The internet is an amazing place. There is almost nothing you can't find on it. For those of us who like to continue learning, or are helping our kids, or just need to brush up on certain subjects, the internet is a treasure trove of resources.
You've probably heard of Khan Academy, the amazing, free online home of 5,500 instructional videos and 100,000 practice questions covering math, biology, physics, chemistry, economics, finance, American civics, art history and other subjects. Khan Academy has an amazing 10 MILLION students using its programs each month. And while Khan Academy is awesome, there are other, equally good programs that are also available.
Coursera is an online learning platform that offers university-level classes from some of the world's most prestigious schools. You can take the classes for free, or earn a certificate for a small cost. A random selection of classes includes Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life, Introduction to Guitar, and Introduction to Mathematical Philos0phy. I was first introduced to Coursera because of its Introduction to Finance class taught by Gautam Kaul - it's a sensation!
You might also check out the Open Education Database free course offerings. Be warned - this site has lots of ways to get you hooked up with schools that want you to enroll in their non-free classes. You're not going to get scammed, but you might waste some time avoiding the for-profit links. If you can avoid these, you can find a relatively comprehensive list of online classes that are free. Use the Open Courses tab, and then search in the box in the middle of the page.
I could literally write all day about the offerings available from various sites, but do a quick internet search of "free online courses" and the subject you want to discover the many offerings out there.
These tools are great for a wide variety of needs. Homeschool parents can use them build a curriculum, or brush up on things that they are teaching their children. High school and college students can use these videos to supplement their current coursework - sometimes having a different person explain the concept is all you need to figure out a tough section. Workers can use these classes to improve their skills. And anyone can benefit from additional learning, especially when it is free!
I hope you'll join me in exploring all these super services on the internet. I'm signed up for that Introduction to Finance course beginning in June. Let me know if you want to do it together!
