Is there a contact person there who can work with us to answer this and other questions like:
Would Kahn Academy be a good fit as the curriculum support for a group of adult English Language learners?'
If so, do you have a screening test or pretest to determine where to begin each student?
How would we begin? Set-up.
Hi Rebecca! My name is Megan G and I worked with Khan Academy as an Ambassador. I teach middle school math to English Learners in Chicago too. Are you wondering if Khan can be used to support adult ESL classes towards the hope of eventually taking a TOEFL exam? Currently, Khan Academy offers adaptive screening in mathematics, but hopes to branch out into other academic areas soon. You could use the US History to supplement and support a curriculum that would be addressing newcomers to the United States, but there is not pre-test to determine English Language Proficiency. Please let me know if you have any other questions and if I could be of more help.
Megan, I would like to tell you just a bit about a project I have become involved in with my local church congregation. We are working with a group of people who were political refugees from Thailand. We are helping the families in many ways. One way is to help them become literate. We have started a "school" with a goal to help them gain a GED. (high school diploma) So they can gain better employment as they support their families.
We have a Literacy component to our school. It is a comprehensive program that will start at pre-K level all the way up to reading on a level with the skills needed to take and pass the GED test. We are looking to secure something similar for math. We found a program called IXL, however it would cost us quite a chunk of money for the program and for teacher training. We simply do not have funds.
We like the price tag of Kahn Academy, and I've looked at the program, think it would work well for our "students."
Just for your information. I am a soon to be retired Utah teacher of 31 years and my colleague that I am working with to create this "school" IS a retired teacher and a lifelong friend and neighbor.
I am not sure what a TOEFL exam is, can you clarify that for me?
So my question is this, in order for our school director to get a license for GED testing, she needs to present to the curriculum program we will be using for literacy and math. As I stated earlier, we have our literacy program. Who at Kahn Academy would be able to give us feedback about this question?
Rebecca,
The TOEFL test is the most widely respected English-language test in the world. TOEFL scores are required for admission to colleges and some GED programs depending on your state. You have a more specific vision for your program, so I think it is best to get the Khan Academy team to clarify.
I am passing along your inquiry to the Khan Academy staff to provide you with a more complete response. Thank you for your patience regarding this matter!
I also am working with some refugee artisans and want to also help them improve their english. Most are stay at home moms and khan would be perfect. They will not get other class room time and will be isolated for years to come unless we can get them learning past the very basics of English. Most esl programs online do not offer the possibility of setting up a class or the possibility to keep track of their progress. Please help do a basic English and intermediate English course. So many here in America and around the world would LOVE it!
Please sign in to leave a comment.