The Wrath Against Khan

Hackeducation

If one person can create 2400 educational videos and these videos can in turn be viewed by anyone with an Internet connection then why do we need teachers? Fire ‘em all! [..] While “technology will replace teachers” seems like a silly argument to make, one need only look at the state of most school budgets and know that something’s got to give. And lately, that something looks like teachers’ jobs, particularly to those on the receiving end of pink slips. [W]e are laying off teachers in mass numbers [..].

What does all of this have to do with Sal Khan? Well, nothing… and everything. Khan fits the model educator that Gates talks about: someone with extensive training in math and science (Khan holds 3 degrees from MIT and one from Harvard) [..] I [will] try to write an “explainer post,” making some of the objections to Khan Academy a little clearer.

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The Internet solved the distribution of quality content problem already. Having a seperate teacher in each classroom is like having someone new re-write, from scratch, a new copy Microsoft Office for each business office. That is the stupidest thing that anyone can do, yet we are doing exactly that in education.

And guess what: if I want my kids to watch quality lectures, I prefer the guy with 3 degrees from MIT rather than someone who only has a background in pedagogy. Content quality (related to pedagogy) can be decided by the market (or the social net) where multiple choices compete for the attention of the consumer. My choice is that smart people to put their content out there, as fast as they can.

In summary: Teachers losing their jobs is a good thing.