tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post2843286141983798300..comments2024-03-14T02:53:31.171+00:00Comments on Tom Bennett's School Report: The Laugh of Khan: if this is the future, then classrooms really are fl*pped. Tom Bennetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03211959016018081924noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-71643106355025133442013-01-19T17:27:38.354+00:002013-01-19T17:27:38.354+00:00I agree Anonymous-would really be a useful learnin...I agree Anonymous-would really be a useful learning tool for those who are motivated. gillibobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17739807895366629906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-39425153466872840282013-01-19T12:58:47.014+00:002013-01-19T12:58:47.014+00:00There is also the small question about the accurac...There is also the small question about the accuracy of some of the Kahn Academy material. Real teachers can contribute here: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/edtechresearcher/2012/06/the_mtt2k_prize_and_kudos_for_khan.html<br /><br />In her essay, "Making Excellent Teachers," Erica Mcwilliam argues, "The work of eradicating the Great Teacher has been in progress for some decades. Much of the praise (or blame) for this achievement rests, initially at least, with the rise of minoritarian politics in the late sixties and early seventies, and the powerful messages it disseminated about education as part of the Ideological State Apparatus (Althusser, 1971). Re-framed through ideology critique, the Great Teacher is rendered a less than admirable figure. Dragged from his pedestal, he is now a stumbling block to the achievement of social justice and equity in a democratising classroom. Stereotypically white, male, and middle class, the Great Teacher represents a set of moral-ethical values that have come to be seen as both oppressive and out of touch with the politicising times." <br /><br />Politicians, reformers, ICT gurus especially, and an industry that promotes them as "key influencers", has latched onto this ideological bandwagon with relish and unfortunately, real teachers like you Tom, are increasingly in the minority. JoeNhttp://joenutt.squarespace.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-77933349578536554382013-01-14T20:18:06.979+00:002013-01-14T20:18:06.979+00:00Whenever I read teachers (or non-teachers) becomin...Whenever I read teachers (or non-teachers) becoming dreamy about the wondrous prospects of learning-through-computers, this Asimov short story comes to mind: http://users.aber.ac.uk/dgc/funtheyhad.html<br />Sue Simshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15868265477624790008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-60159913304382329082013-01-14T18:19:27.432+00:002013-01-14T18:19:27.432+00:00Works well with motivated learners. See http://www...Works well with motivated learners. See http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/stem-conference/PhysicalSciences/Simon_Bates_Ross_Galloway.pdf But much harder to organise and implement when students don't really want to learn.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-39464294325784332552013-01-14T16:55:39.372+00:002013-01-14T16:55:39.372+00:00The Khan academy: I sens the hoopy froods.The Khan academy: I sens the hoopy froods.Garethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-12787146227190923562013-01-13T20:53:19.921+00:002013-01-13T20:53:19.921+00:00Interesting blog - here's a post showing why I...Interesting blog - here's a post showing why I don't agree! http://thinkingonlearning.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/cant-take-my-eyes-off-of-you-tube.html I like this stuff as it means I can make the students accountable for learning, without exhausting myself with constant re-explanation, and by putting chunks of the subject-content stored on video, I'm able to concentrate on the hard bit - helping kids to learn it. It enriches classroom interaction rather than erodes it, I reckon.tomboulterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17989355499327806103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-37331793563372056472013-01-13T20:30:49.315+00:002013-01-13T20:30:49.315+00:00But even then: It doesn't really free up class...But even then: It doesn't really free up classroom time. I tried flipping my classroom as far as I could, and got a real weird result:<br /><br />The kids that were eager to learn scored better, the kids who never made their homework before the flip, now scored even worse! After analyses, the reason was quite simple. If they don't make their exercises at home, then they also won't watch the video-lessons at home. Instead of getting excuses like: I forgot my books, I now got excuses like: My internet was down.<br /><br />Now I do both: I teach like I did before, but make these video's to give them a second chance to listen to the explainations. Sure, I want them to make notes during class and study them too, but these video's do help if they lost their notes.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03651996428753184970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-63394423017936538282013-01-13T14:17:28.582+00:002013-01-13T14:17:28.582+00:00I think you've kinda missed the point of my bl...I think you've kinda missed the point of my blog. Most of these vids are decent enough revision aids, but if a child doesn't do them, then the lesson is stuffed. And many kids will avoid home study. And many kids won't understand the video, no matter how many times they pause. He's expecting them to act and behave like University level self-starters. <br /><br />Khan doesn't claim they replace the classroom; but he puts the direct instruction part firmly in the home environment. And children just won't, reliably, en masse self-instruct. That's why we need teachers to deliver the content in the first place. The model you envisage just doesn't work for children. <br /><br />I know children are learning machines. The problem is that they don't usually want to learn things that bore them, unless we make them. Hence, schools, and pressure from teachers. That's how the trick is achieved. Tom Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03211959016018081924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-5030683295041204842013-01-13T14:12:11.965+00:002013-01-13T14:12:11.965+00:00Sure, the