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I don't see any reason to listen to Sal Khan. As far as I can tell, he became a major figure in education, with ample resources and real power, because he is go

I don't see any reason to listen to Sal Khan. As far as I can tell, he became a major figure in education, with ample resources and real power, because he is good at explaining things. Why would I assume he knows anything about how education works in general because people liked his approach to one very small part of it? At the gym, people assume anyone with big muscles must be an expert in medicine. Let's not make the same mistake here.

jacquesm 3y ago
I'd listen to him before I would listen to you.
- durub 3y ago
  Indeed, and I see plenty of reasons to listen to him. Khan Academy helped me immensely in college for free and Sal Khan has been at it for what, 17 years now? I'm pretty sure he has a better than average grasp on what it means to learn and how to improve the process. And even more importantly, he's trying to! If not him, then who should we listen to? I don't have a clue why GP reduces Sal to "good at explaining things" when Khan Academy is so much bigger than just him for a long time now. And I, for one, am very grateful that he exists. People in first world countries can't imagine the impact that free access to great education resources has in the rest of the world, like in my case. > At the gym, people assume anyone with big muscles must be an expert in medicine. Let's not make the same mistake here. The gym analogy falls short to me. The mistake here is assuming that someone that worked in education for almost two decades, and has achieved extraordinary results in the mean time, doesn't have any clue about education in general.
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    Likewise. Sal Khan has been instrumental in de democratization of education.
vz8 3y ago
A couple studies indicating benefits from Khan Academy, just from a cursory search: 16% lift in overall test scores: https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/sproject_attachments/w241_final_report_does_khan_work.pdf https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/sprojec... 11% lift in math test scores: https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4757&context=theses https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?arti... And Khan Academy's impact page: https://www.khanacademy.org/about/impact https://www.khanacademy.org/about/impact has links to additional studies.
elric 3y ago
Many parts of Khan Academy are great precisely because Sal is good at explaning things. In an engaging fashion, in clear language, with frequent exercises. It's benefited many people over the years (including myself). Building a succesful learning platform which has impacted many students, certainly qualifies someone to have an opinion on education in my book. Would you be happier if he were some elected Minister Of Education -- who, from what I've seen, are generally about as qualified as a box of donuts? Literally no one at a gym assumes that muscular people are experts at medicine. But it is reasonable to assume that they know a thing or two about building muscle ...
logicchains 3y ago
>with ample resources and real power, because he is good at explaining things Isn't explaining things well the heart of good education?
A_non_e-moose 3y ago
> At the gym, people assume anyone with big muscles must be an expert in medicine. Let's not make the same mistake here. Who would be better at building strawmen? An average HN commenter, a farmer, or an etymologist?

jacquesm 3y ago

I'd listen to him before I would listen to you.

durub 3y ago
Indeed, and I see plenty of reasons to listen to him. Khan Academy helped me immensely in college for free and Sal Khan has been at it for what, 17 years now? I'm pretty sure he has a better than average grasp on what it means to learn and how to improve the process. And even more importantly, he's trying to! If not him, then who should we listen to? I don't have a clue why GP reduces Sal to "good at explaining things" when Khan Academy is so much bigger than just him for a long time now. And I, for one, am very grateful that he exists. People in first world countries can't imagine the impact that free access to great education resources has in the rest of the world, like in my case. > At the gym, people assume anyone with big muscles must be an expert in medicine. Let's not make the same mistake here. The gym analogy falls short to me. The mistake here is assuming that someone that worked in education for almost two decades, and has achieved extraordinary results in the mean time, doesn't have any clue about education in general.
- jacquesm 3y ago
  Likewise. Sal Khan has been instrumental in de democratization of education.

vz8 3y ago

A couple studies indicating benefits from Khan Academy, just from a cursory search: 16% lift in overall test scores: https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/sproject_attachments/w241_final_report_does_khan_work.pdf https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/sprojec... 11% lift in math test scores: https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4757&context=theses https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?arti... And Khan Academy's impact page: https://www.khanacademy.org/about/impact https://www.khanacademy.org/about/impact has links to additional studies.

elric 3y ago

Many parts of Khan Academy are great precisely because Sal is good at explaning things. In an engaging fashion, in clear language, with frequent exercises. It's benefited many people over the years (including myself). Building a succesful learning platform which has impacted many students, certainly qualifies someone to have an opinion on education in my book. Would you be happier if he were some elected Minister Of Education -- who, from what I've seen, are generally about as qualified as a box of donuts? Literally no one at a gym assumes that muscular people are experts at medicine. But it is reasonable to assume that they know a thing or two about building muscle ...

logicchains 3y ago

>with ample resources and real power, because he is good at explaining things Isn't explaining things well the heart of good education?

A_non_e-moose 3y ago

> At the gym, people assume anyone with big muscles must be an expert in medicine. Let's not make the same mistake here. Who would be better at building strawmen? An average HN commenter, a farmer, or an etymologist?