The first time it ever occurred that Khan Academy may not be the perfect solution to education was on a road trip to Monterey. My friend A candidly asked me - "So what do you think of Khan Academy?"
I was taken aback a bit by that question. I mean, there was only one answer to it, wasn't it? Everyone knows Khan Academy is great, so why was she asking me such an obvious question with an obvious answer.
And then she put forth the argument on the other side - a side, very few of us are willing to accept or even respect.
A said - "But what about teaching? What about that personal connection, that bond with a teacher, who shows you the real use of whatever you are learning?"
I possibly couldn't argue that. We just settled to a mid-conclusion. Yes, Khan Academy is good but it is not a replacement to the age-old ways of traditional teaching. Although I secretly felt more supportive of Khan Academy. I didn't tell her that.
I never thought of it again until I bumped into this article today about how Khan Academy isn't the perfect answer to our teaching methods
And now I can relate to the point A tried to make that day.
Khan Academy is a convenience. It delivers education to people who might not be able to afford education the way some of us can. It helps you work through basic skills. It never declared that it could replace education systems. But people *assumed* this is the replacement. It is not.
Because, if I learn Math, just because I want to get a badge on their site and jump levels (as if I am playing a game), I will never learn the essence behind Math. So who brings that essence to you? A teacher - someone, who is rarely found in today's technology driven world. Someone who is a rare commodity.
If I love reading literature, it is not because some technology platform taught me how to read. Sure it *assisted* me to find the meaning of a word in a dictionary, sure it *provided* me a convenient way to bookmark and read and re-read stuff on devices...
But did it teach me to love and imagine the characters in the book? No. Did it teach me to cherish each story I read? No. I think my old librarian did.
It is after all a human endeavor, not some computer graded test.
2 comments:
Read the comments by Jeremy Millington on the article you linked to.
I agree to both sides of this debate. But being aware of both sides is essential. I believe, there are some things that KA can't replace. It is not a perfect solution to the teaching crisis we face today.
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