[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 17, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E22]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          KHAN ACADEMY PROJECT

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                           HON. CHAKA FATTAH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 17, 2012

  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw the attention of the 
House to the recent innovative vision developed by the Khan Academy, a 
non-profit educational organization. The organization's mission aims to 
decrease the disparity of educational resources, by using the internet 
as a tool to revolutionize the way we approach knowledge. In their 
attempt to mobilize a free, world-class education, they have compiled 
over 2,700 videos in the subjects of math, biology, chemistry, physics, 
history and art. The production of these videos is helping adults and 
children fill in gaps of knowledge they either forgot or never learned. 
I know that the Khan Academy recognizes the importance of technology in 
education and I commend them for their effort to develop creative 
strategies to help our children learn.
  Salman Khan is the founder and visionary of the Khan Academy project. 
After graduating from Massachusetts Institution of Technology, he 
pursued a career in finance and quit his job in 2009. While he assisted 
his cousin with the subject of mathematics, he designed tutorial videos 
and eventually published them online. He received a successful response 
from over 20,000 users, which ultimately led to his interest in 
crafting a media tool that would help revamp traditional classroom 
techniques. Currently, the Khan Academy receives about $2 million in 
support and continues to expand videos and programs. Most recently, the 
organization decided to make the material available in community 
colleges and charter schools in the United States.
  By recognizing the importance of technology in education, we have a 
responsibility to make sure that more people have access to the 
intemet. If we fail to pave the road for this access to pioneering 
technologies, we run the risk of furthering economic disparities and 
barriers to equal education. I encourage my colleagues to become 
familiar with the Khan Academy's website and use the fresh approaches 
in technology to elevate their knowledge about the world.

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