Since I'm an elementary + secondary English person, I focus a lot on tools that can be used in reading and writing. Science-y tech tools are pretty easy to find, but I've found that, in general, I have a lot harder of a time finding technological math tools. One of my good friends teaches Algebra, and she is working hard this year to incorporate more technology into her classroom. When I stumbled onto Khan Academy, it immediately made me think of her because of the math possibilities on this website. But if you teach science, history, or any type of financial or economics course, Khan Academy would be good for you, too.
Khan Academy offers FREE videos to the public over the subjects mentioned above. There are over 2,000 videos available for viewing, and they seem to be adding more!
A really cool math feature: math exercises are offered, one-by-one, at whatever level of difficulty you need. Users work the problem out step-by-step before being taken to another equation generated by Khan Academy. The website can remember progress students have made while doing equations, and can e-mail the teacher statistics of each student's work.
While Khan Academy doesn't follow any state's specific standards, it does hit concepts commonly referenced on ACT, SAT, AP exams, and other standardized tests. I assume it would be easy to find a video to fit a particular objective since the videos are clearly labeled.
You can watch the videos for free and without doing anything to register, but if you want Khan Academy to remember any progress, produce any charts, etc. you must sign up for a free account. If you want your students to use this and be tracked individually, each student must have his/her own free account. I know it sounds like a hassle, but the rewards are steep! On the plus side, anyone can use their Google or Facebook account to sign in quickly and easily to Khan Academy, and almost everyone has registered for at least one of those websites!
If you only look at the subject list, it may appear as though Khan Academy doesn't offer much. But that's an illusion. They focus mainly on math and science, but their collections of videos in those two subjects are quite extensive. For instance, in the math section, there are the following categories: arethmetic, developmental math 1, developmental math 2, core pre-algebra, worked examples 1, brain teasers, worked examples 2, worked examples 3, worked examples 4, core geometry, trig, probability, statistics, pre-calc, calc, differential equations, and linear algebra. And then each of those categories hosts a plethora of video options. For instance, in the "core algebra" category, there appear to be about 100 videos!
The videos appear as YouTube videos, but since they're shown through the Khan Academy website, you shouldn't have any problems with filters, even if YouTube is blocked at your school.
Here's an example of a video. This one is titled "Algebra: Slope."
Although I believe that teachers should do the teaching in their classrooms, I do understand that sometimes videos are necessary. Videos taught by a person other than the teacher can give students a look at someone else's teaching method, which may increase understanding. Videos can also provide supplemental information (particularly at home) or can be something to show in a pinch when you need emergency lesson plans in preparation for a substitute.
Whatever your intention, maybe Khan Academy will help your students grasp a better understanding of its featured subjects.
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