A major model in education is an instructional method called direct instruction, or as Salman Khan put it [in the article “Reboot the School”], “Teachers … stand at the front of the class and pontificate.” In fact, student-centered models based on constructivist practice have dominated EC–12 public education for decades. Such a model puts the student at the center of education. Usually, there is an interaction component between student and teacher, and student and student.
It is naive to believe that any currently available technology alone will “fix” education. From the article, it does not seem that Mr. Khan is doing anything new or different, but he certainly seems to have a high opinion of himself. Technology is a tool — one that can assist the gifted, committed and effective teacher — but also one that can mask the ineffectiveness of the low-efficacy teacher.
Mr. Khan needs to learn a little bit about classrooms and teachers. For now, he appears to be an effective tutor with an awful lot of soft money.
Maria Elena Reyes, Edinburg, Texas