Imagine K12

#1

Post by pg » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 6:32 PM UTC

Re: Imagine K12

#2

Post by btipling » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 6:41 PM UTC

Something built around the model that Khan Academy presents would be really interesting. Videos and learn at your own time. Home work help, helping parents and students find tutors, helping with test preparation. The long summer months are also a problem for a household where both parents are working. There is a lot of opportunity to help students here. Will be exciting to see what comes of it.

Good luck!

Re: Imagine K12

#3

Post by pclark » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 6:45 PM UTC

This reminds me of jedc and his MBA research about startup accelerators and how, and more importantly, when to clone.

His #1 point was:

> You need to be unique, where unique is not just a seed accelerator in a different city

Imagine K12 is unique in their knowledge and connections. What a fascinating proposition.

http://blog.jedchristiansen.com/2011/02/23/looking-back-1-5-...

Re: Imagine K12

#4

Post by BenSS » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 6:53 PM UTC

This is fantastic, and aligns with a project my wife and I have been discussing. It's frustrating that one or both of us would have to hit the Bay Area to do it (on the wrong coast), but certainly going to consider it.

Re: Imagine K12

#5

Post by u48998 » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 7:01 PM UTC

Two things which should be basic human rights and absolutely free, are: communication and education. But people wish to earn $$ off of them. And then they wonder why the world is in such a messed up state.

Kudos to Khan Academy and Bill Gates for patronizing and liberating the education.

Re: Imagine K12

#6

Post by btipling » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 7:06 PM UTC

u48998 wrote: post #5

Two things which should be basic human rights and absolutely free, are: communication and education. But people wish to earn $$ off of them. And then they wonder why the world is in such a messed up state. Kudos to Khan Academy and Bill Gates for patronizing and liberating the education.

I guess you expect publishers to print and give away textbooks for free too?

Re: Imagine K12

#7

Post by frak_your_couch » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 7:11 PM UTC

btipling wrote: post #6

u48998 wrote: post #5

Two things which should be basic human rights and absolutely free, are: communication and education. But people wish to earn $$ off of them. And then they wonder why the world is in such a messed up state. Kudos to Khan Academy and Bill Gates for patronizing and liberating the education.

I guess you expect publishers to print and give away textbooks for free too?

Well, I'd love and welcome a good high-quality open source textbook movement that happens to also be high quality. It's the quality issue that's the major problem at the moment, I'd say. I've LOVE to see, for instance, Math textbooks written like they wrote "Real World Haskell" in wiki format with a single (or a small,finite set of) editor(s) ensuring that content and quality is up-to-snuff. I think that there really should be minimal educational infrastructure provided for free or very low cost.

Re: Imagine K12

#8

Post by ph0rque » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 7:16 PM UTC

frak_your_couch wrote: post #7

btipling wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess you expect publishers to print and give away textbooks for free too?

Well, I'd love and welcome a good high-quality open source textbook movement that happens to also be high quality. It's the quality issue that's the major problem at the moment, I'd say. I've LOVE to see, for instance, Math textbooks written like they wrote "Real World Haskell" in wiki format with a single (or a small,finite set of) editor(s) ensuring that content and quality is up-to-snuff. I think that there really…

Have you heard of OERCommons (http://www.oercommons.org/)? They sound like what you describe.

Re: Imagine K12

#9

Post by rewind » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 7:16 PM UTC

u48998 wrote: post #5

Two things which should be basic human rights and absolutely free, are: communication and education. But people wish to earn $$ off of them. And then they wonder why the world is in such a messed up state. Kudos to Khan Academy and Bill Gates for patronizing and liberating the education.

Right... because Bill Gates didn't make billions from the education market.

You go build a company around giving things to the education market for free and I'll build a company around selling things to the education market, and we'll see whose company is better off in five years and whose customers are better off in five years.

Re: Imagine K12

#10

Post by prestia » Thu, Mar 17, 2011, 7:17 PM UTC

This is a really exciting announcement! Education is probably the most important factor in maintaining long-term competitiveness and the American system is in desperate need of improvement. That said, the hurdles in this area are overwhelming. To name a few:

-Layer upon layer of bureaucracy (states, counties, districts, individual school administrators)

-Teachers that are reluctant to adopt new technology

-Students that are difficult to motivate

I have a ton of respect for anyone even trying to take on this challenge.