Sal Khan

 

This was a very interesting deep dive into the education system as we know it today.  The Prussian model of education is responsible for the stratification of students by ages and the separation of knowledge into descrete subject areas.  It was a way to democratize education but a the same time stifled creativity.  Sal Khan wants us to get away from this Prussian model of education.  That model was fine for the transition from an agrarian economy to an industrial society but no longer fits for needs of a 21st computer based economy.  It's funny that he draws his inspiration from a SciFi book series, Foundation, by Isaac Asimov.  I am reminded of how many of today's inventions were inspired by Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry.  That is the society that Khan  wants to prepare us for, a technological based society where creativity is valued more than regimented knowledge.  

This was an inspirational story about the founding of Khan Academy and highlights how creativity and technology intertwine.  Knowledge can be conveyed worldwide via the internet and no longer confined to a classroom.  Internet user could be tutored in a whole plethora of subject on their own time and at their own pace.  I especially liked the story of the Afganistani girl who dreamt of becoming a theoretical physicist and found tutorials in Math via Khan Academy.  Today she is a paid researcher at Tufts University.