I have to say that I am not usually a controversial blogger – I’ll just put that out there right away. However, I am so frustrated with the conversations, blog posts and articles that are zipping around the blogosphere about online learning, MOOCs and Khan Academy that I have to say something about it as a teacher, teacher educator and responsible learner, myself, about education theory. I have taught online classes, taken online classes, used open source materials for my classes and definitely promote the idea of equal “world-class education for anyone, anywhere.” However, I have yet to see how that quality education occurs online and especially the way that it is promoted in Salman Khan’s book, The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined.
Now let’s just put something else out there right away – it might be that I am frustrated by the fact that he has no background experience in education (which he admits – “I had no teacher training”) and I am offended that he is speaking out of turn speaking as if he does. For example, he says “There’s an old saying that ‘life is school.’” Hmmm, I wonder who said that? And I’m not sure that’s really the right saying. Or it could be that he is attacking the very discipline that I am working so hard to change – mathematics. I totally agree that there is a lot that is wrong with the way mathematics is taught in the U.S. But NOT going all “rogue” and working against the people who have already done some research on the subject and know a little about which they talk, might be a good place to start. There are many things that Mr. Kahn discusses in his book that he seems to purport as novel ideas like Mastery Learning, Flipping the Classroom, etc. that are not his ideas. So let’s pretend that the fact that he wrote a book of concepts that seem to be a compilation of educational reform ideas that have been around for a while is not what really annoys me.
What really gets my goat, if I seem to have his idea right, is that he is advocating for “a free world-class education, for anyone anywhere” but I’m not really seeing how this is going to happen. He advocates for the use of the Khan Academy for mastery learning in the classroom (in a school system) where the students watch the videos and then come to class and do “projects” with each other in the “one room schoolhouse.” I actually agree that this is a wonderful learning scenario that promotes creativity, independence in learning and individualized lessons for students of all ability levels. Besides the huge government and system-wide testing restrictions that are currently in place and teachers’ current use of assessment, it would be very difficult (but not impossible) to change this system. Kahn very naively writes a 5-page chapter on Tests and Testing, which again is nothing new, on the evils of standardized testing and why they don’t really tell you anything about students’ knowledge. His “one room schoolhouse” is an idealistic utopia of learning for someone who has never been in the classroom and dealt with classroom management, assessment, review or planning of these open-ended projects. I do believe that a great deal of teacher training would need to be reformed and reviewed in order for something like this to happen and before any school thinks of moving to a model like this they should think wisely about the ways in which teachers are ready to handle the change of the classroom culture and how they are ready to deal with it. Students will still have questions about the material and will all be at different places in the content and the projects, which will probably demand more planning from the teachers (which again, is not a reason not to flip the classroom, but a necessity of which to be aware). I found what he put forth as the ideal classroom short-sighted and with many limitations.
Secondly, what about the “anyone, anywhere” Idea? Even if children in third-world countries have access to internet-ready computer to watch these videos, where are the teachers and schools to have them do the “world-class” learning with these group projects? Where is their utopian learning environment? I am confused about how watching videos online is giving them a “world-class” education (although I could see how it was free if Mr. Gates donated a bunch of computers and Internet access, etc.). Mr. Kahn also realized that “teaching is a …skill – in fact, an art that is creative, intuitive, and highly personal…[which] had the very real potential to empower someone I cared about.” Yes, Mr. Kahn, that’s what teaching is all about. Teaching is about, as you said, “genuinely [sharing your] thinking and express[ing] it in a conversational style, as if I was speaking to an equal who was fundamentally smart but just didn’t fully understand the material at hand.” How is that supposed to happen for someone sitting alone watching a video?
In the NY Times article, The Trouble with Online Learning, Mark Edmunson wrote:
“Learning at its best is a collective enterprise, something we’ve known since Socrates. You can get knowledge from an Internet course if you’re highly motivated to learn. But in real courses the students and teachers come together and create an immediate and vital community of learning. A real course creates intellectual joy, at least in some. I don’t think an Internet course ever will. Internet learning promises to make intellectual life more sterile and abstract than it already is — and also, for teachers and for students alike, far more lonely.”
