To boldly go where no person has gone before is not just a “trekkie” phrase but “where it’s at” as far as Education is concerned. Like Tom Peters and his search for excellence in American companies, this article will explore 3 areas of New Frontiers in Education. But, why is this so important, you might be asking yourself? While our Colleges and Universities are still ranked as some of the best in the world, our education system below that level, in 2010 ranked 14th in the world, http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/dec/07/world-education-rankings-maths-science-reading, in reading, math, and science (critical knowledge areas for success) with Korea ranked as number 1. Curiously missing on this list are China and India. Reading, Math, and Science as mentioned are critical knowledge areas for the US, if they are going to compete in a global marketplace.
To underscore our shrinking intelligence, the US is ranked 19th with the rest of the nations in the world, in terms of IQ, http://sq.4mg.com/NationIQ.htm, with an average IQ of 98, behind China which is ranked 12th with an average IQ of 100 but ahead of India with an average IQ of 81. Comparing the US to China and India is intentional, so let me explain. Genius IQ is around 140 to 145 and if we assume a normal distribution of IQ score, then .0025% of our population would fall into that range. For China that would be 3.5 million and for India that would mean 2.875 million and if we were to combine both those countries the result would total comprise 4% of our current working population which includes the military.
The potential competitive advantage that these two countries could have on the Global Economy, taking market share away from the US due to innovation and new product introduction is huge and difficult for the layperson to fully grasp with the US still leading the world in GDP, Gross Domestic Product. To exacerbate this situation is what I call the half-life of knowledge or how long does it take for new knowledge to replace old knowledge. When I was going to school in the 60’s, the half life was 12-15 years; nowadays, it is 6-18 months and possibly shorter. So, a critical success factor for the US to compete in the global marketplace against China and India et al is a combination of: accelerated learning, knowledge retention and duration, and knowledge usage.
A simple and creative way to do this is making knowledge fun and I know no better place to start than with the Khan Academy,
http://www.khanacademy.org/, which epitomizes the concept of: how to make the transfer of knowledge fun. As I strolled through the 2400 video offerings on the website, what caught my attention was: the economics of a cupcake factory. I do not think that this choice was influenced at all by the fact that my wife and I love to watch Cupcake Wars on the Food Network, http://www.foodnetwork.com/cupcake-wars/index.html. In each 11 minute episode, Kahn writes on a blackboard while he talks in simple terms to the viewer. While he is talking, he decides to cross something out and write a different tact which allows his approach to seem genuine and unrehearsed. Khan’s videos make learning fun and the knowledge is easily transferred. The Gates Foundation http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Pages/home.aspx and Google are supporting his efforts and each video is free and can be easily downloaded. In addition to videos on economics, there are videos on: currency, the credit crisis, developmental math, differential equations, finance, GMAT, the Geithner Plan, geometry, algebra, history, chemistry, organic chemistry, the Paulson Bailout, physics, probability, SAT preparation, Singapore math, statistics, trigonometry, investing, venture capital, calculus, brain teasers, biology, banking, and arithmetic. There is no telling what new videos on which Khan is working.
Once it loads it takes about 20+ seconds or so to get started, so be patient...
On the top right of his home page once it loads, is the following quote:
“Learn almost anything for free. With a library of over 2,400 videos covering everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, and history and 125 practice exercises, we're on a mission to help you learn whatever you want, whenever you want, at your own pace.” With Google involved, your work is saved and you get access to some “cool tools,” such as knowledge maps and tracking tools.
Simply put, I was blown away!
Sidebar: You should also check out CBT Nuggets who has developed some interesting teaching videos in the IT area and sells them for a reasonable price. $150 buys you 20 – 30 minutes videos. These are excellent videos that help one prepare for the certification exams that CompTIA offers.
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