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+ - Khan Academy: The Teachers Strike Back 2

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes "With his Khan Academy: The Hype and the Reality screed in the Washington Post, Mathalicious founder Karim Kai Ani — a former middle school teacher and math coach — throws some cold water on the Summer of Khan Love Hippies, starting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. From the article: "When asked why so many teachers have such adverse reactions to Khan Academy, Khan suggests it’s because they’re jealous. 'It’d piss me off, too, if I had been teaching for 30 years and suddenly this ex-hedge-fund guy is hailed as the world’s teacher.' Of course, teachers aren’t 'pissed off' because Sal Khan is the world’s teacher. They’re concerned that he’s a bad teacher who people think is great; that the guy who’s delivered over 170 million lessons to students around the world openly brags about being unprepared and considers the precise explanation of mathematical concepts to be mere 'nitpicking.' Experienced educators are concerned that when bad teaching happens in the classroom, it’s a crisis; but that when it happens on YouTube, it’s a 'revolution.'""
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Khan Academy: The Teachers Strike Back More

Khan Academy: The Teachers Strike Back

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  • Disclaimer: For about 2 years, I taught undergraduates when I was doing my PhD

    The truth in the Khan vs Career Teacher case lies somewhere in the middle

    While Khan isn't exactly the greatest teacher of all time, he does teach to kids who, for one reason or another, that need his lessons

    On the other hand, some of those teachers who complained so loudly against Khan and his academy, are scared and/or jealous

    For once, they have direct competitor, and for once, their students have other choices, and they can no l

  • They're Concerned that he's a Bad Teacher? (Score:3)

    by CodeBuster (516420) on Tuesday July 24, 2012 @02:13AM (#40746051)
    Really? And who are they to judge? They've only been failing to do for thirty years what Khan has done in less than three. If ever proof was needed that unions produce unmotivated workers, low quality and higher prices then the US public education system is a prime example. How about a UAW built car? Would you rather drive a Toyota Prius or a Chevy Volt? How about a GM Saturn (pick one) or perhaps you'd rather have the Honda Civic or the Accord instead? It's funny how unionized teachers drive the Honda or the Toyota, but then complain about private competition or non-unionized teachers. Do as they say, not as they do; yeah right.

If you give Congress a chance to vote on both sides of an issue, it will always do it. -- Les Aspin, D., Wisconsin

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