videos are OK, as far as they go. What I...Sure, the videos are OK, as far as they go. What I'm challenging is where they stand in relation to a child's experience of school. And what they are, are revision aids. Tom Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03211959016018081924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-90240237561868301672013-01-13T14:11:00.692+00:002013-01-13T14:11:00.692+00:00More than the videos doing harm, I think the assum...More than the videos doing harm, I think the assumptions of the cult surrounding it are extremely dangerous. There is, mark me, an increasing belief by many that the school experience is somehow a nuisance to the learner. Hmm...Thanks for the comment.Tom Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03211959016018081924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-13960973637677365122013-01-13T12:08:06.351+00:002013-01-13T12:08:06.351+00:00I think you're kinda missing the point. As I u...I think you're kinda missing the point. As I understand it, the purpose of online sites like KA is not to replace the classroom; it's to free up classroom time for the activities that are further up the Bloom's Taxonomy ladder. If you can push the "information presentation" portion of the program--SO often packaged, especially in higher ed environments, as 50 minutes of walk/talk/chalk--online, then you can use classroom time for application and interaction.<br /><br />I've taught middle school through uni, including three years of Special Ed, and I can tell you that children absolutely ARE "learning machines." The trick is getting them to learn what WE want.Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09576710046664415096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-59233489997019729672013-01-12T21:24:57.752+00:002013-01-12T21:24:57.752+00:00I teach physics & maths which appears to be th...I teach physics & maths which appears to be the focus of the Khan academy so far. I like the site. No, it's not a replacement for classroom teaching & interaction but it's very worthwhile and yes, I do recommend it to my students. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-12817501815349315932013-01-12T21:08:09.854+00:002013-01-12T21:08:09.854+00:00It's creeping over here like a red mist. Watch...It's creeping over here like a red mist. Watch this space...Tom Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03211959016018081924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-60738613502346101512013-01-12T21:07:04.721+00:002013-01-12T21:07:04.721+00:00Ps I have no statusPs I have no statusTom Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03211959016018081924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-22121078802548997712013-01-12T21:06:18.997+00:002013-01-12T21:06:18.997+00:00I don't claim if its Sal Khan or Shere Khan wh...I don't claim if its Sal Khan or Shere Khan who claims it: the claims are made, and often. And that's what I'm challenging. That, and Khan's childish assumption that kids are all keen to learn, and only need a prod/ vid. Tom Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03211959016018081924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-12391142156734903422013-01-12T20:57:49.071+00:002013-01-12T20:57:49.071+00:00The problem isn't so much Khan's intention...The problem isn't so much Khan's intention. At this point, it's taken on a life of its own, and people - teachers, parents, administrators, policy makers, and wealthy individuals - are looking at it and using it through the lens of their own intentions, desires, and agendas. They are giving it meaning above and beyond why it was originally created.<br /><br />However, it does appear that by virtue of its "success" (relative to what goals you want to assume) people are looking to Khan to steer this thing in a particular direction (possibly multiple directions). As the author of this post points out, is Khan the savior who should be steering educators and millions of school children anywhere? Does his volume of content and number page views mean he's earned the power he's being given? And what are the implications of giving it to him?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-24911534703132805502013-01-12T19:11:15.001+00:002013-01-12T19:11:15.001+00:00Hi Tom. I entirely agree. I've already spoken ...Hi Tom. I entirely agree. I've already spoken my mind here: http://tristramshepard.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/flippin-tech/<br /><br />Further more it's potentially just another step towards a 'Pearsonalised' Learner Analytics-led school system, as I've more recently described here:<br /><br />http://tristramshepard.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/teaching-and-learning-in-la-la-land/<br /><br />It's a shame really. educational technologies, such as Khan, have so much to offer, but until there is a vast improvement in quality they tend to do more harm than good.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-5089773145131702872013-01-12T19:05:55.021+00:002013-01-12T19:05:55.021+00:00Funnily enough I was discussing the flipped classr...Funnily enough I was discussing the flipped classroom with my friends on facebook-fellow teachers who like me had not heard of it. I follow a few educational blogs some of which are American-it is an interesting notion. I did however think Special needs! Where the teacher flips after a child flips the V's...but that's just me.gillibobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17739807895366629906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019828684971971203.post-84993522490131779302013-01-12T18:22:11.191+00:002013-01-12T18:22:11.191+00:00Nice blog, and I hope it served it's purpose f...Nice blog, and I hope it served it's purpose for you well (besides promoting your e-status up a couple of divisions in the Internet World League). However, you slightly missed to point, a bit. Khan never made (or makes) the infantile assumption that his online academy (or any other for that matter) will ever replace the classroom, but only serve to enhance it. It's preposterous to suggest otherwise. Read what he writes about himself, not what others like to apportion to him, perhaps sometimes for their own gains as much has his.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02693340527053881451noreply@blogger.com