Khan Academy

All In One
Written By Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

Khan Academy was founded by Salman Khan, an educator whose journey began with tutoring his cousins remotely in 2004. This initiative evolved into what we now know as Khan Academy, officially becoming a nonprofit organization in 2008. Sal Khan started this venture to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. He holds three degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard, bringing a rich educational and practical background to the platform’s development​​ (Wikipedia)​​ (CHM)​. Since its inception, Khan Academy has grown to serve nearly 20 million users monthly across 190 countries. The platform has garnered support from influential organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Sal Khan himself has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Padma Shri from India and being listed among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. These accolades underscore the significant impact of Khan Academy on global education​ (Wikipedia)​​ (CHM)​.

Grades Covered: Kindergarten through 12th grade

Cost: Entirely free, making it an accessible option for families of any background.

What It Is

Khan Academy is a free, internet-based platform that aims to provide a "free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere." It offers an extensive range of educational materials that are designed to cater to the learning needs of K-12 students across various disciplines. The platform's mission is grounded in the philosophy of self-paced learning, where students can access content anytime and progress according to their own pace​ (Wikipedia)​.

How It Works

The platform functions through a user-friendly interface that presents video lessons, interactive exercises, and supplementary articles. These resources are designed to facilitate deep understanding and retention of knowledge. The interactive aspect is enhanced by features that allow learners to track their progress and educators to tailor assignments and assessments to the needs of their students, making it highly adaptable for homeschooling​ (Wikipedia)​.

Educational Content Included

  • Mathematics: Basic arithmetic to advanced calculus

  • Science: Including earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics

  • Economics and finance: Basic economic principles to advanced finance

  • Arts and humanities: History, government, and art appreciation

  • Computing: Computer programming and digital literacy

  • Test preparation: SAT, MCAT, and other standardized tests

  • Language arts: Reading comprehension and writing skills​ (Wikipedia)​

Strengths

Khan Academy’s major strengths lie in its accessibility and depth of content. The platform is lauded for making education accessible to anyone with an internet connection, completely free of charge. Its self-paced and mastery-based approach allows students to thoroughly understand each concept before moving forward. Additionally, the integration of innovative tools like the AI assistant Khanmigo illustrates Khan Academy’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance learning​ (Wikipedia)​​ (CHM)​.

Areas for Improvement

Despite its strengths, Khan Academy faces criticism related to the monotony of its course delivery and the occasional inaccuracies in its content. Some users find the video-based lessons to lack engagement and variety, which can make the learning experience somewhat tedious. This aspect of the design could be improved by incorporating more dynamic and interactive elements to captivate students’ interests more effectively. Moreover, the platform has been responsive to feedback regarding content inaccuracies by continuously updating its materials and expanding its team of educational experts to ensure quality and reliability​ (CHM)​.

Ideal Fit

Khan Academy is particularly well-suited for independent learners who thrive in a self-directed environment. It is ideal for students who prefer a flexible learning schedule and for those who require additional resources to supplement their traditional schooling. Its comprehensive coverage makes it a valuable tool for homeschooling families looking to enrich their educational offerings​ (Wikipedia)​.

Not an Ideal Fit

Khan Academy might not be the best fit for students who need high levels of interaction and engagement with teachers and peers. Those who benefit from structured learning environments and direct personal feedback might find the platform less effective as a standalone educational resource​ (Wikipedia)​.

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Manisha Snoyer (co-founder of Modulo)

For the last 20 years, I’ve taught over 2000 children in 3 countries (of all socio-economic backgrounds). I pioneered an English language program in a conflict region in the Middle East. I’ve worked as a bilingual public school teacher at some of the highest and lowest performing public schools and in all five boroughs of NYC. I’ve tutored 18 subjects in three languages to some of the wealthiest families in NYC, San Francisco and Paris to make up for shortcomings in private schools they were paying up to $60,000 a year to attend.

Since 2015, I’ve helped hundreds of parents start microschools (way before this was a household buzzword). I founded CottageClass, the first marketplace for microschools and learning pods that was part of the Techstars 2018 class. In 2019, I created a virtual learning program to help families through the pandemic, a free online math tutoring program (masteryhour.org), and schoolclosures.org, a hotline developed in collaboration with Twilio and 80 other partners including Khan Academy, Revolution Foods and the Crisis Text Line, that served 100,000 families impacted by school closures.

I’ve climbed trees with children in forest schools in San Francisco, and tested new digital apps with kids in seven countries.

I’ve also coached dozens of families at different stages in their homeschooling journey. Most recently, I founded Modulo with homeschooling dad, best-selling author and tech entrepreneur Eric Ries, to help families curate their children’s education, social and childcare experiences drawing from a diverse array of in-person and online resources.


During the last three years, I’ve devoted much of my time to reviewing and testing secular homeschooling curriculum and other resource. I’ve spent the last three years talking to thousands of secular homeschooling families, and poring over tens of thousands of secular curriculum reviews and testing physical curriculum and digital apps for with hundreds of students to find the highest quality, most engaging, personalized learning materials for every type of learner.

I’ve spoken about homeschooling and modular learning at multiple venues including SXSW EDU, NY Tech Meetup, and on the LiberatedEd podcast.

In 2022, Modulo was one of 8 organizations who were awarded the Bridge Grant from the Vela Education Fund to expand access to homeschooling and modular learning to under-resourced communities.

My experience in education and homeschooling has led me to believe that there is no perfect education for every child, but families have an extraordinary amount of wisdom they can apply to building the perfect education for their individual child.

My goal with Modulo is to make it possible for any family to easily build a customized education that their child will love, and that will empower the whole family to thrive, taking into account, social, emotional and academic needs.

I love to answer questions from parents and receive feedback on how we can improve Modulo, so feel free to reach out anytime! I personally answer all the questions and comments readers leave on my blogs.

In my free time, I like hiking, traveling the world, tasting ceremonial grade matcha, enjoying dark chocolate.

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University with highest honors, with a double degree in French Literature and American Studies and minors in Environmental Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies.

And I love to learn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manisha-snoyer-5042298/
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