Special Assignment #2

Part #1

Khan Academy
Khan Academy
Khan Academy was created by Salman Khan. He began with tutoring his relatives who were still in school by posting videos. Soon the minor tutoring blossomed into a large online community with 2,100+ videos. Videos are broken down into Math, Science, Humanities & other, and Test Prep categories. In addition to that they are categorized farther into more specific subjects such as Algebra and Biology. Khan Academy also contains as unusual sections as Banking and Money and Brain Teasers(which are claimed to be helpful during job interviews).
Kkan Academy includes statistics that remember each video a student watches and records what is learned. There is also a Knowledge Map which allows viewers to zoom in and out to work on various exercises. Sal states that he teaches in his videos the way that he wishes he was taught. He also equips the site with charts demonstrating how effective Khan Academy is. Sal  strives to make Khan Academy the "first free, world-class virtual school where anyone can learn anything."

iTunes U
iTunes U
iTunes U is set up similar to iTunes so that most students will find it easy to use. Universities can set up accounts complete with information and lessons for their students to use. Some accounts are private and only students at that particular university with passwords are able to access it. Other universities can choose to make their account public and allow anyone with an iTunes account to access it.
iTunes U points out that universities who opt to make their account public will gain recognition from anyone with an iTunes account without having to spend more on advertising.The content can either be downloaded to the iPod Touch. iPad, or the iPhone. iTunes U content is not limited to just notes and lectures. Teachers can post lab demonstrations, exhibit tours, books, maps, and virtually anything else they can dream of. PDF and ePub files(such as syllabi, books, and notes) can be opened and read on any e-reader, not just the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

TED
TED
TED stands for "Technology, Entertainment, Design" and originally began as an annual conference. These conferences were brought together so that their participants may attempt to give the speech "of their lives." These speeches are now available on TED.com. The site states that TED was created to inspire its viewers and spread knowledge(much like iTunes U and Khan Academy). The TED conference that takes place in the spring spans over four days and includes a variety of speeches(18 minutes in length or shorter) as well as music and performances. In addition to speeches, TED gives away a TED Prize each year. The prize is $100,000 to allow "One Wish to Change the World" come true.

Part #2

Khan Academy
What struck me most about Khan Academy was the extensive variety of math videos. Those of you who have read my previous posts know that math isn't my strong subject. What gave me the most problems when I was younger was trying to remember how to do everything while working on homework. Since neither of my parents are strong in mathematics either, they weren't able to help me with this. When I saw Khan Academy's selection of math videos I immediately thought this would be great for someone who also has a hard time with math. As a teacher I would sign myself up and ask that my students(or their parents) sign up as well and add me as their "coach." I would indicate which videos would relate to what my class would be currently learning so that even when students are away from school they will have access to tutoring for a wide variety of subjects. I would encourage parents to take a look at these videos as well so they can get an ides of what their children are learning about.

iTunes U
For iTunes U I came across surprisingly different material than what was on Khan Academy. I would use Khan Academy more for everyday use, but iTunes U has more unique videos that I would use for special occasions. For example, there is a Space SD audio podcast in which the viewer can take a virtual tour through our solar system while learning about it. There is also a Wired Study Tips audio podcast that contains 30 episodes for the college bound student to better develop study skills. I would find ways to incorporate some of the episodes through out the school year when they would be most useful(such as before a larger project or test).

TED
Similar to iTunes U, I would use TED for special occasion purposes as opposed to the everyday use of Khan Academy. TED has videos organized by theme, speakers, and "talks." Talks is broken down further into categories such as most viewed, most commented, and rated as jaw dropping. There are also persuasive, funny, informative, courageous and inspiring categories just to name a few. I would use TED as something for students to write on, or perhaps a tool to draw inspiration from for crafts or a project.

Part #3


Khan Academy
Currency Exchange Introduction
In "Currency Exchange Introduction" Khan goes over the basics of how money is converted. He uses the Chinese yuan and American Dollar as examples. The video is filmed as if he is writing on an actual chalk board. In the video he uses one person attempting to convert yuan into dollars and two people trying to convert dollars into yuan. Khan demonstrates that while the starting currency may be 10 yuan to every 1 dollar, the person with the currency in most demand(in his demonstration it was the person converting yuan into dollars) can change this depending on how badly others want it. In short, it is like an auction, or as Khan put it, you're "buying other currencies." Overall I thought the video explained very well. I wasn't necessarily expecting just a chalkboard setting with an instructional voice in the background, but it worked out well for the video. I'm a visual learner, so seeing how the money flowed made it easy for me to understand.

iTunes U
Wired Study Tips
Unlike the "Currency Exchange Introduction", this was an audio podcast. The first episode is "No Mental Marathons." The podcast begins by stating that cramming for a test is like running an extensive marathon. the narrator says one would be lucky to not "lose their lunch." It is then suggested that rather than attempting a marathon the night before, students treat school like a 8-5 job and study a little bit between classes everyday. The narrator says this plan is bound to work out as it will not interfere with weekend social activities that students "would never tell their children about." I thought the way this was taught was pretty funny and it kept my attention. I liked the Khan Academy video so much that I was a little skeptical before listening to an audio podcast, but the narrator made it enjoyable(and informative). This is also very convenient as this could be listened to in the car or between classes(really anywhere one would typically use an iPod).

TED
Joshua Walters: On Being Just Crazy Enough
This video starts off with Walters stating that he is a performer. He then informs the audience that he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. During his first episode he thought he was Jesus Christ. Though before anyone has time to feel remorse for Walters, he says that no drug will get anyone as high as believing that one is Jesus Christ. He described living in a psych ward as being among people who each put on their own "one man show." He continues to address bipolar disorder with humor and argues that it may not be so bad. Walters leaves his viewers wondering how crazy is "crazy"? I actually loved this video and found myself scrolling through more like it when it was over. I don't think I would show this particular one to a class of mine, but I would take advantage of other videos available for students to view.

Part #4

Khan Academy
As I mentioned earlier, teachers could use Khan Academy on a daily basis for supplemental instructional or tutoring for homework. Part of why I find it so useful it that it can be accessed anywhere that has an internet connection. Parents would be able to see and understand what their children are learning. This would also become useful if any problems arise during homework. Students would have access to these videos for help at home.

iTunes U
I would take advantage of iTunes U for their unique selection of lectures. The "Wired Study Tips" audio I listened to would be more useful for older students. However, I would take the information found in the podcast and form lesson plans around it that would better cater to the younger classes I hope to teach. Teachers could experiment with the more interactive items on iTunes U and use them as additional instructions to accompany school books.

TED
As with iTunes U, I would most likely use TED for special occasions rather than on a daily basis. As stated earlier in this post, I think that the videos found on TED would be useful as inspiration for students before starting a project. Teachers could also incorporate these videos in lesson plans by asking students to write on a video, or even film their own video. TED would also be very useful to calm students before they are about to make a speech.

Part #5
I was surprised to realize that something like Khan Academy existed. I was not aware that there were so many instructional videos online(and free of charge!). Once I visited the website I was not surprised to discover the sheer volume of tutorials though. The "About" portion was very well laid out and thorough, so I was expecting the videos to meet the same standards as well. As with Khan Academy, I did not realize something such as TED existed. Though once reading up on it I was not surprised to see the amazing selection of speeches TED contains. However, I was a little surprised with iTunes U. I was not expecting very much from it because when I think iTunes I think purely music. I still wasn't very impressed after reading the information presented on the website. After listening to and audio podcast I was pleasantly surprised to find it useful and entertaining.