In investigating Khan Academy and other AI programs for teaching math, I became
intrigued by the complexities highlighted in the Wired Magazine article titled "How
Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education." The Khan Academy debate includes
praise for its accessibility and criticism, particularly from educators who are
cautious of its impact on teaching methodologies. I explored a particular lesson,
(Grade 2, Unit 5) Counting Money, on Khan Academy that covers a topic of personal
interest for a more in-depth analysis. The video I chose was about counting
American coins. Overall, the video was very insightful. I liked how the video
explains at the 1:58 marker, a simpler way to count up the coins. At first, he did
quick math by grouping the coins, but some students may not be able to do math like
that. I think it was very good to show multiple methods of counting up the money.
There is one thing I dislike about the video, and its that it doesn’t leave room
for the students to ask questions, which makes sense. It’s normal for students to
learn at different levels and in different ways. By only teaching through the
videos, there is no interaction between instructor and student.
This could lead to
students not learning if they don’t fully understand the video. While these AI
tools are useful, they should be viewed as supplements rather than replacements for
teachers. They are accessible and flexible, but they may fall short of promoting
the interactive and exploratory learning experiences advocated by constructivist
teaching. Teachers can use these sites to assist their lessons, but teachers need
to be in person working with the students hands-on to ensure the students are not
falling behind. Personalization features and analytics can help students, but they
cannot replace the nuanced support and mentorship provided by teachers.
“Money and Time | 2nd Grade | Math.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy,
www.khanacademy.org/math/cc-2nd-grade-math/x3184e0ec:money-and-time. Accessed 10
Dec. 2023.
Watters, Audrey. “The Wrath against Khan: Why Some Educators Are Questioning Khan
Academy.” Hack Education, 19 July 2011, hackeducation.com/2011/07/19/the-wrath-
against-khan-why-some-educators-are-questioning-khan-academy
