Khan/Koller Review

When exploring Khan Academy I was surprised at how many topics and age groups were covered. When looking at something I would use I clicked on the Chemistry and Biology tabs. These are two subjects I have never been strong at and have not taken since high school, so these seem like useful pages to get me prepared for when I take them in college. I would definitely use this in my classroom and tell my parents and students to reference the work on Khan Academy at home. This will get technology involved in my early education classroom and give us a fun activity besides writing on a chalkboard and a piece of paper.

Following some of the videos I noticed that when I watched some 1st grade math and examined some of the exercises they seem pretty easy to follow, although saying that as a college student with advanced math I may be a little biased. I do not think that online courses would be helpful for younger children. Yes young adults and older adults because online education is flexible, but children need the fun learning environment and activities, not just staring at a computer all day.
Coursera was harder for me to maneuver. Khan Academy had the information under certain tabs so I kind of had to go searching. I think the courses that look the most interesting to me was the personal development classes. These include career success, grammar lessons, and even managing lessons. These would probably not help me in my teaching career, but maybe as a role model and strong leader in my profession.

Although I could not find if Columbus State accepts Coursera transfer credits I did notice on the website that they are not listed in the institutions involved with Coursera. Coursera does not look challenging for the courses I have already taken. It looks as though it is slowly paced so the work is more laid out. I do not think it matters who is teaching the course, but how they are teaching it and getting the message across.

Finally, I do not think online courses are the wave of the future. I cannot be a teacher of other students if I am in front of a computer everyday not getting the field experience in my own classroom. Yes it is convenient, but I would have to work harder to receive my education with understanding and applying it on top of watching videos and answering questions.