Saturday, January 28, 2012

November 29, 2011 -- The Khan Academy

Here’s a fantastic web resource I stumbled across yesterday: Khan Academy. Check it out at http://www.khanacademy.org/

I first investigated the site after hearing about its amazing art history tutorials with excellent close-up videos of the painting/sculpture/etc. (by period, by movement, by artist, work by work). Then I discovered this morning that art history is only ONE of the subjects covered in the online academy.

There’s a library of over 2,700 videos (and growing daily), featuring bite-sized lessons on subjects ranging from mathematics, chemistry, and physics to finance, history, and test prep. It’s a perfect set-up for individualized learning “when you want, at your own pace.”

On the website you  can  scroll a  list of subject  categories  and topics  and sample a few lessons. 
I bet you'll want to bookmark the site, return to it often, and pass it along to friends and family, as I did. It's great for students of all ages, especially lifelong learners like me. 

Whether you're just curious about something, want a clear explanation of a topic you've read about in the news, need to brush up on algebra or physics or review for a test, or want a broad overview, you'll find it there. It's really amazing. The lessons are short, concentrated, and delivered with lots of visual aids. In the works: programming in other subjects.

Salman Khan, the founder, is a former Silicon Valley guru who cashed out and is on a mission to educate the world--particularly in third-world areas where access to quality education is limited. The academy has received a lot of press. You can see the interviews with PBS, NPR, and major commercial networks on the site.  Here's one:

Have fun browsing and learning!

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