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Khan Academy Blog
Behind the Scenes of the 60 Minutes Story about Khan Academy, Including a Demo of Khanmigo Writing Coach
posted on December 9, 2024
Khan Academy feels honored to be featured on CBS’s 60 Minutes ! This experience allowed us to share our vision for education and show how artificial intelligence can empower learners and teachers alike.
Featuring footage from our offices and of classrooms in School City of Hobart, an Indiana partner district and Khan Lab School, we think the segment captured the heart of what we do: drive learning for students around the world.
Watch the episode on Youtube or on CBS .
Some of our learners, parents, teachers, and donors still reach out to us about the first time we were on 60 Minutes 12 years ago! Get a glimpse of a much younger version of the team . We’re excited to be featured once again by the most-watched news program.
Significant preparation went into the filming, culminating in several whirlwind days that highlighted the humanity behind the work.
Bringing the Khan Academy story to life on 60 Minutes
We learned that producing a segment for 60 Minutes is no small feat. The producers put months of planning into this single story. “It was truly eye-opening to see the amount of planning and preparation required to produce a single timed piece,” says Christy Chappell, a district success manager at Khan Academy. At Hobart High School, she explains, “there were numerous phases of questions and background work, and the filming locations were completely transformed to ensure every shot was high quality.”
Despite the buzz of production, Anderson Cooper’s grounded approach stood out to everyone involved. “He introduced himself to everyone,” says Victoria Cheng, another district success manager. “During the group photo with Sal and Anderson, I saw him turn to a student, introduce himself, and shake hands. That warmth made the day even more special.”
Rachel Anderson, a professional learning specialist at Khan Academy, recalls how Cooper made the students feel at ease. “While the crew buzzed around fixing lighting and makeup, he casually sat with the teenagers, getting them to open up about their lives, interests, and plans for the future. It was incredible to witness,” she says.
While technology took center stage, the 60 Minutes story also featured the educators and students who inspire Khan Academy’s work. “Afterward, one of the teachers told me how happy she was that the focus was on the students,” says Cheng. “She truly wants them to shine, and it was a wonderful reminder of how grateful I am to work with such amazing educators.”
These behind-the-scenes moments reflect the power of Khan Academy District Partnerships—empowered educators with world-class tools making meaningful connections with their students that foster learning and understanding. Learn about how a District Partnership can unlock personal support for every student .
Khanmigo Writing Coach demo on 60 Minutes
To plan for the demo of Khanmigo Writing Coach, the Literacy team at Khan Academy worked closely with the 60 Minutes producers to tell the story of why and how Writing Coach was developed. Our team’s goal was to illustrate how it can help both students and teachers with the process of essay writing.
The team brainstormed an unlikely possibility: demoing the tool with one of Cooper’s own middle school essays. “Luckily, he happened to have one saved that he wrote as an 11-year-old about his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt,” says Sarah Robertson, principal product manager for Literacy and Classroom Experience.
Robertson says Cooper’s essay was a pretty typical representation of the adolescent writing she’s become so familiar with from her own time teaching 7th-grade English. “He struggled with things like organization of ideas, clarity of language, and comma use—and when it came time for the Writing Coach demo, Khanmigo’s feedback and guidance nailed it,” she says.
One of the most common challenges of teaching writing in the age of AI is helping students understand the importance of academic integrity and discouraging them from using AI tools to do the writing for them. Cooper even tested what happens when a student tries to cheat by attempting to pass off ChatGPT’s writing as their own. “I was able to show him what happens from the teacher’s perspective,” Robertson explains, highlighting how Khanmigo helps educators address these challenges while fostering better writing skills.
Teachers can unlock free writing help
Thanks to our partnership with Microsoft, we’re thrilled to announce that Khanmigo Writing Coach will be available to teachers and their students for free in the coming months. Join the waitlist today to be among the first people to try it!
We think the episode demonstrated that tools like Khanmigo aren’t about writing shortcuts—they’re about building meaningful writing skills.
Join our journey
Education is a human right, and tools like Khanmigo wouldn’t exist without the support of people like you. As a nonprofit, we rely on the generosity of our donors. Consider helping us reach more students in classrooms by donating today .
Teachers, get early access to Khanmigo Writing Coach. Join the waitlist.
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