Sal Khan's Visit to Denver

Friday night was the opportunity to hear from Sal Kahn about how and why Kahn Academy started and how it has expanded to fill an educational void.  Held at Denver University there was a large crowd of admirers, people new to what he had to offer, and what might be thought of as groupies.  The thing that stood out for me is that there was a wide array of people; the demographics were from very young in elementary school to gray haired like me.  Some were users of the sources that he provided, others were just seeking to understand why and how such an institution has evolved and what void is being filled.  For me it seems so fortuitous that participating in this event came right after I read of Harvard and MIT offering free classes Online with the ability to gain certificates!  Will Badges and Certificates from institutions take the place of degrees?  What will education look like in 2022?  The one thing that I am very confident in is that a new era about learning is on the brink and while there is great resistance by those who benefit from the status quo; there is growing cadre of people who value learning and believe that to level a playing field it must be at the determination of the individual.  It is time for students, families, and learning individuals to take control of the speed and experience of learning and through the vehicles like Kahn Academy this revolution is being fueled. 

Written by Judith Stokes, President of CCA