Parents, what's that whooshing sound I hear? Could it be ... the winds o' change blowing through the education world? Why yes, I believe it is. Behold, Khan Academy! The platform that is about to turn school upside-down. Maybe.
Sal Khan and his video-based educational nonprofit Khan Academy were profiled on 60 Minutes on Sunday. My first take was: What the hell is this, YouTube math?!? Will it work? We have questions -- so we did some digging around. Here's what we know so far.
How much does it cost? It's free. All you need is a computer with Internet access.
What's in it? Over 3,000 educational videos covering k-12 math as well as science and a bit of the humanities. Each video is around 10 minutes long.
Students get a custom, self-paced learning tool, a "help system," and a custom profile that lets them track their progress.
Teachers, tutors, and parents can see students' work in detail and get real-time reports for a whole class and loads of feedback that can help them create "targeted intervention." In other words, help figuring out exactly how to help each student with exactly what they need.
Will it replace teachers? Not yet. That would take decades of public policy debate, and even then, I really don't think it's meant to replace teachers, exactly.
Who likes it? Bill Gates, who has donated millions to the nonprofit via the Gates Foundation -- and he also makes his own kids use it. Google has promised $2 million for Khan to develop more curriculum. And over 4 million students have used the site, though I really can't say if they "like" it.
Who doesn't like it? A lot of educators are skeptical. They say it's a superficial approach to learning that focuses only on rote learning. You can read some criticism at Hacker Education and more at Wired Academic.
My take: Some teachers are going to see these tools and want to run with them because it enhances the approach they're already taking. Other teachers (probably those who take a more progressive approach to education) will want to skip it altogether. I think if you have a student who is struggling, especially in math, it's probably worth a try. You never know -- different approaches work for different kids. And you don't have much to lose, since it's free.
Is Khan Academy something you think you'd like to try? Do you think it's effective or do you think it's just a techy gimmick?
Image via Khan Academy
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Comments 12
Wow! I was so excited to see this article. My husband researched into this about a month ago and couldn't wait to start trying it on the kids. In fact, he decided to do it himself and it's great (he wished he had had it when he was their age). My kids, 8, 10 and 14 are all doing it and it's helping them immensely.
I'm curious to see what other people are going to say about this.
I know what my son will be doing this summer!
It can't replace the classroom or direct instruction but it is a good resource for kids who get home and need more help especially when their parents can't provide that help.
I think things like this are great for kids who don't fit the typical mold and need individualized instruction. You can have a whole group of kids all working at different level (special ed, gifted or alternative ed, homebound) with a teacher to provide additional assistance. I think it's probably really good for math because of the nature of the daily lessons and daily practice that's needed that isn't nessicary in other subjects.
It seems to require a lot of work at home though and what do you do when the kid doesn't do the work at home. Instead of missing the practice they're missing the lesson and that's a big problem.
I would also add... what makes a good class great is the interaction between teacher and students, the questions and discussions. That can't be done in a video.
I seriously don't get this site. It's cafemom, right? Emphasis on the 'mom?' A place to talk about the things in life that affect you as a mother and your children.
So here we have a discussion about something that could help kids with their math. I own a restaurant and believe me when I say, every kid I have hired has a problem with simple math so I would think that something that could supplement their education would be a good thing. Instead this article was posed to look like a debate. No, these videos are not going to replace teachers. It's just a tool. No need for everyone to get so defensive.
But still, 6 comments on an article about something that is actually child-related?
And yet, I can open a page and there will be at least 4 articles on the same page about some celebrity (Kardashian anyone?) and then pages and pages of comments from people per each article.
Also, Mayim Bialik is a celebrity, right? Her book is out, Beyond the Sling. But has it been discussed here yet? No.
Maybe if Jennifer Aniston or Kim Kardashian had written a book on parenting, there were would be about 3 or 4 write ups about it.
Oh wait...
The simplest way to become a Math Genius play cool math games ;)
I agree with the teachers. It's a good supplementary tool, but I wouldn't rely on it as the sole way to teach math.