This is the heart of Relational Pedagogy, that the interhuman connection between people is what constructs knowledge and the trust, authority, and value of perspective that is shared and given to each other is just as important as the content that is exchanged – most especially in mathematics, it’s just taking us a lot longer to figure this out, Mr. Kahn.
I heartily agree. And to be honest, a lot of the
Khan academy videos aren’t that useful for other than the more capable students. The fact that he is not a teacher shows. At times I have searched for videos to suggest to students who are having difficulty with a concept, as an extra resource & something to look over at home to supplement the assistance I give. Most of the time I find they start out quite well but then the examples take a huge jump in difficulty which I believe many students struggle to bridge without a teacher. I’ve found it’s better for me to produce something, suited to my students and where they are currently at.
Donna – that’s an interesting point. I watched an interview with some of the teachers from the Los Altos project and those teachers vehemently argue that ALL students were further motivated by the fact that they could go at their own pace and find satisfaction in the fact that they were learning “on their own” with the videos (not to mention the fact that they were ‘finally enjoying math’ as the teachers kept saying). I am not sure that these teachers were being fully truthful. Even in my PBL classrooms it is hard work to keep all kids engaged all the time and being sure that all students are learning all the time. Although it is true that not all students are at the same place in their learning, there are other ways to deal with that with scaffolded problems in the classroom.
thanks again for reading and responding!
Carmel
One amusing oversight on KA is any teacher contact with students! yes, I can see what they’re doing, but I can’t advise them on which topics to do next – that has to be done in real life! Hopefully they will update that as it is very tedious tabbing between KA and Edmodo.
I actually tried flipping the lesson around – videos at home, tutorial in the class. As expected, worked for the bright and keen ones; a few faked their results. So there was still in-class work to double-check.
Let’s also not forget that mastery learning is rote learning with better marketing.
I haven’t read his book – sounds like a long advertorial.
The deep problem is age-segregated classes. Abandon that and students can be classed according to ability.
Richard,
Thanks for your response. I love hearing from teachers who have experience in the classroom with KA and Edmodo too. I love how you distinguish between “real life” and seeing what they are doing – that’s an interesting take on using the videos and the students’ learning. Kind of begs the question of how hard we should be working for the students to learn? I do like the idea you tried of flipping the lesson around though, it’s similar to what I do in the classroom. However, there still need to be discussion in the class too – maybe that’s what you tried.
the book is at least worth a quick once over in order to be well-versed in Kahn’s idea and seeing the big picture. Motivation for all in mathematics does seem to be the big picture issue though.
thanks again!
Carmel
Carmel,
Your points are well made as are those of others who have responded. I have been teaching for 13 years, although not math – science and art at the middle school level. I agree that Sal Kahn’s lessons are not pedagogically sound and not very engaging.
I do believe though, that our education system is in DESPERATE need of reform and that online learning can play a huge role in the reform. I’ve done some work for eLearning for kids, and learning often takes place in ramshackle buildings with dirt floors and goats running around. What is important to know is that these children ARE learning, some for the first time ever. I despise our culture of standardized testing, enforced by politicians who know very little about teaching and learning. I don’t like our education system and when those very same politicians say we need 21st century thinkers and yet cut budgets down to laughable sums…….what can be done? I applaud Sal Kahn and Bill Gates for getting the ball rolling on an alternative. This may not be learning for ALL, but it may well be suited for some and that’s a fine place to start.
http://www.e-learningforkids.org/
Tracy,
Thank you so much for your great points. I agree with your comments about the need for reform. I can’t honestly speak for other disciplines as my area is mathematics. I do agree however that online learning can help students learn basic ideas that they are not currently learning – however I’m not sure it can be called ‘world class’ as Kahn states, which I believe you agree with. I have done work in urban areas in the U.S. and in South Africa and seen some pretty bad conditions under which students are expected to learn and do well on the standardized tests – yes which have consequences for funding as well. Having access to computers and internet communication is an excellent way to start and currently there are many better way where interaction can occur for better learning to take place. Kudos to you for helping that to happen too. e-Learning for kids looks like a wonderful foundation that is thriving.
Carmel