We’ve been tracking Knowmia since it got underway over the summer. Co-founded by the creator of the Flip video camera, Knowmia has seen tremendous growth and you should start checking it out. Boasting more than 8,000 videos, the site offers video lessons by teachers to anyone.
The intended audience is high school students but that doesn’t mean they’re the only ones who can benefit from brushing up on Algebra, Biology, and other courses. In fact, I found many videos that are simply worth viewing in their own right, whether you’re a student or not.
How It Works
If you’re a teacher or want to at least help educate the young minds of the world, you can create a video lesson on Knowmia and then upload it. It’s like YouTube but with a laser-like focus on high school students. So, plan ahead. Don’t post a video lesson about learning your ABCs and 123s (although let’s be honest … who couldn’t use a quick review of that stuff too!) You can go here to upload your video lesson to Knowmia.
They also have an iPad app called Knowmia Teach that lets you easily create your own lessons and add them to Knowmia. Check that out here.
But there’s more to it than just uploading videos. Knowmia wants to help YOUR students in particular. They offer in-person workshops to, for example, help you flip your classroom. They also want you to focus on teaching your students and then just add your lesson to their pool of resources for others to benefit from.
In other words, they don’t want you to try and become the next Sal Khan.
They want you to be a better teacher for your students. YOUR students. I love it. In the world of mass-produced education (MOOCs), it’s easy to get sidetracked by the crazy numbers of students ‘reached’ by video lessons. I think Knowmia is on the right track by keeping the focus on your classroom and not trying to conquer the world.
Below are a handful of videos I thought would show you what some sample videos are like on Knowmia. Enjoy!
Please – on an site dedicated to high school learners, check the spelling. Devices, not devises….
Ha Ha – then I make the error “an” vs. “a”. Good grief…