My Top Seven Skillshare Classes

Have you ever just wanted to learn a specific skill like how to make you doodles into works of art, how to cook meatballs or how to design your own habits? Then look no further than Skillshare.

Skillshare is a platform that like it says in the names allows teachers for all over the world to share their skills from.This week I will be talking about the top seven skillshare classes that will get you learning a wide range of skills that can help you daily.

1. The first class that I absolutely love Digital Illustration: Doodles to Design. This class teaches you how to take your doodles and make them into cool works of art. The instructor is Jon Burgerman an award winning illustrator based out of New York. I highly recommend this class because of the way it brings out your inner child through creating doodles and then teaches you how to make them into works of art.

After You are done creating your works of art. The second class from Skillshare that you should take is Get Stuff Done Like a Boss- Design Your Workflow and Double Your Productivity in 21 Days. This class is all about learning how to be more productive through developing cornerstone habits. The instructor is Tiago Forte and he is really good at breaking down the ways you can things done through developing habits and introducing different tools in order to be more productive. I highly recommend this course.

After you have gotten things done the next step you might be a little hungry so the next skillshare class that I recommend is Show Us Your Balls: Meatball Making with the Meatball Shop. This  class is all about creating your own meatball inspired dish. The instructor is super chef Daniel Holzman and he goes through the entire process of creating your own sauce and the meatballs of course. He gives many valuable tips on how to get creative with meatballs. I highly recommend this course for anyone looking to spice up their meals.

After you have filled your belly with those delicious meatballs you have just made, you might be in the mood to play some video games. Because of this, I recommend Make Games From Scratch: Getting Started With Unity this class teaches you how to create your own video game using the Unity platform. And the best part is, that it involves zero coding. The instructor is Brandon Wu, and he goes through the entire process of making a building your own virtual world. So If you have ever wanted to make your own video game this class is definitely for you.

Last but not and this is my favorite Skillshare that I have ever taken and its called Hey, Cool Shirt: Designing Effective T-Shirt Graphics this class is taught Chris Delorenzo of the awesome clothing company Johnny Cupcakes. I love this class because it takes you through the entire process of designing your own bad ass t-shirt. I highly recommend this class because not only does it help with design but it shows you technical things related to t shirt designs and also how to effectively brand something. I highly recommend taking this class. So, what’s you  favorite skillshare classes?

Yours in Awesome Learning,

Janeille

The Best MOOC’s To Take That Will Prepare You For College

Preparing for college is tough, there is the making friends and if you are living on campus, living with people you don’t know, not to mention the coursework, it can be downright overwhelming I know I felt that way.

Now what if I told you that there are some seriously great MOOC’s that will help you be better prepared for college academically. These classes will you help you to learn how to learn so that you have enough time to party while getting great grades. I think that college is a lot easier if you know how to play the game so that is why I want share with you five MOOC’s that will help you to crush college.

The first class I want to tell you about is the UC San Diego class called Learning How to Learn: Powerful Mental tools to help you master tough subjects. This class is taught by Dr. Barbard Oakley a professor of Engineering and Industrial Engineering . It is also taught by Dr. Terrence Sejnowski, the Fracis Crick Professor at the Salk Institute. I like this class because it teaches you about universal learning techniques from subjects like math ,art, music and other fields. This class gives you insight into how your brain learns and by using the techniques taught it will help you to figure out how you best learn and help you to use this information as a tool to study effectively( in between your hangovers of course)

The next class I want to tell you about to Personal Family and Financial Planning. I can tell you from experience as a broke college student that knowing how to manage your money it a key skill not only in college but in life. That’s why the next course I love is also from coursera and its all about managing your money. This class is taught by Michael Gutter PHD. from the University of Florida. It teaches you about cash, credit, wealth, and risk management as well as the environmental effects on personal and family financial management. After taking this class you will know how to budget to have enough money to pay for nights on the town as well as tuition payments.

Nihao, the next class I think is crucial for college is Chinese for beginners. This Nihao (Hello in mandarin), while in the US ,Chinese is not the main language spoken I believe language skills are very important to learn in college  (I’m biased towards Chinese) due to the rapid globalization of our world. It can’t hurt to know another language and its makes you way more marketable for jobs after college if you are fluent in a language other than English. So get a head start before college by taking a foreign language.

