes of higher education to create a set of 'hybrid' concurrent enrollment courses that integrate technology into the classroom. (Apparently the some districts in Utah offer online courses as well, though they are not as popular ...probably because of their obscurity.) As part of this project, the University of Utah was assigned to create a hybrid Math 1030 course that is very much modeled after the Khan Academy approach along with an inquiry-based learning approach. It is being piloted this next fall.
Education/learning is the experience one goes through when they interact with the world around them, whether a student is listening to a lecture, surfing the web, reading a book, or playing a game. We have literally infinite sources of 'educational inputs', what determines how an individual learns is how they digest those inputs. If there is one thing we've learned over the last 20 years it's that different people are better at digesting different sources. I think what Khan is doing is great. I've been working on videos my students can watch to supplement my lessons, and then I heard about Khan Academy and started directing students to those videos (why reinvent the wheel). Sometimes his approach is different than what I do in class, but that just offers the students a different way of looking at the concept ...by no means a bad thing. This isn't a 'catch-all' way of teaching, no such thing exists. But you better believe that even if it makes a difference in the life of ONE student, then it was worth it. With the expectation that teachers HAVE to reach EVERY student, good educators must have a plethora of educational inputs available for students to digest. Gone are the days were students had to adapt to the teachers style, now it is the other way around. I believe this 'technoteaching' is here to stay; adapt or go extinct. The government is slowly catching on (it always takes them a while) a lot of educators already are.
Sal is an amazing teacher!I found out about KA through FB about a month ago & am so grateful! My daughter is in class XI,depends totally on me for all the help.I'm a Ph.D in chemistry, but my physics was always weak. I was managing that using some really good books, but that was only MANAGING!! Now KA is there & I feel confident. Sal is so young & a visionary. I would like to join his team for teaching if I could,although I need to be trained. In spite of some of the negative comments,KA is going to flourish because people have this uncanny ability to appreciate CLASS!
As a middle school math teacher, I have benefited from personally using Khan Academy and have occasionally utilized it with my students. I hope that KA will soon be able to offer professional development opportunities for classroom teachers so we can learn the most effective strategies for implementing it in K-12 education. Please sign me up!!
I think that the Kahn Academy is extremely worthwhile. I do not believe that his intention was to create a full on-line structured course. He has created the modern version of what would have been Cliff Notes for math. The advantage is that you look at only the topics where you need help, and unlike in the classroom, rewind and play it again as many times as you need. It also invites the child look ahead and go further on his/her own volition. I found his metrics very impressive and believe that his methods would be especially valuable in countries that do not have the educational infrastructure of industrialized countries. I believe the only aspect that seems to be lacking is the group interactivity when the students watch and help each other understand a concept. My only question for the moment is how many languages can he speak?
I am a K-8 math tutor. I tutor up through pre-algebra. I have explored Kahn Math Academy as a source of supplemental practice and instruction for my students. I think there is a seed of a wonderful idea in the Kahn Academy for math. In its current state, however, the Kahn Math Academy is woefully inadequate as a stand-alone curriculum.
(My backround: biochemistry, environmental sciences, water resources engineering; I have studied college level math through differential equations.)
Overall, I very much like the way the practice modules are set up, with the student able to obtain a full set of hints (solution steps) for every problem presented. The topical coverage is superficial and spotty, however. Furthermore, most of the videos simply tell how to solve a specific problem on a topic. To show the solution to a single specific problem and to provide limited practice on that specific problem type is not the same as teaching.
In short, Kahn Math Academy has for me now value as a primary curriculum and has quite limited value for supplementation.
To illustrate, I document below what one will find withn the Kahn Math Academy on the topic of decimals.
The easiset level icons and linked videps addressing decimals are these:
1. "Number Line 2" This icon is shown as a pre-req for the first decimals icon.. The linked video is titled "Points on a number line." The video is 1 min 58 secs. This video shows how to solve the question "Plot the following numbers on the number line: 5, 1/3, -1.2, 0, -2 1/4, 4.1"
2. "Decimals on the number line 1." This practice module links to a 1 min 39 sec video which shows how to solve the specific problem "Use a number line to compare 11.5 and 11.7"
3. "Decimals on the number line 2." This practice module also links to the 1 min 39 secs video that shows how to solve the specific problem "Use a number line to compare 11.5 and 11.7"
These are the lowest level icons/videos that address decimal numbers. Clearly, one can see that the Khan Math Academy does not teach decimals. One can see on the topic of decimals, Khan Math Academy might have value for a kid that has already learned this topic, but wants to review in a preparation for say a placement test in middle or high school. I think that in general that the value of Khan Math Academy is limited, in its present incarnatino, to review.
I hope that the KA will try to get their product fully aligned to a high quality comprehensive curriculum such as Saxon. The Kahn Math Academy product will have more value, and will make a big difference in student achievement, if the makers would try expand the depth and scope of the KA curriculum, and engage master math teachers in either making videos or in writing scripts that S. Khan can then make videos from. Master teachers understand what conceptual hurdles students face when they are tackling new concepts. Kahn does not appear to know, for example, that the concept of money is the natural way to introduce decimals, and that children should have some knowledge of fractions and the concepts of tenths and hundreths before one introduces written decimal numbers.
You must not understand the brilliance and relevance of Mr Khan's endeavor; firstly, he makes no self-serving claims at all. He is just following an obvious dream of serving to help individuals learn math and, seemingly, many other subjects. Besides, he is only in the beginning stages and 4 million students (including one by the name of Bill Gates)can't all be wrong. Can they? Possibly I detect a little jealously here.
As mentioned in the video, the point of KA is not to REPLACE teachers or to be a curriculum! KA allows for and actively promotes the creativity of educators to administrate the classroom. This would be ESPECIALLY important in the younger years.
I see KA as a tool for enhancing/expediting understanding of concepts. If you already have a basic grasp on how to count beans and beads and spaghetti noodles from preschool & kindergarten, and perhaps you're a tech-savvy little kid, you could perhaps hop on to KA. Likewise, if you're in the 4th grade and still struggling with basic addition, a teacher could possibly use KA's videos/exercises *OR* better yet come up with an interesting way to engage the student and communicate with the student directly, regarding basic addition. Educators will ALWAYS be necessary every step of the way, and as a community of humans on this planet we should desire that because that is in our very nature as social creatures.
KA is a brilliant tool. It's not a teacher-replacement. Educators who fear that are fearing the wrongs things.
We consider Khan Academy to be a blessing. Our oldest is using it for Algebra II. I find it reassuring to find there are still people out there who truly want to help others. God bless you for all you are giving to our children & to families!
Kahn works great, but it usually must be accompanied by some adult if working with children to overcome the difficulties of some sections. Videos don't do it alone such as the number line section.
1) One issue is that in subjects other than math, there are no questions and answers to solve to verify that you understand the material that was in the video. The economics section quickly comes to mind.
2) I had my high school student try it, but unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a diagnostic test to take which would save time and show you what lessons to start with. IT takes too long to go with math in kindergarten to get to math that is in highschool. A diagnostic test which would mark sections as complete would save time and be way more beneficial.
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Actually, I have never been taught from him, I would like to know how he could make the boring concept fun
I guess It could be a good way to teach students in great tech-age trend
Now I watch his videos to learn concepts I have forgotten & learn new ones too. I have recommended his videos to my family & friends. Learning is a continual process. We are not growing if we are not learning. Its not just for schools but also for anyone interested in learning & gaining knowledge.
His desire to make education free for everyone is commendable. Thank you Mr. Salman Khan for the great work. I salute you sir. We need more teachers like you.
