A Free Education Kahn/Koller Review

This week I was introduced to Salman Khan.  I know, I have never heard that name before either.

But he is making Math fun.  
Yes, I said making math fun.

There are two kind of people in the world 
Math People and non Math People.  

Sal Kahn takes a different approach.  He believes anyone can learn.  He starts at the ground and moves up.
  

I read an article about How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education

I don't know about you, but I don't believe our educational system is helping children reach their full potential.

I don't blame it on the teacher.  She/He is given 30 children and told teach them the same so they can pass a test at the end of the year.

Children are not the same.  

Someone once said children are like snowflakes. 

I can live with that analogy. 

Kahn's goal is to give free knowledge for everyone, so they may understand and learn at their pace.

    

Adding and Subtracting is kid stuff!

I need help with fractions.
Or better yet, my teacher
says there is imaginary numbers.
Numbers are real how can
they be imaginary?

https://www.khanacademy.org/

I went to Khan Academy and checked out their YouTube channel.  More than seven videos had been uploaded in the past day.  I found that very impressive.  Most websites are created and abandoned.  He is constantly learning more and creating new videos.

He doesn't restrict learning to school age kids.  He has videos that will help college age students as well.  He is about to get into Preschool academics as well.  I am looking forward
to these upcoming Preschool lessons.

I am sure my four and five-year-old's at work will enjoy the 'kindergarten' Math videos.  

Over all, I found Sal Khan very impressive.
I found Khan Academy amazing.
It almost makes me want to move to California and have my children in his school system.  I think any child in that
particular environment would excel.

I have a Math class coming up that I was hoping to do online.  I do believe I will be looking at Khan Academy for some assistance in the near future.  I find Khan easy to follow, interesting to listen to, and feel well informed 
after the videos are completed.

I love the way he has taken the initiative and had schools incorporate his lessons into their program.  It has really made a difference int he kids lives.  When learning is fun and easy, children want to try harder to learn.  I can't tell you how many times I wished I could have recorded my Math classes, so I could review lessons at home.  I didn't know anything about YouTube during those times.  That's probably because YouTube was founded the year I graduated from High School 2005.  Wow!  YouTube is only twelve years old!

One of the videos I watched said about 1.8 million students had worked on problems on the Khan Academy with the past 24 hours.  I would say he is definitely impacting the world and several students lives.

I can't tell you how many parents are relieved that Khan is helping their children with their homework, but I have a feeling it is over 6 million.

Okay, so after that amazing idea, what do you
have that's going to impress me.

What would you do if you could get a 

Education for free?

I know what you are thinking.  I don't have that kind of GPA.  
That was my first thought.  Lol!  

But after listening to Daphne Koller, 

I was left in amazement again.

If you took the time to watch the video I bet you are fired up and ready to sign up now.  I know I was.  So I decided to find some more information on this Free College education.

I have school bills out the wazoo!

And I was considering going back to school for an English or Writing degree.  Is this Free College my answer?

https://www.coursera.org/

So does my current college accept Coursera credits?

I gave them a call and the woman I talked to said she had taken a few classes from Coursera.  She said that there is a paper that I can fill out called Prior Learning and there is a possibility the class might count.  That also means there is a possibility it wont.

Let's say it doesn't count.
I have already learned the material
and it should be a much easier class.
So no harm there.
It didn't cost me any added money.
I was able to learn something new which helps prevent
dementia.  All and all a win/win.

Now from looking at this website 

I am most definitely intrigued.

I think I am starting to see a Creative Writing class in my future.

It has a lot more than English.

Now for the best part!  Coursera has an app!  Lol, okay maybe that isn't the best part.  However, I am always 
excited to find an app to a loved website.  

While I was checking out Coursera the website was up and down for maintenance.  I am not familiar enough with the 
website to know if this normal or not.

Here is a list of some colleges
that partner with Coursera:

• California Institute of Technology

• Duke University

• The Georgia Institute of Technology

• Johns Hopkins University

• Rice University

• The University of California,San Francisco

• The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

• The University of Washington

• The University of Virginia

• University of Edinburgh in Scotland

• The University of Toronto and EPF Lausanne

I love that the classes have peer grading.

I think I can definitely learn this way.

The problem with some classes is that you learn and the test

doesn't show that you have learned.

This online school can pinpoint your misconception in some classes.

I like that about Coursera.

I don't think Coursera is harder or easier

than any other online classes.