Hungry anyone, This  class by Stanford University , Child Nutrition and Cooking talks about how to prepare healthy meals for children. I believe it is also very helpful for college students while (I would hope) that as a college student you have no children, this class not only teaches you about nutrition but also how to cook healthy meals and even teaches you how to stock a kitchen do you have the staples available so you never go hungry. This is enormously helpful because it helps you to eat out less (saving crazy money) and is the gift that keeps on giving for a lifetime.

So, to recap language skills, personal finance planning, learning Chinese and knowing how to cook  are the life skills that the MOOC’s featured teach you and what I think you would need to know to make it throughout college and life. What do you think are the best MOOC’s to take that will help prepare for college?

Yours in Awesome Learning,

Janeille

My Favorite MOOC Platforms (From Around the World)

If you are like me and you love MOOC’s. I am here to tell you that all over the world MOOC’s are democratizing education and making learning fun again. As a lifelong student (that has just graduated from college)I feel like I have enjoyed learning more after college than during college.

Here are the platforms that I’ve come across that originate from all over the world:

1. Future Learn  https://www.futurelearn.com/– This is like the British Version of Coursera. I just love that wicked awesome British accent when I am taking a course.

2. Coursera https://www.coursera.org/– While this is an American platform it offers classes from mainly Ivy league universities and State Universities from the United States. This is pretty much the most popular MOOC platforms right now but lots of other platforms from around the world are coming out of the woodwork to steal a little of its shine.

3. Open University- http://www.open.edu/openlearn/languages/german

This is the home of free learning and what I enjoy about this MOOC platform are the articles that come along with them. The writing is pretty top notch. While its not completely free I still think its a cool platform.

4. http:www.iversity.org– This is a German platform (not basketball player Allen Iverson’s city 🙂 that offers a lot of courses on critical thinking and business. I like this platform because it gives a very European perspective on a lot of topics. While, I think it lacks the depth of other platforms its well on its way to being a competitor for the future

So as you can see there are MOOC’s and MOOC platforms all over the world.

What is your favorite MOOC platform and why?

Yours in Awesome Learning,

Janeille

The Top 10 Coursera classes I Have Never Passed

Education is what remains after you have forgotten everything else, Or something along those lines. I have been a part of Coursera,  Skillshare, Udemy and many other platforms that deliver MOOC classes and the one thing that is consistent throughout all of them is that I can count on one hand the number of classes I have finished.  For me the value I get from online classes is not the fake certificate that you receive after you pass these online classes, but the information and ways to apply it that I have learned. That is why I want to tell you about the top ten online classes I have never passed on the Coursera platform.

1.  Duke University- A Beginner’s Guide to Irrational Behavior

This is one of the most enjoyable courses that I have ever taken. It discusses  behavioral economics and why people are often irrational in the choices they make, even though most people think that they make rational choices. The graphics and videos and were top notch and truly engaged me. Even though I did less than 50% of the assignments I still stuck around because the course was so darn interesting.

2. University of Florida- Personal & Family Financial Planning

This course was all about teaching you the ins and outs of financial planning and  I think that is did a great job in breaking down all the different ways you can manage your money. It explored how to do your taxes to what mutual funds . This course is comprehensive and I highly recommend everyone take it

3. University of Pennsylvania- Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society

This is the course to take if you want to learn more about the process of designing something.  It is a practical course where you set out to design your own product. This can be anything from a website, to a product that helps you hang your bicycle in your dorm room. It gives seriously practical advice on what makes good design and is highly recommended for the  designer.

4. Case Western Reserve University- Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence

If you want to improve you leadership skills I highly suggest you take this course. It offers practical examples from all over the world of good leaders. It explores ways to improve emotional intelligence so that you can become a better  in tuned with you followers and influence them effectively. I think this class is super helpful to anyone that is about to begin a leadership role.

5. University of Pennsylvania-  Designing Cities

This class is like a crash course  for the aspiring city planner. It talks about what makes an ideal city and how designers and planners can design cities in such a way that they do less harm and contribute to creating vibrant communities .

6. University of Pennsylvania- Better Leader, Richer Life

Another awesome leadership course that can help you to become a better leader. This course is about  helping anyone that is a leader strike a balance in their lives. It is the online version of an executive leadership course and gives real practical examples of how to lead without burning out.