Education/learning is the experience one goes through when they interact with the world around them, whether a student is listening to a lecture, surfing the web, reading a book, or playing a game. We have literally infinite sources of 'educational inputs', what determines how an individual learns is how they digest those inputs. If there is one thing we've learned over the last 20 years it's that different people are better at digesting different sources. I think what Khan is doing is great. I've been working on videos my students can watch to supplement my lessons, and then I heard about Khan Academy and started directing students to those videos (why reinvent the wheel). Sometimes his approach is different than what I do in class, but that just offers the students a different way of looking at the concept ...by no means a bad thing. This isn't a 'catch-all' way of teaching, no such thing exists. But you better believe that even if it makes a difference in the life of ONE student, then it was worth it. With the expectation that teachers HAVE to reach EVERY student, good educators must have a plethora of educational inputs available for students to digest. Gone are the days were students had to adapt to the teachers style, now it is the other way around. I believe this 'technoteaching' is here to stay; adapt or go extinct. The government is slowly catching on (it always takes them a while) a lot of educators already are.
Sal is so young & a visionary. I would like to join his team for teaching if I could,although I need to be trained.
In spite of some of the negative comments,KA is going to flourish because people have this uncanny ability to appreciate CLASS!
(My backround: biochemistry, environmental sciences, water resources engineering; I have studied college level math through differential equations.)
Overall, I very much like the way the practice modules are set up, with the student able to obtain a full set of hints (solution steps) for every problem presented. The topical coverage is superficial and spotty, however. Furthermore, most of the videos simply tell how to solve a specific problem on a topic. To show the solution to a single specific problem and to provide limited practice on that specific problem type is not the same as teaching.
In short, Kahn Math Academy has for me now value as a primary curriculum and has quite limited value for supplementation.
To illustrate, I document below what one will find withn the Kahn Math Academy on the topic of decimals.
The easiset level icons and linked videps addressing decimals are these:
1. "Number Line 2" This icon is shown as a pre-req for the first decimals icon.. The linked video is titled "Points on a number line." The video is 1 min 58 secs. This video shows how to solve the question "Plot the following numbers on the number line: 5, 1/3, -1.2, 0, -2 1/4, 4.1"
2. "Decimals on the number line 1." This practice module links to a 1 min 39 sec video which shows how to solve the specific problem "Use a number line to compare 11.5 and 11.7"
3. "Decimals on the number line 2." This practice module also links to the 1 min 39 secs video that shows how to solve the specific problem "Use a number line to compare 11.5 and 11.7"
These are the lowest level icons/videos that address decimal numbers. Clearly, one can see that the Khan Math Academy does not teach decimals. One can see on the topic of decimals, Khan Math Academy might have value for a kid that has already learned this topic, but wants to review in a preparation for say a placement test in middle or high school. I think that in general that the value of Khan Math Academy is limited, in its present incarnatino, to review.
I hope that the KA will try to get their product fully aligned to a high quality comprehensive curriculum such as Saxon. The Kahn Math Academy product will have more value, and will make a big difference in student achievement, if the makers would try expand the depth and scope of the KA curriculum, and engage master math teachers in either making videos or in writing scripts that S. Khan can then make videos from. Master teachers understand what conceptual hurdles students face when they are tackling new concepts. Kahn does not appear to know, for example, that the concept of money is the natural way to introduce decimals, and that children should have some knowledge of fractions and the concepts of tenths and hundreths before one introduces written decimal numbers.
I see KA as a tool for enhancing/expediting understanding of concepts. If you already have a basic grasp on how to count beans and beads and spaghetti noodles from preschool & kindergarten, and perhaps you're a tech-savvy little kid, you could perhaps hop on to KA. Likewise, if you're in the 4th grade and still struggling with basic addition, a teacher could possibly use KA's videos/exercises *OR* better yet come up with an interesting way to engage the student and communicate with the student directly, regarding basic addition. Educators will ALWAYS be necessary every step of the way, and as a community of humans on this planet we should desire that because that is in our very nature as social creatures.
KA is a brilliant tool. It's not a teacher-replacement. Educators who fear that are fearing the wrongs things.
mmm like that is sooo working in public education. Also Khan did say that he encourages teachers to get involved and it was not meant to replace them.
1) One issue is that in subjects other than math, there are no questions and answers to solve to verify that you understand the material that was in the video. The economics section quickly comes to mind.
2) I had my high school student try it, but unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a diagnostic test to take which would save time and show you what lessons to start with. IT takes too long to go with math in kindergarten to get to math that is in highschool. A diagnostic test which would mark sections as complete would save time and be way more beneficial.