23 Sunday Aug 2020
Posted in Spread Your Wings
Tags
Adventure, challenge, change of pace, Do Something Different, documentary, Learn something, Spread Your Wings, Weekly
Challenge: Watch one documentary this week to learn something new. I posted about The Bit Player yesterday in my Bonus Content.
In the comments, leave a message about the documentary (short) and what you learned.
Have a great week, everybody!
Until next time…
Dave
20 Thursday Aug 2020
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Today, I’m thankful for online learning. Not only is online learning inexpensive or even free, it provides me a way to continue learning throughout my life. My tastes change from time-to-time, and it’s nice to be able to find anything I want, whenever I want.
If learning new things interests you, here are a few, I recommend:
I realize that some may be on a tight budget, particularly now if you are unemployed because of COVID-19. If that’s the case, stick with free online tutorials and YouTube, which are all free. I recommend university lectures, since the information you are learning comes from accredited institutions, like Harvard, MIT, Yale, etc.
Some of my previous recommendations like Coursera and EdX are no longer on my list of recommended sources. Coursera is free, but requires interaction between you and other students. If no one in your class responds to your postings, you don’t get credit until they do. I’m also not a huge fan of deadlines. I’m learning to learn, not earn a degree. Coursera operates like a traditional college in this respect. EdX turned me off with their ID certification process and their lack of dependable IT support. I tried to take an Algebra course on EdX and I either could not log onto the site some days or there was some other unpredictable glitch that no one would respond to within a reasonable amount of time. Avoid Coursera or EdX if either of these issues troubles you.
I love to write, read, and learn. Learning is something I include in my daily schedule. I am very pleased with Study.com. It has a terrific interface and is reasonably priced. It requires a monthly fee of $39, but the service you get is amazing. I opted for the $59 per month option, but again, if your budget doesn’t allow for any expenses for this kind of thing, you can find some terrific stuff on YouTube. Jordan Peterson’s lecture series on Personality and his Maps of Meaning course are awesome! Even if you are not a Jordan Peterson fan politically, he is a brilliant mind and both courses do not reflect his political views. Like anything, obviously, a course is a matter of choice and need. I have also watched Harvard lectures on WWII, Yale lectures on happiness, and MIT lectures on Python and artificial intelligence. All of them are highly informative.
Learning is something that anyone should aspire to, even if you’ve been out of school for a while. Lectures don’t come with graded assignments, they literally just teach you. It is terrific. As a person with a father who is afflicted with dementia, I want to do everything I can physically and mentally to avoid the same fate, if possible.
On another note, I purchased a year’s subscription to Curiosity.com. This is a great site for documentaries and only costs $20 a year. If you are a fan of getting pizza delivered, sacrificing one pizza for an entire year of learning is worth it in my opinion. You can watch documentaries on space exploration, anthropology, history, climate change, and many other topics I find to be absolutely fascinating.
So today, I’m grateful for all the services that are available online to teach us something new. Thank you Study.com, Curiosity.com, Masterclass.com, Udemy.com, YouTube.com, and Codecademy.com. You stretch me each day and make me a better, more learned individual.
Have a great Thursday, folks!
Until next time…
Dave
22 Sunday Mar 2020
Posted in Spread Your Wings, Uncategorized
Tags
Connect, Coursera, Duo, Facebook messenger, FaceTime, family, Friends, Learn something, Separated, Skype, Take a course
Here’s your weekly challenge:
Challenge:
Take a free course on Coursera
There are a ton of courses on this site that should interest anyone. Get in there and take a course. You’re hunkered down in your home. Why not?
Alternate challenge:
Use a video chat app, like Skype, Google Duo, FaceTime, or Facebook Messenger to connect with family who are separate from you. It make take a bit getting coordinated with the other person, particularly if they are not that great with technology, but it’s a great way to stay in touch with people and it’s fun!
Stay safe, stay informed, and stay calm.
Until next time…
Dave
09 Tuesday Oct 2018
Posted in Ted Talk
Tags
Better Conversations, Celeste Headlee, Communication, Learn something, Listening to Understand, Prepare to be Amazed
Today’s Ted Talk is by Celeste Headlee. She is a radio host on NPR. She provides some terrific insights into communication. I think you’ll find this interesting and hope, like me, you are just as motivated to improve your communication skills.
As always, I hope you enjoy this week’s Ted Talk. Have a great Tuesday!
Until next time…
Dave
