Could You Modify It ‘To Stop Students From Becoming This Advanced?’

cato institute ^ | 7-25-11 | Andrew J. Coulson

[netmilsmom]

The free Web tutoring service “Khan Academy” has gotten much well-deserved attention, including a feature story in the current issue of Wired. That story includes a quote that literally took my breath away:

~~~"Even if Khan is truly liberating students to advance at their own pace, it’s not clear that the schools will be able to cope. The very concept of grade levels implies groups of students moving along together at an even pace. So what happens when, using Khan Academy, you wind up with a kid in fifth grade who has mastered high school trigonometry and physics—but is still functioning like a regular 10-year-old when it comes to writing, history, and social studies? Khan’s programmer, Ben Kamens, has heard from teachers who’ve seen Khan Academy presentations and loved the idea but wondered whether they could modify it “to stop students from becoming this advanced.”"~~

This attitude is a natural outgrowth of our decision to operate education as a monopoly. In a competitive marketplace, educators have incentives to serve each individual child to the best of their ability, because each child can easily be enrolled elsewhere if they fail to do so. That is why the for-profit Asian tutoring industry groups students by performance, not by age. There are “grades,” but they do not depend on when a student was born, only on what she knows and is able to do.

But why should a monopolist bother doing that? It’s easier just to feed children through the system on a uniform conveyor belt based on when they were born.

[netmilsmom]

We have tickets for Saturday! We LOVE the Maker Faire! Last year my younger daughter would have spent the entire time in the Maker Tent soldering if she hadn’t been so excited to see the Iron Mongers pour into their molds. (we did miss the Diet Coke and Mentos though)

I have to remember to bring more cash this year.....

[Aroostook25]

So what happens when, using Khan Academy, you wind up with a kid in fifth grade who has mastered high school trigonometry and physics

They could teach that kid college calculus and physics.

Duh!

[Myrddin]

That's the way to get it done. Move as fast as you can achieve 100% mastery of topic. It's important to make sure you mastered the topic as a poor foundation will impede progress later. Each person has a different aptitude for specific topics. The cattle car approach is a disservice.

[PGR88]

Two comments

1) I used Khan academy for my 6th grader who was taking an entrance exam for an accelerated program. The educrats in our district told us we should not “study for” the test, but we had heard they used algebra on the test. We went through the basic Khan Academy algebra course - and she did very well on the entrance exam.

2) I used to think home-schooling would be very time consuming - but I realized that when you don’t have the “convoy system” of public schools, a parent (with help from tutors if necessary) can cover subjects like Algebra, Geometry, etc... in 1/4 or less the time it takes a public school class. They waste A LOT of time in our district.

[buccaneer81]

I hear Khan Academy is really strong on Shakespeare and revenge, but a bit weak in three dimensional thinking.

Pictured below: A Khan Academy instructor and students in an interactive classroom.

[netmilsmom]

>>please let me suggest that you just allow them to be ordinary kids.<<

We are far advanced because we school through summers. It takes about an hour to complete Saxon. They get up, we go for a walk, they eat breakfast, do math then splash in the pool. Actually, my kids are extra-ordinary, but I don’t force it. They are what they are and we are having a blast!

[netmilsmom]

>>They waste A LOT of time in our district.<<

It’s not just your district.

[goodwithagun]

I teach at a public high school. That is wonderful that your children were permitted to take advanced classes. Our “gifted and talented coordinator” is a crooked bi+ch who has been threatened with law suits numerous times. “Earning” a spot in the coveted classes comes down to who you are and not your academic abilities. She schedules the AP exams so that it is very difficult for regular education students to take them, therefore they do not have the opportunity to get into the classes. I no longer teach her “scholars” students because I uncovered a pretty intricate cheating ring. Thirty-two of the 35 students in my Scholars’ American Literature and Advanced Composition I class purchased their research papers online and handed them in as their own work. I wish that I could tell you that my story is unique; however, it is not and my children will be homeschooled. We had two broken jaws this past school year. Both incidences were covered up by the school until students posted the vids on Youtube. I literally had no clue that two students, in two different fights, suffered from broken bones until News 9 reported on the Youtube videos. When my comrades ask how my kids will learn socialization skills I tell them this: Every month my husband will take them to the bathroom, beat the crap out of them, and then try to sell them drugs. That usually shuts them up.

[Boogieman]

“Bore them to the point they would rather do drugs than learn.”

^^ This. I was the kid who had completed calculus by the 5th grade, but was still stuck in the public schools going through the motions. By high school, I was so bored I just started skipping classes and smoking weed.

[Maverick68]

b

[netmilsmom]

>>Every month my husband will take them to the bathroom, beat the crap out of them, and then try to sell them drugs<<

LOL!!! Good one!

[philled]

I had to post just to make sure I hadn’t changed my handle to “Boogieman.” Seems that my short-term memory took a bit of a hit in high school...

[Tanniker Smith]

I wonder what they would do with them in school?

As long as they didn't have attitudes or disrupt the class due to their boredom, they'd do quite well in my class, and I'd encourage them onward.

They'd need three years of math credits in high school (in NY), so they'd have to take some college classes, but thankfully, we do have teachers that can teach this should the need arise.

[GeronL]

Kids should be able to move along at their own pace, an idea I like. If a 13 year old winds up graduating, so what?

[goodwithagun]

Feel free to use it at any time. Some people still try to use the “socialization” issue even though that was debunked decades ago. I’ve recently heard that we’re (as in homeschoolers) now being attacked for not teaching our children enough diversity and teaching them too much about Christianity. Interestingly it is my ghetto thugs who have no grasp of diversity and my homeschool students who can accurately break down and explain the concepts of major religions. Gasp!

[Mr. K]

My 12 year old is not being home schooled and loves this program

It also has a ‘coach’ feature so i can monitor her progress

It does not give answers- only suggestionds- the student has to learn to figure out how to find the answer on their own.

I like it a lot

[Bigg Red]

Teachers do not like it when they have certain students who are way ahead of the class,....

****
If I can make that “Many teachers”, I will agree with you. It’s sad but true. (Retired teacher here.)

[netmilsmom]

>>They’d need three years of math credits in high school (in NY), so they’d have to take some college classes, but thankfully, we do have teachers that can teach this should the need arise.<<

I think they’ll just follow the path of the other homeschoolers in our group and go on to Community College so they can have their AA at 18. But thanks for the offer.

[Sonny M]

Question...

Hows the economics and finance sections ?

Its the typical traditional keynesian crap or is more along the classical line ?

Anyone here see the Khan academy version of the bailouts and the financial and housing crisis ?

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

>>>what happens when, using Khan Academy, you wind up with a kid in fifth grade who has mastered high school trigonometry and physics

Isn’t it the purpose of teachers’ “grading parties” to prevent this tragic advancement of human achievement? /s/

Khan academy rocks! So too, MIT’s OCW.