An update from Rep. Schwaderer
Throughout the day I end up reading a good number of political articles, letters and updates from politicians and the like- and I’ve noticed something. The lion’s share of dialogue coming from elected officials is generally negative in nature- looking for the bad in society rather than the good. This week I would like to focus on some really amazing things happening right now that positively benefit every Montanan.
Whether you’re a teen or adult, in school or out of school your access to affordable or free learning now is greater than it’s ever been at any point in history. Tech whizzes, Good Samaritans and educational professionals have teamed up in many cases to provide free or affordable learning to anyone in the world.
Several years ago if you wanted to learn another language in your spare time you probably could not afford to do it- Rosetta Stone being the only viable (and expensive) option. Now, providing both apps and a website, Busuu and Duolingo (www.duolingo.com) can have you learning most of the popular languages in no time! If I have a break or a couple minutes to myself, it’s really easy to do a quick lesson on the app!
One of my favorites in this arena has been the Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.com). So far I have enjoyed it for some lessons in Calculus and cryptography. The website offers a wide depth of free lessons to anyone who wants to take them. I have recommended it and see a decent number of kids in the area use it during the summertime to prepare for their courses in the fall. The website recently made headlines after partnering and working with some schools in Idaho.
Another up-and-comer provider is Montana based – Code Montana (www.codemontana.org). Built by Montanans for Montana High School kids, the program just started this year and aims to teach teenagers computer programming – a highly sought after and lucrative skill to have in the modern world. There are plenty of places to learn programming for adults, too (of course for free). The one I currently recommend is Code Academy at www.codeacademy.com
Having access to quality affordable learning is critical, and we are currently the wealthiest generation in history in that regard thanks to the charitable work of a handful of organizations. Whether a child in your family wants to do some supplemental studying, if you want to pick up some extra knowledge or a skill, or you just want to exercise your mind and keep it sharp and active, there’s something waiting out there for you.