Khan Academy pilot set for Ammon School

More than 10,000 kindergarten through 12th grade students across Idaho will be part of the first statewide pilot at Khan Academy.

It’s a free, online site that creates educational videos for students.

Hillcrest High School in Ammon is one of 47 schools that will be participating in the pilot program. Khan Academy is a not-for-profit educational organization started by Salman Khan in 2008.

Khan creates online teaching videos with subjects such as math, finance, history and art.

One English teacher from Hillcrest says they will turn classrooms into flip classrooms when using this program.

“The students listen to the lecture at home, then they come to the classroom and do their homework and ask the questions in the actual classroom where they can get help from the teacher,” said Ashley Clawson.

But what are the benefits?

“As students have gone through their education they have gotten bits and pieces, but there are holes in their knowledge, but Khan Academy can help fill those holes because a teacher does not have time to teach every single student everything they need to know,” said Clawson.

Teachers can also use real-time data to figure out how to fill gaps and challenge students at multiple levels.

“I can see the exercises they have completed and what they still need to do. Proficient is blue, review is the salmon color and the bright red means they’re struggling.” Representatives from the Khan academy will visit Hillcrest High School to see how students and teachers are adapting to the program.

The pilot program starts this fall for Hillcrest.

Schools in Idaho received $1.5 million for this program from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation.