Khan Academy got pushed into the public eye with its semi-recent 60 Minutes segment. I came across it when brushing up on a bit of high school geometry. For my brain, it worked well. Search for a topic, watch a video, and then practice the concept... How coud that be a bad thing?
Visitors flock to http://www.khanacademy.org/ for the 3000+ instructional videos across most academic subjects. I have found the most helpful section to be math. The site offers videos that break down just about any mathematical concept you can think of and then offer interactive practice, which include video reminder prompts if you are stuck.
I think this could be very beneficial for students. Whether you introduce topics in class with these videos, or offer them as review before an assessment, the site provides another way to access content. Teachers can try a variety of teaching methods in a class, this site simply provides another avenue for delivering a lesson. Like any other means of instruction, it has pros and cons. Some brains will take to it, some won't. Modern education is all about exposing students to different viewpoints and ways of doing things and then letting the students themselves determine what works best for them, interactive web sites aren't any different!
My three nieces ages 9, 14, and 15 are using Khan Academy this summer for Math. The youngest one loves to do it, but often gets confused by it. The other two could take it or leave it. I think this goes along with your point that some brains will take to it while others won't. I think it also goes along with how well you like a subject area. My nieces are just working on this individually at home during the summer, but I do feel there is a benefit to presenting it in the classroom as well.
ReplyDelete