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Tell HN: Khan Academy is hiring full-time devs

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Re: Tell HN: Khan Academy is hiring full-time devs

#31

Post by Radix »

lyaunzbe wrote: post #21

Man, I'd love to contribute to Khan Academy, especially since they've given me so much already. I can't count the number of times Sal's videos have helped me in my AP Physics and Calculus classes this year. It's too bad I'm still in high school. I actually had an idea, a couple of weeks ago, that it would be really cool to implement some kind of functionality that brought together real time chat and a "blackboard" ca…

Grockit, a test prep startup, does this. They're setup to give test questions to be answered in a given time frame with ongoing chat between room members and there is an optional white-board for drawing on.

The drawing section isn't built by them, it's actually built by an HN poster running, I believe, ExpatSoftware. You could probably make use of his project... Actually, I checked. They're just using Twiddla. I think Twiddla is pretty much what you want. You can free hand what you want and you have an etherpad a click away. Tying it in to KA would be left.

Kamens, is there a way to view all the unanswered questions on Khan Academy? I think it might receive a fair amount of traffic if there was.

Re: Tell HN: Khan Academy is hiring full-time devs

#32

Post by kamens »

Radix wrote: post #31
lyaunzbe wrote: post #21

Man, I'd love to contribute to Khan Academy, especially since they've given me so much already. I can't count the number of times Sal's videos have helped me in my AP Physics and Calculus classes this year. It's too bad I'm still in high school. I actually had an idea, a couple of weeks ago, that it would be really cool to implement some kind of functionality that brought together real time chat and a "blackboard" ca…

Grockit, a test prep startup, does this. They're setup to give test questions to be answered in a given time frame with ongoing chat between room members and there is an optional white-board for drawing on. The drawing section isn't built by them, it's actually built by an HN poster running, I believe, ExpatSoftware. You could probably make use of his project... Actually, I checked. They're just using Twiddla. I thin…

Not at the moment, no. We're tackling some lower-hanging fruit, but this sort of community tool is obviously on our horizon.

Re: Tell HN: Khan Academy is hiring full-time devs

#33

Post by pixcavator »

ig1 wrote: post #28
hugh3 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was modded down, possibly for incomprehensibility, but... is the Khan academy planning on hiring any profs? Is it still the one dude doing all the videos?

Well I don't know about others, but I moded it down because it was "jerk-like" behaviour. The same comment could have been written in a polite and professional manner, but the op chose to write in an insulting manner. Following the recent thread on HN quality, I've decided to be much more aggressive in downvoting impolite comments.

"Insulting" is a gross exaggeration. That's this forum's style! Where do you think I’ve learned it from?

You and the parent both admit that I have a point. That’s good enough for me.

Re: Tell HN: Khan Academy is hiring full-time devs

#34

Post by [deleted] »

pixcavator wrote: post #33
ig1 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I don't know about others, but I moded it down because it was "jerk-like" behaviour. The same comment could have been written in a polite and professional manner, but the op chose to write in an insulting manner. Following the recent thread on HN quality, I've decided to be much more aggressive in downvoting impolite comments.

"Insulting" is a gross exaggeration. That's this forum's style! Where do you think I’ve learned it from? You and the parent both admit that I have a point. That’s good enough for me.

[deleted]

Re: Tell HN: Khan Academy is hiring full-time devs

#36

Post by ern »

ph0rque wrote: post #22

A humble, semi-off-topic suggestion: develop the knowledge maps for all the (planned in the near future) courses first, then let anyone submit both video lectures and evaluation questions and answers.

I think the most compelling aspect of the Khan Academy is Sal Khan's ability to explain stuff. Diluting that with other instructors could weaken the main selling point of KA.

Re: Tell HN: Khan Academy is hiring full-time devs

#37

Post by ph0rque »

ern wrote: post #36
ph0rque wrote: post #22

A humble, semi-off-topic suggestion: develop the knowledge maps for all the (planned in the near future) courses first, then let anyone submit both video lectures and evaluation questions and answers.

I think the most compelling aspect of the Khan Academy is Sal Khan's ability to explain stuff. Diluting that with other instructors could weaken the main selling point of KA.

That's a valid point... my suggestion would be a longer-term suggestion, when KA is popular enough to attract star educators in fields Khan hasn't touched yet.

Re: Tell HN: Khan Academy is hiring full-time devs

#38

Post by chrishaum »

ph0rque wrote: post #37
ern wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the most compelling aspect of the Khan Academy is Sal Khan's ability to explain stuff. Diluting that with other instructors could weaken the main selling point of KA.

That's a valid point... my suggestion would be a longer-term suggestion, when KA is popular enough to attract star educators in fields Khan hasn't touched yet.

I absolutely agree with this suggestion. Another variation: bring excellent teachers in other (non-Khan) subjects together to devise learning maps, and then have the experts compete against each other to produce the lectures most favored by Khan Academy users.

Seems like this would result in much faster growth in the breadth of KA's videos.

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