7 Free Online Courses in February

All the people who are currently enjoying proper winter – I’m really jealous! In my place we’re more likely to see snowdrops than snowflakes and it’s really sad. Fortunately you can learn something new regardless of the weather (although it will be far more comfortable for those who can snuggle up enjoying some proper snowy evening).

I mean, I’m from Poland, whatever happened to the polar bears on the streets!

As usual, I found seven interesting online courses that are useful, enjoyable and free.

Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential by McMaster University

Start: 3/02
Duration: 4 weeks
For whom: people interested in self-development
Mindshift is the course that provides practical insights from science about how to learn and change effectively even if you’re an adult. This course is designed to show you how to look at what you’re learning so you can achieve your full potential. You’ll see that by using certain mental tools and insights, you can learn and do more—far more—than you might have ever dreamed!

How to Succeed at: Writing Applications by the University of Sheffield

Start: 3/02
Duration: 3 weeks
For whom: people who are applying for jobs or courses
Experts from The Careers Service at the University of Sheffield share their top tips to help you write exceptional applications, CVs (or résumés), covering letters and personal statements, you’ll also hear from employers and admissions tutors to find out what they really look for in a candidate.
I think it’s a great course for your adult student who think about moving abroad looking for a better job.

Presentation skills: Speechwriting and Storytelling by Tomsk State University

Start: 17/02
Duration: 6 weeks
For whom: people who work with presentations
This course covers fundamentals of scriptwriting, argumentation and language. The main focus is not on how to fabricate a catching tale, but rather how to structure your ideas, facts and data into an interesting story you are going to tell during your presentation.

English in Early Childhood: Language Learning and Development by the British Council

Start: 10/02
Duration: 6 weeks
For whom: parents, educators, people interested in the area of child development and language acquisition
I have already recommended this course, but I find it really useful, especially for those, who have just started working with children. You will explore how young children learn English and investigate many more aspects of early childhood learning and development. You can learn how to best talk to young children; how to create the best environment for them to learn English as an additional language; and how to monitor their progress. Moreover, you will be offered tips, advice and downloadable resources.

IELTS Academic Test Preparation by the University of Queensland

Start: 4/02
Duration: 8 weeks
For whom: students and teachers preparing for Academic IELTS
This course will give you immediate access to over 80 hours of interactive practice materials covering each of the four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Each section of this course includes engaging multi-media presentations reviewing key test-taking skills, strategies and techniques along with authentic IELTS-style exercises and interactive activities.

Planning for Learning: Formative Assessment by the National STEM Learning Centre

Start: 24/02
Duration: 5 weeks
For whom: teachers, curriculum leaders, teaching assistants etc.
On this course you’ll learn how to identify your learners’ thinking, clarify learning goals and fine tune your teaching to progress your students’ understanding, both in and between lessons. If you haven’t worked with Formative Assessment before, you should start now and see how it can change your classroom for the better.

Urgent Optimism: How to Turn Foresight into Action by the Institute for the Future

Start: 10/02
Duration: 5 weeks
For whom: everybody 🙂
Your instructor (and my instructor as well, wouldn’t skip this opportunity!) is Jane McGonigal, the woman who’s changed my life and is likely to change the world (just take a look at my old note). What is the course about? You’ll learn how to create and share “preferred futures”, which are highly persuasive, compelling visions of the changes you want to make real. You’ll use them to identify obstacles, recruit allies, collect resources, and plan action to make your vision real.

I hope you’ll find something useful that will help you develop your Awesome Teaching Skills.
Have fun!