Yes, I know, I already told you about MOOCs, and I’m probably boring you to death.
Fact is, my own MOOC curriculum is expanding fast, and I’m currently as busy as I was when I was studying for my degree – with two substantial differences.
First – I’m not paying a fortune in taxes.
Second – I’m studying quietly at home, basically improving my culture instead of watching old movies or silly TV shows on the telly.
And I can see a pattern emerging.
Right now, I’m following
- a writing course with the Open University
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a course on the history and structure of historical novels with the University of Virginia
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a course in Medieval magic with the University of Barcelona
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a course on the cultural impact of superheroes held by Stan Lee at the Smithsonian Institution
Not bad, for a first semester1.
later, I’ll be doing a course on underwater archaeology – but that’s in the future2.
Right now, I stand by my opinion – MOOCs are the best thing since sliced bread, and are an absolute Aladdin‘s Cave of informations, ideas and skills for anyone interested in writing.
And yes, I know, I keep harping about the joys of continued education – but really, to me this is the future (finally!) happening: I can study with the best, building my own curriculum based on my interests, and I can put my new skills to work doing something I love, writing.
It does not get any better than this.
- actually, this would be the first semester of my second year, the first having consisted of a course in Transmediatic Storytelling, a course on the history of British Colonialism and one on the history and archaelogy of Stonehenge. ↩
- I also enrolled in a course about the psychology of genius, but that was a favor I did for a friend, and I might drop out along the way. ↩
