Khan Academy is an Amazing Treasure of Lessons!

February 19, 2012

An old November 14, 2011 issue of Time Magazine caught our attention last week in the waiting room of a doctor’s office. Most time-worn, old magazines hardly grab the attention, but this one was different. Unfortunately, as is often the case with magazines in doctors’ offices, the first integral pages were missing of the article “Education Can Save Us”  but we were so fascinated by the discussion of the Khan Academy, that we further explored it later on-line. It is simply amazing! Here is the Youtube introduction:

This FREE stockpile of lesson plans is well worth the attention of parents, teachers and students! We were looking at the lessons in beginning arithmetic. Some people complained about the lessons being a bit on-the-back-of-a-napkin crude, but considering how it all came about, it still helps students learn by drilling on the basics. Here is an article How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education by Clive Thompson from wired.com that explains how it evolved.

You can peruse the website without logging in. If you want to track your progress, you will need a Google or Facebook account as explained on the Getting Started page.

By the way, I found the missing pages (as well as the rest) of the article “Education Can Save Us” on-line as “When will we learn?” here by Fareed Zakaria.

Check out my other blogs about things to do with kids on https://mygrandmasue.wordpress.com by the author of the award-winning children’s book Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too!
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Wonder of Learning: Portland Children’s Museum and Red Tricycle Portland

February 4, 2012

Tomorrow, Feb 5, 2012 at 10 AM, the Portland Children’s Museum‘s newest traveling exhibit, The Wonder of Learning: The Hundred Languages of Children Exhibit from Reggio Emilia, Italy, will be open to the public. Those of you who know me well also know that I’m big on education and languages. This exhibit captured my interest immediately! Do click on the link to explore the thought behind the new, more museum-traditional (hands-off) type of exhibit, along with concepts, questions and answers.

“Exploring education through multi-media galleries that speak to how young children imagine, invent and create, this exhibit expands the potential to support creative thinking and collaboration in our schools and communities.”

Viewing The Wonder of Learning exhibit is included in your Museum admission price as well as all membership levels. Guests who ONLY wish to view The Wonder of Learning exhibit may do so free of charge by checking in with Guest Services. Guests who wish to visit The Wonder of Learning exhibit AND the rest of the Museum must purchase admission.

The Portland Children’s Museum newsletter also mentioned that they have partnered with Red Tricycle Portland to feature local giveaways, news, and family fun! Red Tricycle Portland is a great resource for those of you in the Portland, Oregon, area for fun activities to do with your children or grandchildren! Red Tricycle provides Portland parents with five fresh picks a week for fun things to see, eat, and do with your kids in your neighborhood. On the website you can sign up for a free email newsletter.

Red Tricycle also has pages for Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Check out my other blogs about things to do with kids on https://mygrandmasue.wordpress.com by the author of the award-winning children’s book Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too!
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