Education model has been turned upside down.
By GV Rama Rao, 25th Apr 2012 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutNewsEducation
Earlier, the teacher used to teach in the class, and the student wrestled with his homework at home. In the new model, it's the other way around. This change was ushered in by one Salman Khan.
- Education model has been turned upside down.
- New model
- Academy.
- TIME magazine's top 100 most influential people.
Education model has been turned upside down.
Hitherto, the education model consisted of the teacher teaching in the school or college and the student wrestling with the homework at home. While doing homework, the student had no one to support him and used all his mental resources to complete his assignment.
New model
This new model, ushered inadvertently by one Salman Khan of Bangladesh residing in the USA and actively supported by Google and Melinda & Bill Gates foundation, is gaining popularity fast.
Salman Khan, a graduate of MIT and working in Silicon Valley was helping his teenage cousin in Bangladesh with algebra over the telephone. When he found the time difference between the two countries inconvenient, Salman Khan had devised a method of putting his lesson in YouTube, and his cousin used to learn at his convenience. This worked to the advantage of both parties. Soon, Khan posted a number of lessons- an amazing library of online lectures, which could be used by any student interested. When the lessons became immensely popular, Google noticed the immense potential of using YouTube as an effective tool to spread education via the web and encouraged him by providing a grant of $2 billion. Bill gates also had seen the advantages and pitched in with another $2 billion.
Academy.
Academy.
With these funds, Khan had started an academy and roped in professional teachers on a wide spectrum of subjects. Today, Khan Academy teaches several subjects from basic to advanced levels. The greatest advantage of these lessons is most of these videos can be downloaded and kept for use later.
Today, the students can learn any subject sitting in the comfort of their homes and at any time of their choice, go back and forth in the lessons as they like. They can learn at the rate they like and attend to solving problems with the assistance of the teacher at school or college.
This new paradigm is gaining wide acceptance in several parts of the world. Today Salman Khan has been rated by TIME magazine as fourth among the 100 most influential people in the world today, and he has been hailed as a ‘world class tutor of the digital age’.
TIME magazine's top 100 most influential people.
Incidentally, TIME magazine of this week has an article about Salman Khan written by none other than Bill Gates himself. For more details about Salman Khan and his academy kindly see www.wikepedia.com. The details about his academy may be seen at www.khan.org.
Comments
25th Apr 2012 (#)
Thank you sir! In the few minutes since reading this I have checked out the Khan Academy and I shall be going back to take a second look. Thank you for identifying this great change in education.
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26th Apr 2012 (#)
Peter, Thanks for your comment.
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25th Apr 2012 (#)
Wonderful and illuminating, GV. Wow, congratulations on your star, dear friend. Yay!
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26th Apr 2012 (#)
Buzz,
Thanks for your wonderful response.
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27th Apr 2012 (#)
Necessity is the mother of invention. Also, where there is a will, there is a way. Thanks for the highlight, GVR, and what a thoughtful share! Truly inspiring - siva
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28th Apr 2012 (#)
Siva, It's awesome achievement. The whole world can learn through these lessons. Recommend it to the kids and students in your circle.
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