Running head: Leaders in Technology

Leaders in Technology
Alia Alsulaim
Wright State University

Author Note:
This paper was prepared to EDT -700-01
Taught by Mrs. Marguerite Veres

Running head: Leaders in Technology

Progress is impossible without change, those who cannot change their mind cannot change anything
(George Bernard Show, 1859-1950). Education has gone through many changes through the ages until it become
necessary to use technology in our days. We call these days Digital Age while technology enters to all life aspect
even the education to get expression call Education with Technology. Education Technology means a complex,
integrated process, involving people, procedure ideas, devices and organization for analyzing problems and devising
implementing, evaluation and managing solution to those problems (AECT, 1997). Alan November and Salmon
Khan are faces of leaders in Education Technology. Alan November according to November learning website
(2014) is a senior partner and founder for November Learning, was the director for alternative high schools and has
a long experience as lecturer in a university. He wrote three books, which are Who Owns the Learning? Web
Literacy for Education and the third one is Empowering Students with Technology. Each summer Alan leads the
Building Learning Communities summer conference with world-class presenters and international participants. In
other hands, Salmon Khane is a founder for Khan Academy, which is a non-profit academy that provides more than
2500 learning videos in different subjects. He is a Bangladesh American educator and he had time, according to
khan academy website, to get his master degree in MIT & MBA from Harvard University. He wrote The One Word
Schoolhouse book which is- Washington Times report - present a simple thesis we learn better when we learn
actively and in our own space. Both leaders deserve to stop on their experience and learn from. The best way is to
compare and contrast between November and Khan in three aspects of teachers role, studentsrole in education
technology system and the method for their contribution.
One similarity between Mr. Khane and Mr. November is both of them have a deep belief for the teachers
role in the digital age. They believe that teachers in our time are more important and more effective than before.
Khane through his academy presents huge database videos that assist students to better comprehend math, science,
and art...etc., from basic issue to complex ones. He tries to encourage students in different levels to access online
lesson learning from the videos, they can repeat the lesson any time, and in the end, Khan academy gives them
feedback to know their mistakes and they can practice more until mastering it. It seems like teachers roll in first
glance, then we will ask, what the teacher will do? This is the point that Salmon in his You Tube with TED clarifies
that teachers do not have to do traditional lecture or traditional homework, however, they will have a database for
each students accomplishments. The teacher, by using technology, will define the weakness and the strength points
and then the teacher will give the students the project that fits their levels and interest. The teacher will focus on

Running head: Leaders in Technology

activities and results in for student more than just teaching. This is what is called the Flipped Classroom and Khan
provides wealthy materials to make it success. November agrees with Khan in teachers role when he said in his
TED Talk You Tube that the teacher is more important than ever because this is a change in the culture and ecology
of learning. Teachers in Novembers view have to shift the ownership of learning to the kids. One of Novembers
experiences, when he was teacher in high school, was deciding to teach programming, but when he started the
curriculum, he thought trying a new method would be better. This new method was making students look for
problems, then they with his assistance will figure out what programming will need to solve it. He believes that
when students feel they learn what they want to lean, then they will be more responsible for learning. He saw great
result in this idea that because one student made a database to help disabled people to know the organization that
gives them help. What was surprising him was that great job was offered to this student to fund production this
project. After that, November concludes that teachers have to direct and support what students want to learn more
than just teaching. Teachers have a big role in education with technology from Salmons and Novembers view.
Both of them call the teacher with all the technology around to be a director, supporter, and monitor more than
teaching as traditional ways in education system.
The One Word in Schoolhouse khans book contains the idea about student own space for learning.
Through designing videos in his academy, he designs for each kid own space. The student can choose what the
appropriate level is for him/her and start it. Videos give advice to the student and the student can hear it and follow it
better than listening to the teacher. Student can share, learn, and improve what they learn and when students talk to
each other, they will learn something new. This is the students role in Khans view, which is the same view for
Novembers. Who Owns the Learning is the title for one of Novembers books. In this book, like in his other
books and speech, he confirms if kids are given involvement in a community along with their schooling, that will
make meaning out of what they are learning in classes. They will like what they work and ask for more contribution.
November calls for kids to kids learning which means the student knows he/she will benefit for others, then the
contribution will increase and the student will ask the teacher for more work to do and share with other students. All
of above indicates the similarity between Khan and November about the students role in education system. When
the flow of desire to learn from the inside students and find their own environment to creative, then students will
take more responsibility for learning.

Running head: Leaders in Technology

Although both of them, Khan and November, are interested in education technology, however, the method
that they have done to accomplish their ideas are different. While Khan has created an active free website, like a
classroom, sharing learning videos with students, teachers and parents, November leads every summer conference
and did many meetings and YouTube videos to present his ideas. Khan like a teacher, while November like thinker,
spread his ideas. I registered in Khan academy website as a computer teacher to discover this world. It was
surprising me how easy and wealthy of information was it. Before few weeks, they sent me an e-mail inviting me to
the Hours of Code in December 6-8 and Im so excited to join them and learning from the academy. Khan assumes
to be nearest to school environment than November who cares to reach his ideas to leaders like administrators and
teachers in order to convince them to embrace the ideas. During my research about November in his website, other
articles and YouTube he talks to administrator in education, otherwise, Khan in his website deals with students,
teachers and parents directly and encourages them to start learning. This difference between November and Khan is
a positive in education. Both are great but each one has a phenomenal way to support the education.
Indeed, existence like this leaders on our world then embrace their ideas and quote from their experience is
inspiring. I as a teacher, Khan academy encouraged me to use flipped classroom especially when I know that Khan
academy supports most of the subjects in my curriculum. Also, November with his view about kids to kids learning
enthused me to create groups in my classroom to do collaborative work. Continuation development in technology is
essential in the education field where the educator learns new generation for new life and future. Khan and
November are great leaders and both of them believe in the great teachers role to support and guide the students.
Also Khan and November agree that students when they find freedom educational environment are going to be
creative and keep learning. Although they have different way to develop the education, but they have the same great
ideas and I learn a lot from them and I will keep looking for the new that they will do.

Running head: Leaders in Technology

5
Reference

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