Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Nerd.

I have many ideas of fun: singing karaoke, taking a dance class, watching an indie film, going to a concert or rave, or enjoying new foods.

But I also, really, really, enjoy learning. I don't just mean having someone lecture to me. I mean, being my own investigator and going on an organic learning journey where I start off with some questions about what I want to know, and seeing where it takes me.

There may not be as much depth as if a professor stood up and taught me, but every single thing I learn sticks because it was self-initiated and I pursued it. :)

Two really great learning sites I've been visiting have been the KhanAcademy.org and AcademicEarth.org.

*The Khan Academy is a collection or library of short videos created by one man, Sal Khan, explaining concepts from simple math to calculus, to the Bailout plan to brain teasers. It's a great way to enrich your day if you only have 15 minutes or so, and he explains things in a very easy to understand fashion. I love it.

*Academic Earth records lectures from many prestigious universities around the US such as Yale, Harvard, and Stanford. There's topics from physics to psychology. The great thing about this site is being able to pick any subject and the corresponding lecture sub-topic you wish. Also, if you want to pause or rewatch, you can always revisit these lectures which were once a privilege for those who could attend these university and actually go to class. :P Now you can be anyone, any age, with an internet connection and you can "attend Yale." :) Pretty cool.

I'm a big believer in the spreading of information like Wikipedia and public libraries. :)

One night I fell asleep while listening to a lecture on the psychology of intimacy. I stayed awake for too long that day, but I was compelled to absorb more and more. This is why I love school and I think everyone should be grateful for it.

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