Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Khan Academy Success?

One report says so:
Last month we profiled the Khan Academy, a database of free videos that make learning subjects like math fun. Well, these videos are now being piloted in a school in California. Two grade five and seven classes in the district of Los Altos have chosen to heavily supplement their current methods with the Khan Academy. Their test run has so far yielded nothing short of colossal success, with both students and teachers alike more engaged and fulfilled.

5 comments:

Pomoprophet said...

I hope they don't start charging. I teach a CAHSEE bootcamp and we use the Khan videos for the math portion.

Anonymous said...

C'mon! Instead of watching a live teacher write on a chalkboard, the students watch a "video" of a teacher writing on a chalkboard? Fun? And where is the dumbing dow...er..differentiated instruction?
I think that any student bright enough to learn from Khan academy is probably bright enough to learn from a textbook. There are also all kinds of youtube math videos that also feature teachers writing on a chalkboard. Yet, when I inform my students of this, they can't seem to get motivated enough to take responsiblity for their own learning or they complain that they didn't understand the video. Thank God, else I'd be out of a job.

KauaiMark said...

"...else I'd be out of a job"

Obsolescence is usually the result of progress.

allen (in Michigan) said...

I understand what you're saying Anon - it isn't true because it mustn't be.

Sorry.

I'm beginning to think the Khan Academy model, coupled with the Internet, cheap computers and ubiquitous broadband is what it'll take to break a government-mandated monopoly technologically.

There's still development necessary, mostly in the area of testing, but the pieces do seem to be falling into place.

maxutils said...

All'y'all missing the point. I saw the 60 minutes piece on Khan, and the reason that it works is because he a) knows his material, b) presents it clearly, and c) is moderately entertaining. The problem with math instruction today is that not enough teachers can meet those qualities. I would not hesitate to suggest Khan as an aid to learning math, but nothing can replace live interaction with a quality teacher. You can't ask Khan how to do number 32.