Learn some stuff! For Free!
There are so many resources available for learning these days that it’s hard to keep track of it all, or to find the things that are actually worth doing. So I decided to make a list of some of my favorites:
- Code Academy: Using Code Academy, you can learn a little JavaScript, HTML/CSS, jQuery, Ruby, Python and PHP. There are also projects for the web and integrating with APIs so you can hook into YouTube and Twitter.
- Duolingo.com: Learn a real language, like Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese or French at this site, which has digestible chunks of lessons that you can use to get ready for that next work or personal trip, or just to make sure you continue to know more of a foreign language than your kid does when they come home from school.
- Learn Code the Hard Way: Free books? Learn to write Python, Ruby, C, SQL and even some regular expressions!
- Rails for Zombies: Learn Rails as a game. A nice, fresh approach to programming. You should know a little Ruby first, so check out tryruby.org or Learn Ruby the Hard Way first.
- Ted Talks: I didn’t really get these until I started to watch them. There’s over 1,600 Ted talks and counting. Want to learn about leadership, work-life balance, conducting an orchestra or how to motivate, this is your place. It’s a wealth of information from some very amazing people and what I now consider to be one of the best treasures online.
- Nike Training Club: Actually, the whole Nike experience, from Nike+ (Running, FuelBand, Kinect) to the skating app are awesome. But the Nike Training Club sports a collection of videos and workouts that are sure to push even the most fit to their limits.
- Make Games With Us: Learning programming doesn’t have to be boring. This site looks at building iPhone games.
- Stanford on iTunes: A lot of universities and other institutions have put a lot of content on iTunes U. But the quality of some of the Stanford lectures is IMHO) amongst the best! Check out what they have to offer, and search iTunes U for any other topic your heart may desire.