You still have to set aside time to study,

learn the material, write papers, and take test.

Those are the same things you do on an online class.

They say that online classes are harder than classes

you sit through, so it depends what you are

comparing the class to.

 If all colleges in the future accept certificates from Coursera,
I think it would be cheaper for everyone,
have less financial stress.
People might be more likely to be more
responsible financially.
A lot of people my age say they are already $40,000 in debt who cares about a $2,000 credit card in the scheme of things.
If their education was free,
the other debt might be more significant.

My imaginary children are going to be
well educated between Kahn Academy and Koller's Coursera.

Exploring Standards Based Lesson Plans

I teach four and five-year-olds.  We use Creative Curriculum.  We focus on Social Emotional Development, Physical Development, Cognitive Development, and Language Development.  We try to do six week themes, that way each child has a chance to grasp the knowledge presented to them.  Children need a lot of repetition.  A coworker of mine went to a workshop and they told her each child needs to hear something 2,000 times before they listen.  That may or may not be true.  However the more repetition, the more the child grasps.  I have seen that when working with the children and in my life experiences.  

I found a website with some fun lesson plans.

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/fairytales.htm

Personally, I love fairy tales.  One of my favorites is Jack and the Beanstalk.  I thought it might be perfect for my Pre-K class.

Jack and the Beanstalk

I like this video because it has the words of the story at the bottom.
I wish each word highlighted as they said each word.

I like how Super Why uses letters and words.  They emphasize words aka make them bigger when they are said.

So where to start on lesson plans?

I would ask the children what a beanstalk was? Then I would write down all of the answer.

Then I would get on the computer and show the kids a beanstalk.

After that, it is popcorn and movie time! 
Our kids love to go to the 'Movie Theater'

After watching the suggested video, we would talk about the beans and the growing process.

One of the suggested lesson plans is growing your own beans. Children enjoy measuring things and seeing them grow. Each day they run to see if their flower or bean has grown.

We would talk about what a seed needs to grow.
Sunlight, dirt, and water.
As the seed grows, we could ask how many cars long is the seed? Usually when this question is posed, children want to measure how many crayons, pencils, and so on.

The next day we would watch the next movie about Jack and the Beanstalk. We would incorporate Jack and the beanstalk stories like Jack and Jill and the beanstalk.

Talk about G is for Giant and G is for goose.
Make a mini book of letter G things.
This would be a challenge for the little ones.

It involves folding the book in the right place.
Following directions.
Cutting book in right place.
Waiting to have their book stapled together.
Writing their name on the right line.
Tracing the letter G instead of coloring the letter G.

Children love computer time!

Click: For Cow Puzzle online


A good lesson plan incorporates Social Emotional, Physical, Cognitive, and Language Development.

A good activity to add, would be creating your own "beanstalk".  Bring in green paper (the huge rolls are the best!), let the children in your class work together (Social Emotional and Language Development) and tape the beanstalk to a wall (Cognitive Development).  Let them crumble it up how they please (Physical Development), make leaves or beans, and stick it all together to make a masterpiece! And believe me, they will love it.  Best of all it puts all four Developmental Stages to use.   

By the end of the Theme:
Jack and the Beanstalk

• Each child will be able to list a sequence of events in the Jack and the Beanstalk story (Cognitive Development) 
• Be more familiar with letters G, C, H, J, B (Language Development)
• Use small motor skills (Physical Development)
• Observe bean growing (Cognitive Development)

References

https://www.brandeis.edu/lemberg/employees/pdf/webgraphicdevandu.pdf 

http://www.first-school.ws/puzzlesonline/alphabet/c_cow.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/alphabetp2.htm#g

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/fairytales.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/activities/fairytales/jack_beanstalk.htm

http://www.first-school.ws/activities/alpha/c/cow.htm

https://www.google.com/search?q=beanstalk&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijjcyupqLSAhUs6YMKHeoGDaEQ_AUICCgB&biw=1493&bih=705#imgrc=IdCgdpLvLUo_AM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgnKS4P10ak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKB1_wBueFM&feature=youtu.be

Assistive Technology for Deaf Students

90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents.

90% of deaf parents have hearing children.

What does that have to do with learning? In order for a hearing parent to communicate with their deaf child, they will have to decide to learn sign language and teach their deaf child sign language. 

