Grant helps Idaho schools plug into online classes

 
No Author Published: February 28, 2013    Comment on this article Leave a comment

photo - FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2013 file photo, American educator and entrepreneur, Salman Khan, left, and Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim participate in a news conference at the Soumaya museum in Mexico City. The J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation has agreed to invest $1.5 million into making Idaho the nation's first statewide pilot program for online classes provided by the Khan Academy. Former hedge fund analyst Salman Khan launched his academy in 2008 to provide free classes to anyone, anywhere. The nonprofit provides free educational content globally in areas of math, finance, history and art. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2013 file photo, American educator and entrepreneur, Salman Khan, left, and Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim participate in a news conference at the Soumaya museum in Mexico City. The J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation has agreed to invest $1.5 million into making Idaho the nation's first statewide pilot program for online classes provided by the Khan Academy. Former hedge fund analyst Salman Khan launched his academy in 2008 to provide free classes to anyone, anywhere. The nonprofit provides free educational content globally in areas of math, finance, history and art. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)

Multimedia

But the Idaho experiment is the first coordinated statewide effort, according to the academy. Ideally, the academy's content will be used in a variety of needs. For teachers, the online courses could be used to fill gaps in content and challenge students at different levels. For students, the new education option provides access to fit their individual learning needs.

"Instead of a one-size-fits-all lesson, teachers will be able to focus their attention on specific students who are struggling while the rest of the class engages with material appropriate for them," Salman Khan said in a statement.

Salman Khan paid a visit to Idaho last year, taking part in an ongoing-education speaker series. After his visit, the Khan Academy's number of registered users in the state spiked from 40,000 to 55,000. A two-day educator conference in Boise touched off a 70 percent increase among educators and others, prompting Khan to partner with the Albertson Foundation and academics at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa.

Staff at NNU will help integrate the pilot program statewide and develop teaching methods that can help get the most out of the technology.

The Khan Academy also will take part in monitoring student improvement in math on the MAP assessment tests.

Page 2 of 2



If you prefer your thoughts to appear in The Oklahoman's Opinion section, we encourage you to submit a letter to the editor.

Ads by Yahoo!

Hot Stock Pick ASCC
Find Out Why This Play Could Lead to Rapid Profitability--Learn More!
www.LuxuriaBrands.com
New Rule in VIRGINIA:
(MAY 2013): If You Pay For Car Insurance You Better Read This...
www.ConsumerFinanceDaily.com

Business Photo Galleriesview all