7. Emory University – Understanding Violence

This course is about violence and It was a real eye opener for me. It really made me think about the effects of violence and really out into context the effect violence can have on society. I highly recommend any sociology buff to take this course.

8. University of Colorado Boulder- Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Do you like superman? Well this is the course or you. Seriously though, this course is about comic books and really does a good job of breaking the different genres in comic books and graphic novels. I left it thinking that comics are a significant part of literature and I believe that anyone with a love of literature would also enjoy this course

9. University of New Mexico- Curanderismo: Traditional Medicine

This course is all about traditional medicine. It explores mostly traditional medicine from South America and Mexico. If you want to know about alternative mdeicine I highly recommend this course.

10. University of Rochester- Fundamentals of Audio and Music Engineering: Part 1 Musical Sound & Electronics

This class is all about electrical engineering and designing your own speaker. If you ever wanted to create your own speaker and control your own sounds that sound this class gives you the step by step guide as to how to build your own speakers.

I think Coursera classes are awesome, especially the 10 gems I have mentioned above. But, I want to hear from you. What are your favorite Coursera classes and  why?

Yours in Awesome Learning,

Janeille

How to Design Your Own House for Free

As a former architecture student , I have studied the built environment extensively. I am here to tell you that not only is architecture difficult but It is one of the most difficult professions to work in. That being said, I think that anyone can learn how to design their own built environment.

It is not only the domain of construction folks and  and builders. Anyone can become a builder. I want to give you a step by step guide to designing your won built environment.

Step 1:  Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it probably is, this means it might feel wrong for the rest of the time you have to live with whatever decision you make regarding your physical space.

Step 2. Download google sketchup at http://www.googlesketchup.com. This is a 3D modelling software program that is super easy to learn. If you have difficulties with the tools http://www.youtube.com and http://www.google.com is your friend. You can  learn to create almost anything in 3D using this and the great thing is that it is free for personal use.

Step 3. Go to www. houzz.com. This website is a dream for getting inspiration for interior design. It allows you to look at beautifully designed interiors and you can contact professionals that can build you dream for you.

Finally, step 4- Have an open mind and know that anything you do in your own creative expression is valid. This is the best part, you may start off wanting to just design your own house but pretty soon after you figure out how exhilarating it is to make something that is your own you will soon become a design machine.

What have you designed today whether it is your own physical space or your own schedule? What did it feel like?  Let me know.

Yours in Awesome Learning,

Janeille

GTD with Todoist

” Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort. ”
-Paul Meyer

This last couple of weeks for me has been really productive. I credit that to my use of the app todist. This is an app that enables you to create to do list’s The neat thing about it is that it is sync-able across my cell phone and desktop. What really sets it apart from the others for me is its ability to do recurring dates and this really makes it handy with grocery lists that I can set for every week and also reminder to call people and even to wash my hair 🙂 .

Also, its use of the creation of tasks via projects makes it really valuable to set goals . You can create tasks for each goal with a date and time that can be used keep a project on task and also to get things done within a project. You can also collaborate with other people in getting things done in.

I create projects for everything . My grocery lists, for managing my relationship followups with other people and even when to wash my hair. This app is amazingly useful and I am amazed the current version of it is free. If it wasn’t I would happily pay for it because it is well worth it.

Overall, this app does so much. It is compatible with the GTD system and if you are into being highly productive it is well worth it.  Shot out to Tiago Forte  who introduced this app when I was taking the Skillshare class called “Getting Things Done like a Boss”. In this class he teaches you how to not only organize your time but how to organize it so that you reflect on all your goals so that you getting the right things done.

Check it out here:  http://www.skillshare.com/classes/entrepreneurship/Get-Stuff-Done-Like-A-Boss-Design-Your-Workflow-and-Double-Your-Productivity-in-21-Days/1524940083?via=search

What productivity tools do you use?

Yours in Awesome Learning,

Janeille

My journey to becoming an Etsypreneur

Cash rules everything around me cream get the money dollar dollar bill yo
-The Wutang clan

In my attempt to make more money to cover debts I have decided to dedicate myself more to my Etsy store. Etsy is an online platform similar to Ebay but different because it consists of sellers or artists that create their own handmade items or sellers that sell vintage items.

