One of our dedicated pilot teachers, Shelby Harris, will be sharing her journey of implementing Khan Academy in her classroom with the rest of the nation in a documentary airing this Friday. This documentary is the latest project of Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman), and follows the experiences of four exceptional public school teachers throughout a school year. The 2 hour special is called TEACH, and it will air on CBS at 8pm ET/PT.
Shelby Harris is a 7th grade teacher in Idaho who started using Khan Academy with her students this past February. Like many classrooms in America, Shelby’s students spanned the spectrum when it came to understanding math. While some students were comfortable with linear equations, others were still struggling with basic multiplication.
Shelby learned how to use Khan Academy as a powerful tool to differentiate, and her classroom went through a palpable transformation in just 3 months. Students who used to fear math gained enough confidence to start peer tutoring others. Students who usually avoided math like the plague were suddenly in deep zones of concentration. Shelby also went through a transformation of her own–she became comfortable with a new way of teaching that required using data to coach students and small groups on their personal goals.
But this didn’t happen overnight. It took time for Shelby to become comfortable with a classroom that didn’t start with a lecture every day. And as with learning any new tool, Shelby had to go through some frustrating moments. Shelby and many other teachers around the world have had to experience this learning curve, but in the end, they report that the grit pays off.
Shelby has already started a new school year in which Khan Academy is an integral component of her classroom. Her class is one of many that will be using Khan Academy in Idaho. Thanks to the efforts of the J.A. & Kathryn Albertson Foundation, over 200 teachers in Idaho will be receiving technology and support to use Khan Academy with their students.
The teachers who use Khan Academy in their classrooms are a constant inspiration for us. We encourage you to watch Shelby’s journey on TEACH this Friday, and stay tuned for a firsthand account of her experience.
For more information about TEACH, click here:
http://www.takepart.com/teach
For more information about the Khan Academy in Idaho project, click here: www.khanidaho.org
For more resources about using Khan Academy in the classroom, click here: www.khanacademy.org/coach-res
