According to Sal Khan’s podcast with WBEZ Chicago on May 20, 2021, education lever is an under levered lever in our society, metaphorically means education is not being leveraged as much as it could be. The podcast highlighted the big difference between depression model of learning (traditional model) and Sal Khan’s model of learning. In the depression or traditional model, it doesn’t matter whether you master a specific lesson or not; you move to the next stage with your age group, causing the learning gap to widen, whereas Khan’s model “ uses  21^st century technology so students can take the lectures at their own pace, on their own time, and then come together in a school classroom that is lecture free and very social”.

    Upon listening to the podcast, I was struck by the depth of discussion on Sal Khan’s ideas about personalized learning, especially his mission to accelerate learning for students of all ages. One of the most important points was the discussion on how technology can revolutionize education. The topic discussed challenged my previous understanding of online learning and made me reconsider my stance on this. I acknowledge Khan’s belief that augmenting traditional classroom education with the technology being offered by Khan Academy can improve the effectiveness of teachers by giving them more time for instruction specific to individual students’ necessity.

    I experienced a blend of optimism and concern. Optimism is due to technology’s potential to revolutionize education, making it more accessible and effective. Concern arose from digital divide that still exists, where unequal access to educational resources remains a big issue. This podcast was eye-opening and highlighted the transformative power of technology in education. It reinforces the need for a collective effort to bridge the digital divide and ensure all students benefit from these advancements.