We asked the Khan Academy team to look back on the last 12 months and ask themselves: “What did I like about 2023?” What do I recommend? One of our values at Khan Academy is to embrace a growth mindset, and this shines through in all of the team’s responses. You won’t want to miss our new habits, our best tips, our best ideas, the best things we’ve read or watched, and much more.
Best Books and Movies We Came across in 2023
The dream machine book by Waldrop Mitchell
It’s an incredible book about the history of the creation and creation of the personal computer. It focuses on the story of many teams who worked on different ideas across the country and came together at different times to debate, learn and collaborate.
Vicki Zubovic, director of external affairs at Khan Acaedmy
Dune the film
Dune is one of the greatest science fiction books of all time. Over the years, many attempts have been made to make it into a film. I looked at the most recent Dune adaptation (released in 2021) and it’s awesome. It captures the book perfectly. This is the best movie I’ve watched in 2023.
Sal Khan, Founder and CEO of Khan Academy
The worlds I see book by Fei-Fei Li
This book does an incredible job weaving together Dr. Li’s story as an immigrant and her seminal work in AI research and development. Along with so many others in the education sector, we at Khan Academy have seen how huge advances in AI over the past year have had an impact on student learning. This book is a very accessible overview of how some of these technologies were developed.
Kristen DiCerbo, Khan Academy Chief Learning Officer
Weapons of the month of August book by Barbara W. Tuchman
The story repeats itself. While I read this Pulitzer Prize-winning book published 60 years ago about a war that took place over 100 years ago, I couldn’t help but see parallels with today. Tuchman skillfully shows how human ego, indecision and divisions result in a tragedy of epic proportions. It focuses on events that take place over just a few months and lead to a global conflict that lasted more than four years and left more than 20 million dead.
Bodgan Yamkovenko, head of the efficiency and research team at Khan Academy
You are a badass book by Jen Sincero
This book gave me the self-confidence to follow my goals and try new things without being afraid of what others think. It connects to almost everything. With the world changing thanks to AI, we must always be open to trying new things, even if it doesn’t give us the results we want.
Katie Roberts, Khan Academy Marketing Campaign Specialist
Best Learning Hacks We Discovered in 2023
When you’re learning Spanish, here’s what to watch/read/listen to to be at the forefront of your learning.
One piece of advice language learners always receive is to watch movies in the language they are learning. This is sound advice, but as a novice learner, I found it frustrating to watch films in Spanish and only be able to remember one or two words. Last year I discovered some amazing books, shows, and podcasts for Spanish learners of different levels. This will help you be on the cutting edge of learning – not so difficult that you get frustrated and give up, but not so easy that you get bored.
Stephanie Yamkovenko, Khan Academy Digital Marketing Team Lead
Start playing an instrument, get involved in music and play with others!
I had been learning to play bass guitar for a while, and in April I decided to start a band with a friend of mine. We were able to find others who were also looking to be part of a group. After eight months of practicing, we just played our first gig at a local concert hall, and it was amazing! Learning a musical instrument or listening to music has many benefits for your brain and your ability to learn. It’s also a great way to practice a growth mindset. In a group you really learn to work with others and practice your communication skills.
Lizzie R., Khan Academy Senior Community Giving Manager
Join a book club!
Not only is it important to stay proficient at consuming long-form content, but being part of a book club is also a great way to share the experience with friends and colleagues and broaden your understanding and appreciation of deeply developed ideas. Reading comprehension exposes levels of complexity and beauty and helps distinguish evidence from misdirection. Plus, it’s really good for your vocabulary and all that. Of course, the social aspect of participating in a book club allows you to expand and clarify your own thoughts as well as those of others.
Luke Smith, Engineering Manager, Learner Experience, Khan Academy
Best advice we received in 2023
Read a book of a new and unknown genre.
I read Stephen King’s books for the first time in 2023, and it has added so much fun and joy to my reading life! It’s harmless to try new books, explore new ideas, and spend five minutes listening to something on a new topic. And the reward is enormous!
Aviv Weiss, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Educators, Khan Academy
Start the day with a little movement.
Self-care starts the day off on the right track. Getting into the habit of stretching, exercising, or walking every morning gives me energy that not only helps me get through the day, but also wakes up my brain and allows me to sleep better at night .
Erica Coffey, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Khan Academy
Trust your instincts and find simplicity as a new parent.
I became a parent this year and I’ve definitely received a lot of advice. Some of these are useful, but they are often confusing or contradictory. I listened and Googled just about everything, but quickly realized that what worked for someone else might not work for me. Ultimately, the advice that was most helpful to me this year was simple: trust your instincts, listen to your body, get some fresh air, and find your favorite meal that’s easy to make.
Rachel Tilley, Head of Content Marketing at Khan Academy
Best Quotes We Came across in 2023
“People don’t rise to the level of their goals, they fall to the level of their systems.” James Clear, author of Atomic Habits
As an industrial and systems engineer who now works in human resources, I see the impact of the lack of systems needed to facilitate goal achievement. Many public school districts in the United States have poor systems that do not support equitable and effective learning and education. As an organization with a mission to provide free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere, I’m happy to see that we’re investing in our internal systems so that we can continue to make progress toward our big, audacious goal. I am encouraged by the adoption of Khanmigo by several school districts who plan to use this tool to improve their systems.
Regina Ross, Director of Human Resources at Khan Academy
“Some believe that only great power can contain evil, but that is not what I have discovered. It’s the small, everyday acts of ordinary people that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. -Gandalf, in The Hobbit
A classic quote but one that I believe applies more than ever in a world affected by climate change, increasing polarization and corporate manipulation. Education must change to meet the needs of real students living in the real world. A big part of that education should be teaching students that their voice matters and that they can work toward a better world, as well as teaching them the skills needed to make change.
Heather M., Senior Humanities Content Creator at Khan Academy
“Beauty is not just about beauty. Beauty is about becoming more rounded and more substantial. So I think beauty in this sense is about an emerging wholeness, a deeper sense of depth, and also a sort of homecoming for the enriched memory of your unfolding life. -John O’Donohue, Irish philosopher
I heard this quote in an interview on the podcast On being with Krista Tippett. The idea that I can enrich my future memories by learning to recognize the beauty of the present has stayed with me. Likewise, the more we delve into what we LEARN, the more depth and possibility we enrich our future memories. What a thought!
Hailey Dickson, Khan Academy Student Marketing Manager
