Tuesday 28 August 2012

Back to School



Welcome back! I hope you all had a nice long holiday weekend. We celebrated the August bank holiday here in the UK, and Labor Day is just around the corner for America. Both holidays signify the end of summer break, and that can only mean one thing.... back to school. 

I don't have kids yet, so I could choose to ignore this time of year all together. But my love for the back-to-school season actually has me jealous of all those kiddos! I love it! New coloured pencils, all the same height. Textbooks freshly covered with paper bags from the market. Even a new book bag, if you're lucky enough. 

Despite going full-time at work this week, I signed up for two online courses just so that I could go "back to school" too! The first course is through this really amazing website called Coursera. Known as higher education that overcomes the boundaries of geography, time and money, it offers a smattering of classes online that completely free and taught by world-renowned professors. I started an Introduction to Sustainability course today, and I'm hoping that it complements my work as a Corporate Social Responsibility practitioner. Depending on the weight of the coursework, I'll be starting A History of the World next month - a class that my dad in Texas has promised to "attend" with me!

Now, I tried to sign up for a spinning (as in wool) class at my local adult education centre, but the classes filled up really quickly! So I opted for a much more convenient and much less expensive way to learn the craft - through Craftsy. I took a free Know Your Wools class last week, and enjoyed it so much, that I have now paid for Spindling: From Fluff to Stuff. I'll post a thorough review soon. 

If you happen to catch the back-to-school buzz too, then I highly recommend you check out these courses. They're convenient and inexpensive, if not free. You're never too old to learn something new. And please do share your recommendations for more online learning (craft-related or otherwise) in the comment box below!

6 comments:

  1. How funny! I just started silkscreening again today for the first time in years! I've hacked some Pottery Barn curtains I found at a local thrift store and have hemmed them shorter and am silkscreening herbal botanical prints (from the 16th century!) on the bottom of them. I'll send you photos when I'm done. Jealous of your classes - they sound lovely. Congrats on going full time by the way.

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  2. Yes, please do send pics of the curtains you make! Maybe I'll hit you up for a silkscreening tutorial on the blog sometime - maybe a collaborative series!

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  3. Sounds lovely! I realized later that it was a bit odd that I said "How funny" and proceeded to talk about myself (-: however, I meant I was also in the process of learning as I was having to reteach myself a technique I hadn't done in years and years.

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  4. I'm a Craftsy course fan too. I must check out Coursera, thanks for the link :D

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  5. Wow Coursera ... I'm spoilt for choice!

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    1. It is a learners paradise. Hope you find a class you like Annie!

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