No, that title isn’t a typo. And this isn’t the “Khan” I mean either:
No, I’m talking about this guy:
The amazing Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, a non-profit educational website he created in 2006 with the stated mission to provide “a free world-class education for anyone anywhere.” And better still, Khan Academy lessons cover a lot more than just math!
I first learned of Sal Khan and his academy during an interview he gave on Charlie Rose back in February, and, as you might expect from someone who loved learning but hated school so much that he ditched it daily in favor of spending time amongst the wonders at the public library, my immediate thought was “Where the hell was this guy when I was a kid?!?!”
Well I saw Sal Khan again last night, this time on 60 Minutes. With a library of over 4300 videos (and counting), over 260 million lessons delivered (and counting), the backing organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google, and with his organization having achieved $1.826 million in revenue and $1.623 million in assets for the year 2010, Sal Khan and the Khan Academy is poised upon the threshold of what could be genuine revolution in how education is done in the the U.S., if not the entire world!
Here is the full 60 Minutes interview:
Visit the amazing Khan Academy yourself for more…
I want ice water.
More from the My Heroes volume
I Want Ice Water! 
I home educate my son and Khan Academy is a fantastic resource for us!
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That’s good to hear. I hope more parents will follow your example! 😀
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Mind-blowing ! ! Woooo !
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It is, isn’t it? Thanks! 😀
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Heresy!! How outrageous to make free education available to everyone! Doesn’t he know he might undercut all those for-profit educational institutions!? How dare he!
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Oh PT, your comment reminds me that I meant to finish with something funny just like that! 😳
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I found out about the academy a couple of years ago, I think. It is a phenomenal online resource. My grandson uses it for math. I don’t quite understand why more schools don’t use it. And, damn, he’s such a nice guy too. 🙂
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Good for your grandson George! As for why more schools don’t use it, I suspect there are so many who stand to lose from any threat to the established order. Or, as Pied Type put it, “Heresy!!” The real question to me is why don’t more parents have their kids using it? They may be stuck with the system we’ve got, but that doesn’t mean they can’t use this tool to excel in it! 😀
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I’ve been tempted to suggest it to Charlie’s teacher at the private school he’s attended since he was three years old. They generally seem willing to embrace other resources. I’ll do it this time since you reminded me. Thanks!
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Go for it George! 😀
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That is truly one cool and amazing thing he has created w this academy. Impressed!
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Impressive indeed my friend! 😀
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Yaaaay! I believe most education — including college degrees in some subjects — will eventually be made available free and to all via the internet, rendering null and void the ridiculous tuitions that universities charge. I hope it happens in my lifetime; the “Ivy Leagues” won’t know what hit ’em.
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Yay is right Luddy! Just check this out: The Post-Lecture Classroom: How Will Students Fare? – Robinson Meyer – The Atlantic
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