Today's favorite website

While doing a search for a recipe for blueberry cobbler, I stumbled on some very interesting information--The Massachussets Institute of Technology offers full courses online completely free of charge. (I am not sure of the connection between cobbler and MIT, but somehow the internet connected the dots) Obviously, the student recieves no credit or recognition for taking these courses, but the courses do serve as wonderful resources.

I realize that the majority of Americans do not have time to add more work to their already crazy schedule, but imagine the freedom that comes with a completely voluntary college course. You can read books, listen to lectures, and complete assignments all at your own pace. If you want to take a year to complete a course, so be it. This is wonderful news for this stay at home mom who often forgets that she has an identity beyond being Ada's mother. On those days that I need to be transported back to the basement of Haley Center where I sat, furiously taking notes as Dr. Hammersmith explained the intricacies of Shakespeare's early work, I can download a lecture from MIT, and I am transported back to college again. I think I will start with Writing about Literature. I had already planned to order a book a week off of Amazon, this will simply guide me in my ordering, and it will give me purpose as I read.

I only wish I had known about this website last year. It would have been a wonderful resource as I prepared lesson plans for American and British Literature. I often struggled to explain literary ideas to my students that I didn't even fully grasp myself, and it would have prevented many a late night if I had had this website to go to as a reference.

I have to be honest, the odds are good that I will never get around to completing any of these courses, but it is encouraging to know that the option is out there, and hopefully I will be able to take advantage of it if I ever do go back to teaching.