Having Fun While Learning
The rise of Social Media has tended to make most people think that being online is largely a revolution in self-expression and the sharing of personal information. Of course, that’s a big part of the story. But, for me, being online was always first and foremost an educational experience.
One of my favourite online companies, MacProVideo has just celebrated their seventh anniversary. MacProVideo offer reasonably priced training videos for most of the programmes I use on a day-to-day basis including Logic Pro, Reason, Sibelius, Kontakt, Lightroom and Photoshop. I’ve had a lot of fun learning from their videos over the years and look forward to what they will offer in the future.
Reason Fun Today
On MacProVideo’s blog, there’s an excellent, easy to follow post on creating your own background panels for use in Reason. I went ahead and created some “self-branded” backgrounds, with my own logo on them. It was a pleasant Saturday afternoon diversion – and, I learnt a thing or two about creating semi-realistic looking interface designs in Photoshop!
The Digital Learning Revolution
The rise of Social Media has tended to make most people think that being online is largely a revolution in self-expression and the sharing of personal information. Of course, that’s a big part of the story.
But, for me, being online was always first and foremost an educational experience. My first website, built back in 1995, was an archive of academic links (Philosophy, Theology, Film and Cultural Studies) along with details about an academic society I helped to run. To this day learning has remained one of my core reasons for going (and staying) online.
MacProVideo is not the only amazing learning site online. I also like Lynda.com and, of course, I’ve taken my fair share of course through BerkleeMusic, Berklee College of Boston’s excellent online school. Moreover, there are fantastic bloggers and podcasters committed to helping their followers learn and flourish in all kinds of human endeavours.
Blogging, My Part In Its Downfall
Many people see blogging as a pure self-expression game. I’ve never been comfortable with that. To me, the idea of being able to have your own space online, that other people can read – to self-publish as it were – is such a privilege, that it should carry some responsibilities.
Increasingly I’m seeing blogs do well by connecting with their readers desire to learn, develop new skills and try new things. In the early days we used to call websites like my first site portals. That language still makes sense. We go online to open a doorway into a bigger world, because we want to bring some excitement, fun and freshness into our lives.
Sites like MacProVideo help us work smarter. I love them for that. Sure, it’s a commercial site – but I’ve grown as a musician and creative soul while doing commerce with them. That’s what inspires me to write a post like this even though there’s no commercial incentive for me to do so!
I’m not much of an educator, but little by little I’ve been trying to add more what I’ve learnt over the years on this site. I might not be able to teach, but I can try to share and encourage. My hope is that reading this site does, at least from time to time, encourage you to take some chances and try some new things, in music, in photography, in writing and in life. I’m thankful that you give me some of your time when you read this blog and I’m thankful that this wonderful-wide-web is full of so much that can help us all learn and grow.
