The following article is a shortened version of a post that can be found here.

Before the eduJAM! conference I went on a few tours of schools in Uruguay that are using the XOs in the classroom. After those tours, I came to the conclusion that there are 4 core challenges that OLPC is currently facing.

A. The kids aren't receiving the educational basics.

B. There is insufficient motivation into exploratory learning.

C. A blind eye is turned toward impending evaluation and testing.

D. Teachers and developers have big problems communicating.

These are serious problems, and if they don't get solved then OLPC and the XO are going to flop and they're going to flop hard.

A Match Made in Heaven

Fortunately, there is hope. And that hope is called The Khan Academy. The site hosts over 2,000 educational videos, from basic math, to organic chemistry, to economics and the French Revolution. There are even videos on subjects such as entrepreneurship. In addition, it has really good exercises and a reward system for math problems.

So how does Khan Academy help overcome the challenges currently facing OLPC?

A. In terms of The Basics

Khan Academy covers almost every basic academic subject in its videos. In addition, it has one hundred sets of math exercises. OLPC could either use the exercises from the website or rewrite the programs to make them work offline in Sugar. Problem Solved.

B. In terms of Motivation into Exploratory Learning

In an ideal world, kids would pick up the laptops and go to town on all the amazing programs available on the XO. But that just isn't how it works, because there is more immediate gratification to be found in simple games and Facebook. You and I know that exploring the world of science, art, math, and literature is much more satisfying than whatever instant satisfaction Facebook or (non-educational) online games can provide. But kids don't yet, so we need to get our hooks in first. Khan Academy does this through a system based on gaming, with badges and rewards, just like Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network. Problem Solved.

C. In terms of the Impending Evaluation and Testing

Testing is already built into the Khan System, so teachers and students can track their own progress. The system is measured whenever it is employed in a new school, and the statistics show that it WORKS. Problem Solved.

D. In terms of the Teacher/Developer Communication Dilemma

I was talking to Bert Freudenberg the other day about developing video tutorials for eToys, and he said there would need to be about 100 to give a complete tutorial of the program. Imagine if Khan Academy could help us pull those videos together. With video tutorials, developers and teachers wouldn't have to communicate at all! I'm sure this a big relief for both parties. Problem Solved.

So my basic point is this: All of these problems I've heard about have been solved, and solved well. OLPC + Khan Academy is the best solution we have in terms of executing a grand-scale education revolution. Connectivity, hard disk space, and translations are certainly challenges, but they are without a doubt challenges that can be overcome with time and effort.

Sam Seidenberg graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Intelligence Analysis. After doing some research he decided that rather than work for a government intelligence organization he would apply the skills gained in his education to more beneficial projects such as OLPC.