Khan Academy Pilot Educators On Khan Academy 110
theodp writes "In what may surprise Khan Academy backers Google and Bill Gates, educators from the Los Altos School District where KA was initially piloted and implemented have responded to some recent KA critiques with a blog entry which notes, 'Teachers in our district have determined that the greatest value of the Khan Academy lies, not in the videos, but in the exercise modules and data generated as students work practice problems.' Not too surprisingly, when it comes to revolutionizing student learning, teachers are bullish on teachers. 'Key to this revolution are the Los Altos teachers,' the educators conclude. 'Teachers in our district are highly valued for their pedagogical perspective, content knowledge, experience, and creative abilities. When district administrators put tools in the hands of teachers and give them room to work, amazing things happen for students. Tools will come and go, but it's the teachers who create meaningful learning experiences that challenge students to grow.'"
And who is surprised? (Score:1, Insightful)
Why would this surprise anyone? Establishment tends to protect itself by embracing change in limited ways while re-emphasizing why "it" is valuable. This is no different than a homeopathic doctor saying "While I respect alopathic medicine, I think their real value is in their diagnostic techniques. The real benefit that myself and the other doctors at my practice play is bringing our wealth of homeopathic understanding to each issue at patient bring in." Not to equate all teaches with homeopathic physicians, but clearly for at least some students (and at least some incompetent teachers, protected by teach unions...) I don't think that metaphor is far from the truth. But nonetheless, why would this surprise ANYONE?
Re:And who is surprised? (Score:3, Insightful)
It doesn't. In california, the teachers union (along with other unions) operates like the mafia. Tax dollars come in and are funneled directly to the unions via the public school districts. The unions in turn use their voting bloc and monetary support for the democratic party to cement control.
They have a stranglehold on education dollars and they control the legislature. Nothing even vaguely threatening to the current union system will get to the floor for debate much less come to a vote. The losers are the taxpayers and the students.
As someone who donates money to a friend who works as a teacher just so she can afford extra paper for her students, you're full of shit.
Re:Teachers see writing on the wall (Score:3, Insightful)
I can't learn as well on TV. I can't concentrate on it like I can with a book or an interactive lesson on the computer. TV lessons go way too slow or too fast. It's the same with lectures.
Guided self study works the best - for me anyway. Which sucked for me in school because instructors demanded class participation.
Lies (Score:5, Insightful)
In california, the teachers union (along with other unions) operates like the mafia. Tax dollars come in and are funneled directly to the unions via the public school districts.
You know that's all public record, right? Why don't you request those balance sheets and publish it in the newspaper if it's true? The answer is because it's not, the unions are funded by union dues paid by the teachers ... of course, you don't know what's really going on or how really poor most schools and teachers are, you're just regurgitating talking points against unions that Glenn Beck or someone fed you.
Re:And who is surprised? (Score:5, Insightful)
Agreed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:An extremely useful resource. (Score:3, Insightful)
I have an uncle who thinks he's Napoleon. That doesn't mean I'm going to post anonymous astroturf forum comments asking people to enlist in his army.
Um, that's also how school works. The only difference with Khan! Academy is that you cannot camp out on the professors doorstep to berate him into changing your grade. That, and accountability.
Let's not bullshit here. Education is one of those last big pots of money sitting out there that corporations have not completely been able to make entirely their own. There is no surprise that's where they have their sights, because there are fewer and fewer of those big pots. Peoples' pensions was one, and they turned that into 401k's. Peoples' houses were another and we had first the Savings and Loan debacle and then in 2007 the job was complete and we're becoming a rental society. Every nickel that society has heretofore set aside for some social purpose is getting raided.
The few pots left are Social Security, which takes in a shit-load of cash every year, and we know what the corporate elite want to do with that, and education.
Once those are gone, I wonder if they're going to come for the fillings in our teeth. Just for the record, my fillings are all composite resins. Worthless on the secondary market.
Re:Lies (Score:4, Insightful)
This kind of shit is why I no longer self identify as a Republican anymore. Teachers are overpaid at $25,000???? I guess you think all US labor should be minimum wage so capital can get richer. Son, that's what starts revolutions...
