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Alumni experiment with education at Khan Lab School

Alumni+experiment+with+education+at+Khan+Lab+School

While you were taking your semester exams, recent Taipei American School graduates Avery Wang (‘17) and Angela Chiang (‘17) have been finishing their first semester of internship at the world-renowned Khan Lab School, which is partnered with Khan Academy, an organization that provides free online education on a wide range of subjects.
KLS focuses on mastery through individual projects, students are sorted by how independent they are and not by age, and grades are not given. This lab school is essentially an experiment that is constantly being changed, and organizations and companies such as Google have promoted this model into the workplace.
Avery, a STEM intern, focuses on collecting and analyzing data about each student on the Khan Academy website as well as advising projects that students at KLS come up with. Avery explains a key difference between KLS and normal schools. He mentions that KLS focuses on mastery-based learning through projects and individual exploration rather than completing curricula, similar to a Montessori education. This allows student to become “fluent in global affairs and issues in society.” The projects students take on are called “studio projects,” which focus on interdisciplinary and social issues.
Using his strong STEM skill set, Avery created a project in which his students use linear programming and optimization to focus on international health. A full simulation with graphics, showing what happens when an outbreak occurs in a city. “They use math to model immigration and its impact on wages and factors of production,” says Avery, while commenting on how his knowledge on this topic should be attributed to Dr. Robert Bruce’s AP economics class at TAS. The purpose of studio projects is to create independent students who will design breathtaking projects that can change the world.
Not only does Avery help students on their studio projects, he also designs his own new STEM projects inspired by the math team, the International Genetically Engineered Machines team, and American Computer Science League at TAS. These projects allow Avery to learn more about technology, programming, data analysis, and other STEM related subjects.
However, Avery’s main takeaway from his internship at KLS is the interacting with the students.  He says, “Seeing how intrinsic motivation can bring out a student’s full potential is what I find inspiring and is a great model of education.”

The purpose of studio projects is to create independent students who will design breathtaking projects that can change the world.

Angela Chiang (‘17), on the other hand, works on the humanities side at Khan Lab School.
As she is passionate about education, KLS provides Angela with the perfect experience. Angela conferences with students on their progress on humanities projects by giving feedback and suggesting personalized interventions to help improve each students’ particular skills. Students also come to Angela when they are stuck or need to be challenged to further their research on their projects.
Not only does Angela guide students on their projects, she was able to create and lead a 45-minute seminar on essay structure and introduce herself to KLS founder Sal Khan. “This ongoing internship has solidified my passion for education and teaching,” says Angela. “With KLS at the frontier of education, having the power to influence schools worldwide, I can’t wait to bring the teaching skills to whichever educational institution I end up in.”
This internship has given Angela skills she plans to implement in her future career in education. More than that, she has also formed lasting relationships. Angela says that she and her colleagues often hang out after work. “It’s like we’re a big family,” she says. “Also, of course, I love my students. They are so sweet and hardworking.”

“With KLS at the frontier of education, having the power to influence schools worldwide, I can’t wait to bring the teaching skills to whichever educational institution I end up in.”

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