One aspect of education I'm a big fan of is the idea of inquiry-based learning. Moreover, it's the idea that learning material is more than being talked to and remembering facts. It's also about creating your own questions, getting hands-on experience in exploring different solutions, and learning from not only your teacher, but also your peers.

STEMedia, a project and possible mSchool course, is built on this idea. But it turns out there is a nonprofit that is already embracing the idea of "kids teaching kids".

The Upside Down Academy is a nonprofit that is creating short, easily made education videos in order to teach kids, particularly in math and logic. But its not the teachers or mentors who make the videos; the students do (once they master the material)! This help students understand math by giving it a purpose, and if a student is able to explain a topic to someone else, it probably means they know the material in their own right. But the benefits are not just for the students, but the teachers as well. The more of these student-generated videos that are produced, the more teachers can understand how kids are understanding the subject matter, and consequently alter their teaching styles and pedagogy.

While this has only been attempted in one real classroom setting, The Envision Academy of Arts and Technology in Oakland, California, some of the student testimonials were very positive. I'll be curious to see if more is done with the Upside Down Academy, or if we can incorporate any of their successful elements into STEMedia.