Republicans used to be about limited government, now it's all about the race to the bottom. I am astonished at the uneducated lemmings that have taken over the party.
--> No sense of value
--> No understanding of economics
--> No recollection of history
It's truly incredible...
Re:And who is surprised? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:An extremely useful resource. (Score:4, Insightful)
Absolutely right. This is an attempt to take billions of dollars and shift it to private industry. Romney referred to us as "Company" and not a "Country" the other day. We're at the point where I'm nostalgic for Bush II calling us "Consumers" instead of "Citizens". The middle class was created when wealth was redistributed down. Those at the top have spent the last 60 years working to reverse that, and they've nearly succeeded. Four years of Romney with a Republican congress will seal the deal.
your teh l33t hax0r (Score:3, Insightful)
No, they're glorified babysitters. I (very briefly) dated an education major in college. She was stressed out over a project she had due for one of her classes in which she needed to make a lesson plan for third graders.
So you briefly dated one (lucky her), and from that experience alone, you came with the conclusion they are all glorified babysitters. Flawless logic based on extensive experience in the field. Today is not raining, ergo, it never rains. Modus ponens whoring ftw!!!!!!
Really challenging program there, eh?
I cannot say what challenges said person had (assume that person ever existed), but I have to ask: have you ever made a lesson plan? For 3rd graders? Also, a program is perceived as challenging depending on a variety of factors, and not just on the intrinsic nature of the problem or the person's skills when observed from a vacuum. What this person you dated burdened by other factors that are independent of her skills and the complexity of the task at hand?
That's why the saying in the engineering halls was "If you can't hack it, the College of Education is over that way."
And how long have you been waiting to expout that line? Please let get out of your chest. The more that people partake on such 3rd-grade e-jock mentality, the more a sociopath that person is (or it is a tremendous compensation for something severely missing in one's personal or professional life.)
Don't get me wrong. I used to partake on the same Business/Education bashing when I was in school. We all did (well, except the few who didn't revel in sociopathic/narcissist tendencies.) Fortunately, I grew up to recognize it's just an infantile, narcissist, callous and ultimately useless look-at-me-mine-is-bigger kind of thing. I suggest you grow out of it, too.
Re:Teachers (Score:5, Insightful)
Why was this marked +4 Interesting? The poster basically posted a random all-encompassing opinion with out any sources.
In North America? Have you traveled to parts outside of the Continental US to make that claim? I don't think Mexico & Canada would like to be put into the same bucket.
Least Respected? You said NA so I am guessing compared to the world. There are many countries out there where the senior students run the school and/or the teachers only show up to work on pay day.
Poorest Paid Professional? Google: http://www.teacherportal.com/teacher-salaries-by-state/ [teacherportal.com]
Average HOUSEHOLD income? Google: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States [wikipedia.org]
Nuff Said (if you compare to most other countries, foreign teachers make less or about the same relative to other jobs there).
Longest hours? Google: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/survey-teachers-work-53-hours-per-week-on-average/2012/03/16/gIQAqGxYGS_blog.html [washingtonpost.com]
53?!? And 6-8 weeks of PTO? WOW. Talk to any IT Developer, 50-100 hours per week. Average, easily 60. I was in Accounting & Auditing and averaged 55 hours (60+ for month, quarter, & annual closes). In IT, averaged 55; 100+ for deadlines. As an IT PM, 50-70 hours. 15-20 days PTO + 10 holidays.
And no, that does not count the hours spent on further education, certifications, and air travel for clients. And in the consulting world, not seeing home Monday to Thursday. Yes, our salaries are higher, 50k starting and growing to 80k+ over 5+ years, but considering the hours, I think comparable to teachers.
BUT COME ON, "consistently one of the least respected, poorest paid professionals... longest hours of anyone"? BULL! Go see a few episodes of Dirty Jobs.
Seniority has nothing to do with teachers becoming "heroes". My teacher heroes can be counted on both hands and they were some of the least paid in the schools (except 2). I respect them to the Nth degree. But the worst teachers, although just 4, made some of the highest salaries (90k+). Every time this topic comes up, I remember those 4 and think how much of a handicap each generation that they touch start off with. All the other teachers were mediocre but I still thank them for their contribution to what I am today.