Khan Academy: The Reality and the Hype http://libproxy.umflint.edu:2112/ehost/detail?vid=4&sid=3009a3 3e-d791-4b54-872d5bbfcc1502b4%40sessionmgr15&hid=25&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhv c3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=eft&AN=85157970 Kai, A. K. (2013, February).

Khan Academy: The Reality and The Hype. Education Digest, 78(6), 23-25. Retrieved November 3, 2013, from Ebscohost (85157970).
Keywords: Khan Academy Flipping the classroom Education Bill Gates Quotations: The highest-ranking official in American education says that effective teaching requires training and planning, and then holds up as his archetype someone who admits to showing up to class every day unprepared(Kai, 2013). Effective teaching is incredibly complex. It requires planning and reflection. And certainly requires more than two minutes of research on Google, which is how Khan describes his own pre-lesson routine (Kai, 2013). Khan's style of instruction is identical to what students have seen for generations: a do this, then do this approach to teaching that presents mathematics as a meaningless series of steps (Kai, 2013). Summary: This article focuses on the issues the author feels are present with Khan Academy. She goes against the majority to critique a website that has acquired much praise in the last couple of years. Kai examines problems with both Khan Academy, and the concept known as flipping the classroom. When it comes to Sal Khans brainchild Khan Academy, a free online database of demonstrative videos most education gurus are on board with incorporating such technology into the classroom. The idea coined as flipping the classroom in which students watch educational lectures like those found on Khan Academy at home, and work on modules at school has swept the nation. Sal Khan a New York hedge fund analyst originally made his short films to tutor a relative in another state. Bill Gates caught wind of the videos as they were broadcast on YouTube, and invested in the giant that is now Khan Academy. While most people are on board with

incorporating Khan Academy into their curriculum former middle school math teacher Ani Karim Kai, in her article Khan Academy: The Reality and The Hype presents a different view. Although Khan Academy videos have been deemed both thorough, and easy to follow, Kai feels the videos are lacking in content and are misleadingly effective. She blames Khan himself for not preparing enough for the videos he broadcasts to his site. She feels Khans strategy of brushing up on a subject is not enough to create a meaningful lessons. The article critiques Khans definition of the mathematical concept of slope, and shows that his definition is not really a definition of the concept at all, but merely a way to calculate it. Not only does Kai disagree with some of the content in Khans video, but she also discredits his approach to mathematics. Instead of flipping the classroom with Khan Academy simply because it is new and incorporates technology, Kai feels that the best way to educate students is to provide them with effective teachers. Kai notes that providing teachers with professional development opportunities and providing them enough time to prepare and collaborate with fellow teachers is key to meaningful teaching.