Khan Academy

Khan Academy

Bibliographic Information

www.khanacademy.org/

Khan Academy. Khan Academy: Our Mission. 2014. 9 May 2014.

Description

Khan Academy is a non-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing free, online, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. All of the site's resources are available to anyone. Khan Academy's materials and resources are completely free of charge. Their library of videos covers math from early math through calculus, science topics such as biology, chemistry, physics, the arts and humanities, economics and finance, computing, and test prep. Khan Academy also provides instruction through partners such as The Museum of Modern Art and The Stanford School of Medicine.

If users choose to sign up for a free account, they can track their personal progress, earn badges and become a coach. Coaches can add students and track their progress and activity. There is also an option for Common Core Math. Users can select the grade level and they will be provided with quizzes that are grade appropriate. Each problem is randomly generated, so there is always new practice material. If users need a hint, every single problem can be broken down, step-by-step, with one click. If users need more help, they can always watch a related video.

Khan Academy students earn points and badges.

“We've heard of students spending hour after hour watching physics videos and 5th graders relentlessly tackling college-level math to earn Khan Academy badges. Some of the smaller badges are very easy, but the most legendary badges might require years of work.” (Khan Academy)

Quantitative Reading Level

Because of the wide range of levels of the videos, it would be impossible to assign a single quantitative reading level to the hundreds of videos on the website. For the Quantitative Reading levels below I used the text from the ‘Our Mission’ page.

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 9.2 

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 59.1

ATOS Level: 8.9

Qualitative Reading Level- Website Navigation

Purpose: Low. The purpose is explicitly stated.  

Structure: Middle Low. The organization is simple, there are explicit connections between ideas and conforms to the conventions of the genre.  Graphics and text features are simple and support navigation throughout the website.

Language: Low. The language used is contemporary and conversational. It is clear and explicit and easy-to-understand. 

Knowledge Demands: Middle Low.  Everyday practical knowledge is largely necessary, discipline-specific knowledge is helpful, but not necessary.

Content Area

All Subject Areas

Subject Area Tag

Media Item

Content Area Standard

Khan Academy covers such a wide range of subjects that it addresses numerous content area standards. 

Curriculum Suggestions

• Use videos to Flip the classroom and have students watch the videos for homework and work on the homework problems in class.
• Sign up as a Coach so that you can track students’ progress
• Use as supplement to classroom instruction

Links to Supporting Digital Content

Khan Academy app: iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/khan-academy/id469863705?mt=8

Optional:

I love, love, love this website. Until this project, I didn’t know that there were videos for early math. I’ll be staring those with my kids asap!

Goodreads

Goodreads

Bibliographic Information

www.goodreads.com

Description

Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. Their mission is to help people find and share books they love. Goodreads launched in January 2007. By creating an account users can:

• See which books your friends are reading.
• Track the books you're reading, have read, and want to read.
• Check out your personalized book recommendations. The recommendation engine analyzes 20 billion data points to give suggestions tailored to the user’s literary tastes.
• Find out if a book is a good fit for you from our community’s reviews. (Goodreads)

Users must rate at least twenty books before Goodreads will give you book recommendations. If users are looking for a book to read, they can select the Explore option and they can search a number of areas: genre, listopia, giveaways, popular, etc. Users can also join groups like your local library book club or a specific author’s group.

Quantitative Reading Level

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 6.3

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 73.2

ATOS Level: 9.0

Qualitative Reading Level

Purpose: Low. The purpose is explicitly stated.  

Structure: Low. The organization is simple, there are explicit connections between ideas and conforms to the conventions of the genre.  Graphics are simple and mostly unnecessary for the text.

Language: Low. The language used is contemporary and conversational. It is clear and explicit and easy-to-understand. 

Knowledge Demands: Middle Low.  Everyday practical knowledge is largely necessary, discipline-specific knowledge is helpful, but not necessary.

Content Area

All

Subject Area Tag

All, Media Items

Content Area Standard

Becasue users ca search for any type of book. Goodreads addresses multiple area standards.

Curriculum Suggestions

• This tool can be used to find books for informational purposes, pleasure reading or assignments. It can be utilized by every person in the school and is not just limited to students.

Links to Supporting Digital Content

You can also use Facebook, Twitter and other social media to see what your friends are reading. 

Hackschooling Makes Me Happy

Hackschooling Makes Me Happy

Bibliographic Information

Hackschooling Makes Me Happy: Logan LaPlante at Tedx University of Nevada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11u3vtcpaY

Description

What do you want to be when you grow up? Every child has been asked that question and they answer with the things they are interested in doctor, astronaut, dancer etc. But what about happy? Go to school, go to college, get a job, and get married; then you will be happy.  Schools don’t make it a priority to teach kids how to be happy and healthy; it is separate from school. But what if we based education on being happy and healthy? So much of education is oriented towards making a living not making a life. How do you change that? You hack your education. Hackers are innovative and challenge the system. So, what is hackschooling? It is creativity + technology and online resources + experimental classes and camps + happy and healthy.  How do you hack your education? You take opportunities to learn about things that interest you and then experience what you learn.

Quantitative Reading Level

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7.6

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 76.8

ATOS Level: 6.9

Qualitative Reading Level

Meaning: Low. Text contains a single level/layer of simple meaning. 

Structure: Low. The narrative structure is largely simple, explicit and conventional. No shifts in point of view.

Language: Low: Text contains little or no use of figurative language or irony.  The language is contemporary, familiar, conversational language that is easy-to-understand.

Knowledge Demands: Low. Text explores a single theme. A single perspective is presented and everyday experiences are portrayed that are common to most readers. Text requires only common, everyday cultural/literacy knowledge. There are no references or allusions to other texts or cultural elements.

Content Area

All

Subject Area Tag

Media Items

Content Area Standard

NYS Learning Standards for Career Development and Occupational Studies

Standard 1: Career Development

Students will be knowledgeable about the world of work, explore career options, and relate personal skills, aptitudes, and abilities to future career decisions.

Standard 2: Integrated Learning

Students will demonstrate how academic knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.

Standard 3a: Universal Foundation Skills

Students will demonstrate mastery of the foundation skills and competencies essential for success  in the workplace.

Standard 3b: Career Majors

Students who choose a career major will acquire the career-specific technical knowledge/skills necessary to progress towards gainful employment, career advancement, and successful in postsecondary programs.

Curriculum Suggestions

• What interests you?
• How can you hack your education?

Links to Supporting Digital Content

Squaw Valley Kids Institute

https://www.squawvalleyinstitute.org/pages/svikids

Optional:

I think that all students, teachers and parents need to see this video. Homeschooling is not a good option for everyone, but I think that these ideas can most definitely be used at home in addition to traditional school as well.

I chose the standards above because they are the closest thing I could find to allowing a student to follow an education path that interests them.