Coding
Expand Your Knowledge
Language
Community
Column
A New Year means new skills
Olivia Parker
Options for self improvement and career boosting
Last year I did something incredible — I kept a New Year ’ s resolution ! In January 2017 , I joined a local judo club , a Japanese martial art , to both learn something new and attempt to be healthier . While I ’ ve spent a year being literally thrown to the floor for three hours a week , I can now do more than one push up and have some proper self-defense skills that are applicable in real life . With the approaching close of another year now is the time to consider what I want to learn next .
Acquiring a new skill is a great way to attain personal enrichment and build your benefit your professional life . I believe we never stop learning , but everyone has busy lives and taking a course may not be a realistic fit for many people . There are many affordable options to learn skills that either complement the graphic communications profession or simply improve one ’ s own personal worth . While not an exhaustive list , the following links and ideas will give you some sources for self-improvement .
Coding
A buzz topic in the last several years is learning to code . There are many options : HTML , Javascript , CCS , Ruby , SQL , Python , etc . And , these are only some of the foundational languages that make up the websites , apps , and databases we use on a daily basis . Coding is frequently promoted as an essential job skill for both new and old workers alike , so much so that it is growing in prevalence in adolescent education and adult job applications .
Codeacademy Offers free , step-by-step , learning courses on a variety of coding languages .
w3schools Educates students from the novice to the professional level with tutorials and references on a number of web development languages .
Code . org Specializes in programming . Offering thematic , interactive lessons to students of any grade level and provides educators with programming units .
Expand Your Knowledge
Open source education is quickly becoming a reality . Whether one works full time , does not have the disposable income to attend a course , or the class they wish to take is on the other side of the world , there are a number of learning options , each with a diverse array of competencies .
edX Take free online courses from the world ’ s best universities .
Skillshare Offers online classes and projects that unlock one ’ s creativity , although there is a paid membership fee .
Khan Academy Access an extensive library of interactive video lessons discussing academic topics from Kindergarten to Grade 12 .
lynda . com Learn technology , creative , and business skills after paying a membership fee .
Chesscademy Learn how to play chess for free . Pianu Interactively learn piano online using a keyboard .
Language
Language proficiency is an ability with innumerable benefits . A multi-lingual capability not only makes travel significantly easier , but it also helps one communicate with peers and business associates . Be it books , tapes , or apps there are many options to at least learn the foundational phrases of many languages .
Duolingo Learn a language for free . This app tests oral , listening , and writing abilities in a number of languages .
Lingvist Learn a language in 200 hours . Busuu The free language learning community . Memrise Use flashcards to learn vocabulary .
Community
Sometimes the simplest option is to explore one ’ s community . Like me starting judo , a quick search at local libraries , community centres , schools , places of worship , recreation arenas , and other public spaces might reveal some inexpensive but interesting classes one can take or groups one can join .
Volunteering your expertise to help community organizations or charities is also a great way to give back and learn something new . When a project challenges you to go outside your comfort zone that is an opportunity to both improve and learn new skills .
Some of the best learning experiences I have had were accidental . A random course I took or a charity to which I offered free graphic design helped me establish a network and gain expertise . There are so many ways to get involved and learn something new and , depending on personal preferences learning can be done in groups , independently , or even from the comfort of your own home .
Olivia Parker , B . Tech , MPC completed her Masters of Professional Communication in 2014 to complement her Bachelor of Technology ( 2013 ) from Graphic Communications Management at Ryerson . She presently is the Innovation & Support Specialist at Taylor Printing Group Inc . in Fredericton .
28 | December 2017 / January 2018 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE graphicartsmag . com