I really enjoyed this video submission to the MTT2K Prize.
In the video (presented in the style of a Khan Academy history video), Gary Rubinstein makes several interesting points.
The Flipped Class Begins With Gutenberg
How could I miss this? Everyone knows that Khan didn't really start the idea of the flipped classroom, right? What is a flipped class? The basic idea is that students can study the content on their own and then use class time for other things. If you did lecture outside of class and homework in class, that would be flipped. Get it?
How did people learn before books and youtube? Well, someone had to tell them stuff. If they liked, they could copy said stuff down. With the invention of Gutenberg's printing press (around 1440), you could flip your class room. If everyone already has copied down what you were going to say in lecture class, you could use class time for interactive things. Like the 1440 version of the student response system.
There really isn't much of a difference between a video and a book. Really.
The Whole Value Added Thing
They talk about Value Added at some of the meetings I have been to with the College of Education people, but I never really got a grasp of the whole thing. According to Gary, this is just an extension of the whole standardized testing movement. However, like Gary said it is really based on a philosophy - the philosophy that teachers are inherently lazy and will not do anything if you let them. If that is indeed your model for the nature of teachers, then maybe this value-added thing is a good idea.
I think the best bet is to assume that teachers are NOT lazy. Really, why would you think that? It's not like they are over paid. It's not like they are underworked. Oh, I know they "get the summer's off" - but I don't think that means what you think it means.
Where Does Khan Come In?
If you really believe the whole basis of the Value Added Educational Reform, then what you need is a non-lazy and non-bad teacher. Sal Khan seems to have been elected to that esteemed position of "The Best Teacher Ever" by Bill Gates. If teachers are bad, then just replace ALL the teachers with one great teacher.
It's All About Bill Gates
This is the point of Gary's video. The criticisms of Khan Academy are really an attempt to show that Bill Gates isn't perfect. I don't really believe this point. First, Bill Gates isn't perfect. Does anyone remember Windows ME? What about Microsoft Bob?
The second reason has to do with the Khan Academy critiques. I know at least in my case, I wasn't fully aware of the whole value-added connection to Gates. For me, it was just a chance to point out the errors in the Khan videos. So, why critique the Khan videos if not for Gates? Perhaps the common motivation is to point out to the general public that the Khan Academy videos aren't the magic bullet to education even though it appears the popular media believes it to be true.
Bonus Reading
Before you complain about my comments of Khan Academy, go read Andrew Morrison's (@achmorrison) very excellent pre-emptive responses to common Khan Academy Khaments.
It's a great post.