For my Etsy store, I have decided to produce (and when I figure it out) dropship art prints that focus on the creation of mission statements. The name of my store is Design Ozi. I called Design Ozi because ‘ozi’ is a Swahili word for mission. In order to help me be successful I took a skill share class called Etsy: Smart and Simple . It is taught by Ella Birt and she goes through the entire process of creating an Etsy store and also running a successful business.

Check out the class here http://www.skillshare.com/classes/entrepreneurship/Etsy-Smart-and-Simple/2052004108?via=search

What I really learned from this class was that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) matters. SEO is designing your website or online entity in such a way that when people search for you online they find you. The second thing I learned was that you have to be super specific. It’s a big world out there and they way to really stand out and be successful is to solve a specific problem and do it well. And finally I learned that you have to really market your store by using social media and even organically by blogging and going to trade shows in your field.

Overall, I think this class was an excellent introduction to the Etsy platform and will send you on your journey to be being an Etsypreneur . I encourage everyone (right now) to go to Etsy and checking out all the cool handmade items there and also check out my store here.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignOzi

What have you learned online that you can leverage to make money online or otherwise.

Yours in Awesome Learning,

Janeille

You Dawg It’s Past Your Bedtime: Design Your Own Habit

The next step on my learning journey involves Skill share, an online platform that allows anyone to take classes on various topics  including business, design and even cooking . Recently, I took a class on Skillshare called , Design Your Own habits: Behaviour Design. It is taught by Tiago Forte, he a productivity coach that helps people to develop habits that allow them to be more productive and overall more effective in getting things done in life.

I must say that this class was really helpful because it helped me to look at the current habits that I have in my life and what habits I would want to develop later in order to improve my overall effectiveness in work and more broadly in life. If you have a look below you can see what I worked on throughout the class.

As you can see above, the habit I developed was to go to bed by 10 PM every night. This was easier said than done. As someone that likes to stay up late I found this challenging. However, I found that going through the Design Your Own Habit exercises ,I found that if I focused on my trigger with was listening to my alarm it became easier and also by looking at my small wins and closers this helped to make it easier to stick to my habit a lot because I didn’t feel like a failure if I didn’t 100% do my habit sometimes. I am on day five of it, but I have not faltered yet (fingers crossed).

All in all I think this class is worth the effort and the teacher Tiago is really invested in students. He even took the time to evaluate my habit sheet and give me tips on how to make my habit more specific. For an online class this level engagement of students is really something. He even has giveaways every month to students that post something new based on his criteria.

Check out the class here: http://www.skillshare.com/classes/entrepreneurship/Design-Your-Habits-A-Hands-On-Introduction-to-Behavior-Design/978368389?via=similar-classes

So what habit would you want to develop that you think would have a huge impact on your life?

Yours in Awesome Learning,

Janeille

Learning is Life and Life is Learning

Life is learning and learning is life. I believe that the ability to learn and grow from is the most important thing to survival and having a meaningful existence. With that said, this blog will be a digital curation of all of my learning adventures involving  MOOC’s (Massively Open Online Courses). For now I will be focusing on the MOOC platforms Skillshare, General Assembly, and Coursera. I will share what I have learned, my opinions on classes I take what I like and like and don’t like as well.

General Assembly (www.generalassemb.ly.com)  in collaboration with about. me is giving away a 6 month trial if you enter a contest. This is a super deal is available till Decenber 31st, 2014

You can enter by clicking here :

https://generalassemb.ly/win/get-digital-perks-pack?utm_campaign=2014+Q4+Sweepstake+%5Bglobal%5D+Digital+Perks+Pack+Confirmation+Email%09&utm_medium=ga_email

Skillshare (www.skillshare.com) is also a really great platform  because you can take up to 5 hours of classes per month for free so I will be taking full advantage of this by taking an average of one class per week (each class is roughly an hour). That is at least four classes and month.

Then there is Coursera (www.coursera.com), the mother of them all, these are university classes that are offered online by some of the top universities in the world and gives a lot of exposure to college courses and are ideal for students who want to test out different fields to find out what they are interested.

Online learning can provide so many opportunities for exposure to different fields and I absolutely love taking classes and gaining new insights and I want to share and curate classes that I love.

Yours in Awesome Learning

Janeille