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Introduction to Khan Academy:

Khan Academy is a non-profit organization in the form of a website. Created in 2006 by Salman Khan, this company is dedicated to the creation of an entirely free and versatile online learning environment. Funded by both benefactors hoping to help the world and by those who wish to donate, Khan Academy has delivered millions of lessons to millions of people throughout the world.


History:
Khan Academy was created in 2006 when Salman Khan was asked to tutor a cousin of his over the internet. Using his three degrees from MIT, his MBA from Harvard, and hand-drawn depictions of the various topics being taught, Khan made short videos highlighting various topics. With his list of viewers increasing beyond a few relatives, Khan published his videos on YouTube to be viewed publicly. Shortly after, the success of these videos encouraged Khan to leave his current employment and devote more time to assisting others with learning through his videos. In 2009 he officially developed the company under the name Khan Academy. Since Khan Academy’s creation, the organization has expanded from a single man creating tutoring tutorials to an 80-person business trying to change the world. Though the organization itself is not for profit, development requires a great deal of funding. Most of Khan Academy's funding comes from philanthropic organizations in the market for education progression. A large amount of Khan Academy's funding comes from charitable foundations established by Bill Gates, who discovered this website when looking for education programs for his son.


Content:
Primarily established as a free online service, Khan Academy is devoted to helping others learn. With personalized learning dashboards and step-by-step tutorials, there are many different services that are offered, though the entire program is centered around short, informative videos. The videos depict information being written upon a blackboard while a narrator gives insight into the written pieces of information.

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With topics such as math, physics, history and art, there is a lesson on most anything and for most anyone. The levels of these personalized modules also ranges from Kindergarten to collegiate test preparation courses.

Khan Academy's Mission:
The basic mission statement for Khan Academy is, "Our mission is to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Khan Academy has worked to expand the capabilities of their education to expand both the depth and quality of the information provided, as well as outreach to other languages. Originally only offered in the English language, Khan Academy has expanded over the years to include over 36 languages with courses offered to various countries on multiple continents. Khan Academy also states that their education will always be free, with no adds or subscriptions required for anyone, utilizing a team of volunteers and donations to support themselves as a not-for-profit organization.



Future Changes:
Through Khan Academy’s 11 year existence, the primary focus has been versatile, online learning. Yet, a shift is being looked at for the future. A concentrated increase has been applied to the physical aspect of this program. With the development of tools for physical learning, a look to the classroom can be seen. Not only is a personalized learning dashboard available for the student, teachers now have the ability to view a coaching dashboard designed to show strengths and weaknesses within their students. Khan Academy is also working towards the prospect of physical certificates stating certain achievements. These certificates signify the possibility of a full education through this free online system. Rather than paying thousands of dollars, a free formal education may soon be on the horizon. Additionally, along with this view towards classroom applications, a Lab School was opened in 2015. Established in the middle of Silicon Valley, Khan Academy has started changing the way schooling is completed.




REFERENCES:


"Khan Academy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 July 2017. Web. 10 July 2017.

"Our Mission Is to Provide a Free, World‑class Education for Anyone, Anywhere." Khan Academy. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 July 2017.

Rouse, Margaret. "What Is Khan Academy? - Definition from WhatIs.com." WhatIs.com. N.p., Nov. 2016. Web. 10 July 2017.


Westervelt, Eric. "'A Bit Of A Montessori 2.0': Khan Academy Opens A Lab School." NPR. NPR, 05 Jan. 2016. Web. 22 July 2017.