A few months ago I applied to be an ambassador of Khan Academy, which primarily means that I have an interest and willingness to help others learn more about using Khan Academy resources in their classrooms. This isn't a paid position, and I have no preconceived expectations that I will eventually earn trips to exotic destinations through my efforts.
According to the information, I will get an opportunity to gain professional development for my students, potentially have an impact on future improvements or revisions, and get early looks at new developments. Plus, I will hopefully gain some networking opportunities to steal from the minds of other educators in their classrooms. For me perhaps, that is what I see as the biggest benefit. There are so many teachers worldwide that are doing amazing things in their classrooms, and being able to tap into that network will be valuable.
I myself am fairly new to Khan Academy...I think perhaps I'm in my fourth year of using the resource with my students. At Rockridge, our English Department made the decision to incorporate the grammar units into our English I, II, and III levels. I also am using the SAT prep resources with my students at the 11th grade level to help them prepare to do their best with the SAT.
There is a kick-off event on Thursday, which I will miss due to a scheduling conflict, and there is a 60-minute course over the summer as well. Prior to accepting the role, I did try to reach out to a couple of English teachers that were group members on Facebook, and the feedback I received was positive. I had also asked my building principal to review the information to see if she recognized any red flags. Since everything appeared to be "green", I've decided to try it out.
I will keep you updated on my progress and efforts!
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