[Server-devel] OLPC and Khan Academy: Project page

Tue Dec 20 18:52:16 EST 2011

Let me split off a thread specifically about how we can proceed to make KA
videos available to every school.

I have start a project page for an OLPC-KhanAcademy bridge, summarizing the
existing KA projects that I know of.
Please add yoruself to the list of interested people on that page if you
want to help out, or are already using KA videos in your schools.

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Khan_Academy

Among the things this project could use:
* A Linux port of the offline Khan Academy Web app (someone has already
made a Windows version, complete with scripts that let you choose what
subsets of videos you'd like to download).
* A new XS build that includes a basic set of videos, or at least an
installed version of this tool.
* A translation coordinator to help synch up subtitling and dubbing
efforts, most of which are currently scattered.

Thanks to Caryl for the reminder below to keep things real -- a point well
taken!

Sam.

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 5:06 PM, Caryl Bigenho <cbigenho at hotmail.com> wrote:

>  Hi All...
>
> As a retired educator who used to use an open source floppy disk program
> for learning Algebra I as an additional help for my students (in a
> self-paced class... back in the 80s!) I think the bare-bones Khan Academy
> videos will work just fine without all the fancy-schmancy worksheets,
> badges, and the like.
>
> Being translated into the student's language is a must, but beyond that,
> the teacher can be free to use them as needed with their students. They
> should, of course, keep track of the students' progress in their record
> book and, possibly a chart if it will not hurt the slower children.  By
> keeping track of who is where in the program, and who needs more help, they
> can give help where needed and arrange for students to help one another. If
> they want badges, they can be something created by the teacher (gold stars
> or just some "atta boys" and "atta girls"). Instead of the Khan worksheets,
> teachers can use the local textbooks or ebooks and locally made quizzes to
> evaluate progress. Thus they can be sensitive to the local curriculum
> standards.
>
> The Khan videos should be used to complement the work of the teacher, not
> replace it.  If the teacher does not know the subject well, they can still
> assume the role of "director of learning" and guide their students through
> the subject matter.
>
> I have seen complaints about students "gaming the system" by doing lots of
> easy Khan Academy videos to get lots of "awards." This won't happen if the
> teacher stays in charge as described above.
> Caryl
>
>  > Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:08:55 -0500
> > From: kevin.mark at verizon.net
> > To: support-gang at lists.laptop.org
> > Subject: Re: [support-gang] Fwd: Re: [Server-devel] khan academy videos
> >
> > On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 03:37:19PM -0500, Nicholas Doiron wrote:
> > >
> > > Indeed, most (but not all) of the videos are available in OGV through
> the
> > > Internet Archive.
> > >
> > > Separately, Khan Academy has been putting translated videos on YouTube
> > > (including French! I was surprised) with the accounts listed on this
> page:
> > > http://www.youtube.com/KhanAcademyLanguages Converting these is
> possible with
> > > ffmpeg2theora http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:Ndoiron/MediaGuide
> > > What I'm noticing is that some translators are re-recording the entire
> video.
> > > This would make it even more difficult to add a language such as
> Haitian
> > > Creole.
> >
> > That is great to hear for spanish-speaking folks.
> > I have seen some of the videos and they are not hollywood blockbusters
> with CGI
> > effect, they seem to be a voice and some graphics, very bareboned. So I
> wonder
> > if they could not be recreated in an animated GIF/PNG or SVG format but
> that
> > may be a dream idea. It would lead to a programatic way to address
> translation
> > like we do for software.
> >
> > >
> > > Plan Ceibal has been investigating the videos ever since Khan's TED
> talk in
> > > March. I believe they were supporting KhanAcademyEspanol or another
> existing
> > > YouTube channel. There was reluctance to store so many videos on school
> > > servers.
> >
> > Yeah, I dont know if they were only using the full resolution or have
> > considered more reduced version.
> >
> > > There were questions about Khan ( often wondering if he was connected
> > > to Wikipedia, Microsoft, or a major university in some way ).
> >
> > I think MS/Bill G might have contributed some funding? Although, I dont
> see
> > anything sinester being suggeted about any connection as of yet.
> >
> > > As far as I know there is no XS add-on or special activity for running
> Khan
> > > Academy on Ceibal's XOs.
> > >
> > > Some good news: there *is* an initiative in Mongolia, recently tweeted
> by OLPC:
> > >
> http://blog.dutiee.com/taking-khan-academy-to-mongolia-in-wireless-routers/
> > >
> > Thanks for the update
> > -K
> >
> > --
> > | .''`. == Debian GNU/Linux ==.| http://kevix.myopenid.com......|
> > | : :' : The Universal OS....| mysite.verizon.net/kevin.mark/.|<http://mysite.verizon.net/kevin.mark/.%7C>
> > | `. `' http://www.debian.org/.| http://counter.li.org [#238656]|
> > |___`-____Unless I ask to be CCd,.assume I am subscribed._________|
> >
> > Gordon's first law:
> > If a research project is not worth doing, it is not worth doing well.
> > _______________________________________________
> > support-gang mailing list
> > support-gang at lists.laptop.org
> > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/support-gang
>
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Samuel Klein          identi.ca:sj           w:user:sj          +1 617 529
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