Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Knowledge for free - courtesy of Apple

I might be a little late to the party on this one, though I am so excited I finally showed up. To iTunes U, that is. My friend, Janet, has made fun of me more than once about my addiction to school. I'm one of those people who takes notes at a museum exhibit - my friend, Steve, was glad to point out how completely weird this behavior is when we were at The Whitney several months ago. It's true. I am an education addict (read: nerd). I've always been this way and truly, I've learned to embrace my nerdiness with wild abandon. 

The economy is having a tough time and formal education isn't getting any cheaper. I was planning on taking some Spanish classes this winter, though at many colleges the cost is prohibitive, or at least I'd have to give up a substantial amount of money somewhere else in my budget to make those classes happen. In this economy, I'm a little worried about doing that. So what's a nerdy girl to do? Head over to iTunes U....

Now, you won't get a degree, the choice of schools is limited (for example, University of Virginia - my graduate school alma mater - does not participate. I am going to get to work on this right away, rest assured...my undergrad alma mater, UPenn, is on the list and I highly recommend it), and the class offerings are somewhat limited as well. However, every lecture, from every participating school, on every subject offered, is free. Yes, absolutely 100% FREE - no string attached. Click the "get" button right next to the lecture that interests you, and you'll be downloading like there's no tomorrow. A nerd's dream come true. 

I'm so excited about this that I'm now up 20 minutes past my bedtime....but with so much to learn, who has time to sleep? I'm so thrilled with Apple that I could hug Steve Jobs right this moment...let's hear it for endless curiosity!  

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