Self-University Week / AUTODIDACTIC PRESS - lifelong learning advocate
Self-University Week September 1-7 Autodidactic Press has sponsored Self-University Week since 1989. It is our intention to continually expand this celebration until the value of lifelong learning is indelibly etched into the national consciousness. Chase's Annual Events lists the first seven days of September as Self-University Week. Constant public debate about abortion, gay rights, gun control, and the death penalty remind us that truth is not nearly so easy to obtain as the "right answers" we sought in school. Answers to our most pressing problems are found in self-education and the willingness to use reason in reaching equitable solutions. Our institutions of higher learning are vastly overrated for their ability to impart knowledge that can be easily converted into marketable skills, but they are greatly underrated for their ability to inspire the understanding that helps individuals derive quality from experience. 52 Ways to Celebrate Self-University Week September 1-7
The World as Your Campus: Designing a General Ed Curriculum for Life
One of the biggest hurdles people face when embarking on a journey of self-education is deciding what to learn. There are so many possibilities that it’s difficult to narrow down the options. If you still don’t know what you want to focus your self-studies on, may I suggest you take a bit of time for “general education.” In college, we think of general education as the series of courses one must take to get a broad understanding of academics. Classes like English, math, and history, help students of all disciplines share a common base of knowledge. In the “world campus,” a general education is anything that helps you explore your own interests and share a common understanding with humanity. An inspiring essay from William Upski Wimsatt, published in Utne Reader, explores one self-educator’s personal curriculum: “I…enrolled as a student at the University of Planet Earth, the world’s oldest and largest educational institution. Here’s my curriculum: Live in a different city every year.
The Joy of Practical Learning…What Can You DO?
An unfortunate number of people graduate from high school or college with a lot of knowledge and no practical ability. I’m a firm believer that practical learning (i.e. the ability to do something) is just as important as academic learning (i.e. knowledge about something). Practical learning encompasses anything that helps someone master a skill or ability. Why Practical Learning? While skill-based learning comes naturally to some, many people are more comfortable with academic learning. When I graduated college, I loved reading and thinking. Over the next few years, I set aside time to escape from the written word and focus my energy developing skills. If you’re more of a thinker than a do-er, it may be difficult to focus on practical learning. There is great satisfaction in being able to accomplish something. Practical Skills Everyone Should Learn There are a few abilities that just about everyone should have, no matter your age or circumstance. Can you: photo credit: {dpade1337}
Hacking Knowledge: 77 Ways to Learn Faster, Deeper, and Better
If someone granted you one wish, what do you imagine you would want out of life that you haven’t gotten yet? For many people, it would be self-improvement and knowledge. Newcounter knowledge is the backbone of society’s progress. Great thinkers such as Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and others’ quests for knowledge have led society to many of the marvels we enjoy today. Your quest for knowledge doesn’t have to be as Earth-changing as Einstein’s, but it can be an important part of your life, leading to a new job, better pay, a new hobby, or simply knowledge for knowledge’s sake — whatever is important to you as an end goal. Life-changing knowledge does typically require advanced learning techniques. Health Shake a leg. Balance Sleep on it. Perspective and Focus Change your focus, part 2. Recall Techniques Listen to music. Visual Aids Every picture tells a story. Verbal and Auditory Techniques Stimulate ideas. Kinesthetic Techniques Write, don’t type.
Introduction to the Great Books of the Western World
The best way to understand the world you live in now is to read the Western canon. By reading these classic books, you’ll develop a deep understanding of why our society is the way it is, why our government operates the way it does, and how the great ideas of history have come to shape our beliefs. You cannot truly think for yourself if you cannot recognize where your ideas and beliefs originate from. By studying the works of Western history, you’ll see that even the “modern” belief sets have been developing for hundreds of years. Each Monday I plan to post a new overview of one of the Great Books of the Western World and show you where to find it for free. What is the Great Books of the Western World Series? In 1952, University of Chicago President Richard Hutchins joined forces with philosopher Mortimer Adler to create a collection of works representative of the Western cannon. 54 books were published as a set by Encyclopedia Britannica. Why Read the Great Books? Great Books Controversy
The American Scholar: A Declaration of Intellectual Independence
“The scholar is that man who must take up into himself all the ability of the time, all the contributions of the past, all the hopes of the future. He must be a university of knowledges. If there be one lesson more than another, which should pierce his ear, it is, The world is nothing, the man is all; in yourself is the law of all nature, and you know not yet how a globule of sap ascends; in yourself slumbers the whole of Reason; it is for you to know all, it is for you to dare all.” Just 61 years after the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, Ralph Waldo Emerson offered a declaration of his own urging Americans to stop being “parrot[s] of other men’s thinking.” The groundbreaking speech, later titled The American Scholar, is a treasure trove of autodidactic insight. In his speech, Emerson draws attention to three ways that people can become independent thinkers and free themselves from over-reliance upon the ideas of others. Learn from Nature Study the Past
Socratic Method Research Portal
10 Ways Reading the Great Books Can Improve Your Life
The Master Course in Personal Development May Already Be Sitting On Your Shelf Reading the great books takes a lot of effort. Studying masterpieces such as the Odyssey or the works of Shakespeare requires more concentration than picking up a Tom Clancy novel. If you’re not sold on starting a reading plan, consider the benefits that reading great literature can bring to your life. 1. “These books are the means of understanding our society and ourselves. Consider your thoughts on subjects such as romantic love, truth, democracy, and freedom. 2. “We are tied down, all our days and for the greater part of our days, to the commonplace. Reading the great books may not turn us into Platos and Einsteins. 3. 4. “The liberally educated man has a mind that can operate will in all fields. Whether you’re in computer science, marketing, healthcare, or any other field, gaining a broad knowledge of the many subjects covered in the great books will help you in your specialization. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
