Learn Something New With These 11 Free Educational Sites
For many of us, staying at home 24/7 (if you are not an essential worker) has become a reality. While mindlessly surfing the internet or watching Netflix can be fun, it can lose its appeal after a while. Now is a great time to learn something new. If you are currently out of work due to the pandemic (or working from home), this could be an opportunity for a bit more free time to learn something new that you have longed to do but never had the time before. Many sites have always offered free learning. Others have added free courses to their catalog. Below are 11 online sites that provide learning opportunities. Please take advantage of them while you can. You never know when you will get the time to do so in the future.
Alison
Alison covers courses in the following nine areas: IT, Language, Science, Health, Humanities, Business, Math, Marketing, and Lifestyle. You can also choose courses that offer certificates (averaging 2-3 hours), diploma course (averaging 8-10 hours), and learning paths (averaging 18-20 hours). As an example, they offer classes for learning Spanish, German, Irish, French, Chinese, Arabic, Swedish, and Japanese.
Class Central Ivy League MOOCs
Class Central is a search engine and review site for free online courses popularly known as MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses. Do you want to learn about Artificial Intelligence or Thermodynamics, Class Central can help you find classes that are on other sites like Coursera, EdX or Udemy.
Coursera
While some of the programs do have a cost, Coursera has opened up many of its courses for free. As an example, there are free courses in the areas of communication and leadership, personal development, career advancement, and preparation for a career switch, among other topics. Check out the link below for all the free courses now available.
https://blog.coursera.org/coursera-together-free-online-learning-during-covid-19/
Duolingo
Want to learn a new language? Duolingo is a language-learning website, as well as a mobile app. Challenge yourself to learn one of 23 languages. You will get quizzed and can gauge your success.
Google Arts & Culture
If you would like to learn about art and architecture, this is the place for you. Learn about specific pictures or artists, cultural sites, or museums. Are you a Harry Potter fan? Find out more with Harry Potter: A History of Magic.
Instructables
Do you want to learn how to do a home project, craft, or learn a recipe? Instructables is a site with thousands of projects that you can do from home. An instructor will demonstrate the project and provide step-by-step instruction. Learn how to make a wall clock, learn about 3-D printing or bake bread among the many classes offered.
iTunes U
For those that own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, iTunes U has many free educational resources, including recorded lectures, videos, and books. Many universities have contributed to the vast array of knowledge, including Stanford, MIT, and Yale, as well as cultural institutions like the Smithsonian Libraries.
The app is available on the App Store.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy offers free courses in math, science, economics and finance, arts and humanities, computing, test prep, and college and careers. As an example, in the careers area, there are courses where you can explore starting a business or going freelance, or pursuing careers in areas such as tech or criminal justice.
Learn That
Learn That provides free tutorials on a variety of topics from business, personal finance, software, technology, and lifestyle. In the career section, there are short articles on a variety of areas like salary negotiation and interview body language.
Ted and TedEd
TED’s slogan is “ideas worth spreading.” TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, offers many short videos on a variety of topics. Currently, they are offering TED Connects Community and Hope with one hour talks about different aspects of the Coronavirus Pandemic at Noon ET. They also have TED-Ed@Home, which offers free daily lessons and activities for parents and students.
Udacity
Udacity highlights that it is a platform “...where lifelong learners come to learn the skills they need, to land the jobs they want, to build the lives they deserve.” They focus on technology with courses in artificial intelligence, data science, cloud computing, programming and development, autonomous systems, business, and careers. While Udacity is not free, they are offering a one-month trial membership.
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