The Diane Rehm Show

I see mastery of material as the key to success in education. No grades - every one just has to work until they reach the goal. Educators step in when kids get stuck. This seems like a better way to foster it - the student must master each segment before proceeding to the next. It seems very attainable with computer-assisted instruction. Is mastery a key point in this system?

I am a single mother and I am completing my BS mainly online. I have found that there is a huge disconnect for some of my virtual classes. Khan has helped me bridge that gap and I am truly grateful for this wonderful resource. I do not think it would be possible for me to finish my degree without Khan Academy. Thank you Khan!

I'm a 64 year old certified middle school math teacher with a BS in Math. I only discovered you while helping my 16 year old daughter who is already in Calculus as a HS junior. I've learned more from you than from my years of teaching or my degree.

She gives me a problem and I go to Khan Academy to figure out how to help her. Thank you for the mission and the effort.

Bob Gerold

While I understand Mr. Kahn's significant contribution in how technology is used in providing educational experiences he probably also understands that in classroom hands on experimentation can help to cement and solidify otherwise difficult concepts (e.g. how pH change can change the color of chemical indicators or how kinetic energy can be converted to potential energy).

As an educator I am employing more online resources and that allows more hands on and "real world" experience to be offered in the classroom.

Thanks!

I believe many failing students are undernourished. Poor diet effects cognative function. Your Khan Academy could include wellness education including the value of eating real food, permaculture concepts and links to the impact of urban gardens to improved school success. Many schools are not addressing these critical issues
Rita Sewell RN BSN

My 7 year old twins are having a lot of trouble with reading. Is there a possibility of phonics help?

This is a "historical" comment, not a question.

Back in the early 1960's I was student in a Catholic school in Chicago, run by a dedicated "teaching order" of nuns, who kept up on all the latest instruction methods. Two methods I remember clearly were essentially "programmed learning". For reading, we used modules made by a company called SRA (Science Reading Asociates?) which featured an ordered-by-difficulty selection of reading passages, each followed by questions. This was an enrichment activity for when we each had some free time. The materials were in an open file in the back of the classroom; we could not take them home. We kept track on a personal chart and the teacher checked in on it regularly to note each student's progress. The modules were color-coded and we could see our own progress. It was fun!

In eighth grade, about ten of us students were given an accelerated run through the standard math textbook, took a comprehensive test, and then were handed "programmed" Algebra text/workbooks. We had short instruction sessions every few days with the teacher in a break-out section. And we could always consult the teacher if we got stuck But most of the learning and doing was alone with that workbook. We then each requested the test for the chapter as we completed it. We were not allowed to progress until we had mastered the current concept.

It was a very good thing that I learned Algebra I that way! Because, as it turned out, my freshman algebra teacher the next year spoke little English, and with a heavy (Cuban) accent. (One of the stream of educated exiles from Communist Cuba at that time.) She was a very smart and educated lady but the language barrier was quite a problem. Many students failed that class. and had to repeat it. Luckily, I already knew most of it so it was review. But I was the only one in that lucky position.

Hi Mr. Kahn,

Are there any studies on how effective Khan Acadamy's videos are at teaching students and how well students can retain and apply the information? I am a researcher at the University of Virginia and I strongly believe that if a resource is provided in education, it should be backed by empirical evidence. Studies on your videos can help you make them more effective.

The videos are great; I used them for middle school students. Thank you for your contributions to education and thank you for keeping it non-profit!

Hello Mr. Khan,

I may have missed the topic, but I was wondering what is your contingency plan? What happens to the Khan Academy if and when you are gone? Is there already a plan in place for you to step back? Obviously you have created something beautiful. Have you thought about what it will look like in 20 years?

-Jake

p.s. terribly sorry if this comment is a wet blanket. I love what you have done so far, and love hearing your perspective on the topic.

Hello. We would love to have you visit and talk with 200 outstanding future STEM teachers at the Northeast regional ROBERT NOYCE conference in Boston October 11 - 13. Here is a GREAT opportunity to talk with and impact future TEACHERS! We would love to hear from you and share your insight.
Freese, Kerri
Noyce Program Project Coordinator
State University of New York at Cortland
Phone: 753-2913
kerri.freese@cortland.edu

This classroom model, as seen in the 60 minutes video reminds me of how I teach my college level ceramics course.
Mr. Khan stressed creativity, choices and individuality in the interview.
I am excited to share his website with my kids and their teachers.

I just want to thank you so much for having Mr. Khan on your show today. I was able to listen to it coming home from the doctor's office and it just ended my morning on a really high note. I think that what is being accomplished via Khan Academy is incredible. So much content and still so many possibilities. I have already gone on and completed a couple "lectures" as well as answered some of the questions for those videos. I felt like I learned so very much. This really was an incredible show. Thank you, thank you.

Kendall Linn
Greensboro, NC

I'm a folk music professional; a great number of my private students over the years have been adults who were musically deprived as children.

I explored the Academy's offerings, and was disappointed not to see any music related material. Because learning to play any musical instrument (including the voice) safely and properly requires immediate one-on-one interaction with an onsite expert, there's only so much online learning can offer outside of the classroom. However, in the areas of music appreciation, history, ethnomusicology, theory, composition, transcription, ear training, performance & interpersonal skills, the business of music and the like, the potential is staggering.

A gentlemen in his late '60's began learning the concertina with me several years ago. He arrived with low expectations. As a child, he was told by his school's choir director to just mouth the words, because his ear and pitch control were not up to her standards. (I must have heard this from at least 20 people over the years, and it still makes me cringe every time). At some point he took up the clarinet, but didn't make enough progress for it to sufficiently reward him, and he didn't stick with it. He has struggled diligently with the little squeezebox and with music theory, slowly but surely progressing and learning how to use music writing software to create his own transcriptions. He's at a point where he's able to perform hymns and popular pieces for his congregation, much to his surprise and delight - and to theirs as well. I'm imagining what his life might have been like if a Khan Academy music program had been in use in his classroom.

Another grand potential is in the area of interpersonal behavior: teaching respect, decency, cultural sensitivity, and ethics in an ecumenical fashion. As we are sadly aware, often the family role models are inadequate and the lessons deficient.