But what happens when it's time to go to school?  Some children go to an all deaf school.  Others go to public school with an interpreter.  Some hard of hearing and deaf people are really good at reading lips, but they can't possibly read lips when a teacher looks at the board or turns to talk to another student.  Then there is the complication that arises when the child is trying to make friends.  None of his or her classmates can understand more than a smile or a frown. 

This can be very frustrating for a child.   

Once the child is old enough to read and write, sometimes the child has a 'note taker' who writes down what the teacher says verbatim.  At a young age, this isn't as helpful. 

There are voice to text programs that will change what the teacher is saying into words. 

This can be helpful, but it doesn't help the child communicate with his or her friends.  What we need is a way for a deaf child to interact with his environment on his or her own.  We need a way to translate for them so others can understand and so they might understand as well. 

American Sign Language is a beautiful language, but it is a language that involves movement.  How can we make technology that is adequate enough to capture the essence of American Sign Language. 

It is a puzzling question.   

Roman Kozak, a High School student was working to turn

American Sign Language into speech using a glove.

He is not alone.  Many others have been working to perfect this idea.

Jeremy Blum came up with a Sudo Glove that can control remote control cars.
He does many how to videos so you can make your own at home. 

This is a final example of how the Sudo Glove has been used to translate

American Sign Language into English.

This invention could change the world as we know it.

It could open up a whole new world of possibilities for deaf individuals.

They wouldn't have to worry about having an interpreter.

No job would be out of reach.

I find it amazing the way the glove monitors your hand with sensors

detecting every sign and letter.  That in turn can Bluetooth with a computer and run a voice

program simulating what the signer intended. 

The only problem I see with this invention is that it doesn't turn speech into sign language, although it does connect with the computer and from what I understand

turn speech into text on the computer.  I am sure in the future we will see the text built right into the glove so there is no need of an actual computer.

References

http://www.romanakozak.com/sign-language-translator/

http://www.wikihow.com/Help-Deaf-Students-Using-Technology

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnWPoaLU1i4

 

Ohio DL Schools

What in the world is a DL School?

It is a district learning school or an e-school.

I know most of you have seen or heard commercials about going to school

online for yourself or your child.

Is that really a good idea?

Great question!

I have decided to check out five of the better known Distant Learning

Schools in Ohio and give you my verdict.

Here are the five schools I have chosen

Connections Academy

http://virtualschoolhouse.org/

ECOT

Ohio Virtual Academy

Virtual Community School of Ohio

As a result of my findings I would have to go with ECOT as an outstanding Yes.

  

• I was very impressed with the college opportunity for my potential children.  
• Parents Right to be involved in child's education.
• Family Night
• Field trips
• 7th-12th grade students have a possibility of earning 15 to 30 credits from Columbus Community College before actually graduating High School.  

For those who are unfamiliar with Columbus State, 

they have associates degree.  

An average associate program is roughly 64 credit hours, 

which means your child has the potential to complete a 

semester or an entire year of college for free.  

That sounds good on your wallet.

My Least Favorite Online School would be Virtual School House.

The Website was not set up for potential students.

I couldn't find any testimonials.

It felt like they through a website together without thinking about the future.

It is an online school.  If the website can't be set up visually appealing or 

answer my questions on their website, 

how can they teach my child adequately online?

We are in a world of computers and internet, apps, and so on.

I don't want my child to learn antiquated ideas of the past, because 

it will not move them forward in the world they are in.

My husband and I are responsible for teaching our children values, courtesy, honesty, loyalty. 

School should prepare children for the world they are in.  And our world is online in many facets.  

I don't feel Virtual School is prepared to teach children for the real world.

I love graphs and charts, so here is my assessment of the 5 Schools via chart.

	Ohio Connections Academy	Virtual Schoolhouse	ECOT	Ohio Virtual Academy	VCS
Clarity	5/5	2/5	5/5	3/5	4/5
Feel of Environment	3/5 Ok	0/5 Couldn't get one	5/5 Great!	2/5 Meh	4/5
FAQ Page	Yes	No	None-However the whole website acts like a FAQ page and answered all of mine.	Yes-I didn't like the FAQ, it wasn't remotely applicable.	Yes, on college page it didn't work, but it worked on another page.
What I think	Not appealing	No	Yes!	No	Maybe
Does it have College Credits Offered during High School?	Yes	Couldn't find any offered.	Amazing College options! 15 credits-30 credits at CSCC	Couldn't find any.	Yes -OCU

Feel free to let me know if you come to a different assessment.