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"जिबन पर्यन्त शिक्षाका लागि पुस्तकालय (Library for lifelong education)"

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Educational learning objectives: Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom’s taxonomy is a set of three hierarchical models used to classify educational learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity. The models organize learning objectives into three different domains: Cognitive, Affective, and Sensory/Psychomotor.  

Bloom’s taxonomy was developed to promote higher forms of thinking in education, such as analyzing and evaluating concepts, processes, procedures, and principles, rather than simply memorizing facts.

Learning objectives can be viewed in behavioral terms. As instructional designers collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs) to develop courses, they can see what students are capable of as a direct result of the instruction they have received at each level.

Using the categorization, courses can be designed with appropriate content and instruction to lead learners up the pyramid of learning. Instructional designers can also design valid assessment tools (i.e., quizzes) to ensure each category is met and in turn, that each part of the course material is in line with the level’s objectives. However, oftentimes, especially in a corporate setting, several of the stages are interconnected and blend into each other.

Learners may not be aware of Bloom’s taxonomy, but to them, it serves to bridge the gap between what they know now, and what they need to learn in order to attain a higher level of knowledge—and perform better at their jobs.

The purpose of applying Bloom’s taxonomy is to create measurable goals—perfect for corporate learning and development. If applied successfully, the learner has acquired a new skill or level of domain expertise and instructional designers are able to effectively assess this learning on an ongoing basis as the course moves through each stage of the framework.



IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto

The School Library in Teaching and Learning for All

The school library provides information and ideas that are fundamental to functioning successfully in today's information and knowledge-based society. The school library equips students with life-long learning skills and develops the imagination, enabling them to live as responsible citizens.

The Mission of the School Library

The school library offers learning services, books and resources that enable all members of the school community to become critical thinkers and effective users of information in all formats and media. School Libraries link to the wider library and information network in accord with the principles in the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto.

The library staff support the use of books and other information sources, ranging from the fictional to the documentary, from print to electronic, both on-site and remote. The materials complement and enrich textbooks, teaching materials and methodologies.

It has been demonstrated that, when librarians and teachers work together, students achieve higher levels of literacy, reading, learning, problem-solving and information and communication technology skills.

School library services must be provided equally to all members of the school community, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, nationality, language, professional or social status. Specific services and materials must be provided for those who are unable to use mainstream library services and materials.

Access to services and collections should be based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms, and should not be subject to any form of ideological, political or religious censorship, or to commercial pressures.

Funding legislation and networks

The school library is essential to every long-term strategy for literacy, education, information provision and economic, social and cultural development. As the responsibility of local, regional and national authorities, it must be supported by specific legislation and policies. School Libraries must have adequate and sustained funding for trained staff, materials, technologies and facilities. They must be free of charge.

The school library is an essential partner in the local, regional and national library and information network.

Where the school library shares facilities and/or resources with another type of library, such as a public library, the unique aims of the school library must be acknowledged and maintained.

Goals of the school library

The school library is integral to the educational process.

The following are essential to the development of literacy, information literacy, teaching, learning and culture and are core school library services:

  • supporting and enhancing educational goals as outlined in the school's mission and curriculum;
  • developing and sustaining in children the habit and enjoyment of reading and learning, and the use of libraries throughout their lives;
  • offering opportunities for experiences in creating and using information for knowledge, understanding, imagination and enjoyment;
  • supporting all students in learning and practising skills for evaluating and using information, regardless of form, format or medium, including sensitivity to the modes of communication within the community;
  • providing access to local, regional, national and global resources and opportunities that expose learners to diverse ideas, experiences and opinions;
  • organizing activities that encourage cultural and social awareness and sensitivity;
  • working with students, teachers, administrators and parents to achieve the mission of the school;
  • proclaiming the concept that intellectual freedom and access to information are essential to effective and responsible citizenship and participation in a democracy;
  • promoting reading and the resources and services of the school library to the whole school community and beyond.

The school library fulfils these functions by developing policies and services, selecting and acquiring resources, providing physical and intellectual access to appropriate sources of information, providing instructional facilities, and employing trained staff.

Staff

The school librarian is the professionally qualified staff member responsible for planning and managing the school library, supported by as adequate staffing as possible, working together with all members of the school community, and liaising with the public library and others.

The role of school librarians will vary according to the budget and the curriculum and teaching methodology of the schools, within the national legal and financial framework. Within specific contexts, there are general areas of knowledge that are vital if school librarians are to develop and operate effective school library services: resource, library, and information management and teaching.

In an increasingly networked environment, school librarians must be competent in planning and teaching different information-handling skills to both teachers and students. Therefore they must continue their professional training and development.

Operation and Management

To ensure effective and accountable operations:

the policy on school library services must be formulated to define goals, priorities and services in relation to the school's curriculum;

the school library must be organized and maintained according to professional standards;

services must be accessible to all members of the school community and operate within the context of the local community;

co-operation with teachers, senior school management, administrators, parents, other librarians and information professionals, and community groups must be encouraged.

Implementing the Manifesto

Governments, through their ministries responsible for education, are urged to develop strategies, policies and plans which implement the principles of this Manifesto. Plans should include the dissemination of the Manifesto to initial and continuing training programmes for librarians and teachers.

*IFLA/UNESCO - School Library Manifesto 1999

*IFLA, School Library Manifesto 2021

IFLA/UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 1994

Freedom, prosperity and the development of society and of individuals are fundamental human values. They will only be attained through the ability of well-informed citizens to exercise their democratic rights and to play an active role in society. Constructive participation and the development of democracy depend on satisfactory education as well as on free and unlimited access to knowledge, thought, culture and information.

The public library, the local gateway to knowledge, provides a basic condition for lifelong learning, independent decision- making and cultural development of the individual and social groups.

This Manifesto proclaims UNESCO's belief in the public library as a living force for education, culture and information, and as an essential agent for the fostering of peace and spiritual welfare through the minds of men and women.

UNESCO therefore encourages national and local governments to support and actively engage in the development of public libraries.

The Public Library

The public library is the local centre of information, making all kinds of knowledge and information readily available to its users.

The services of the public library are provided on the basis of equality of access for all, regardless of age, race, sex, religion, nationality, language or social status. Specific services and materials must be provided for those users who cannot, for whatever reason, use the regular services and materials, for example linguistic minorities, people with disabilities or people in hospital or prison.

All age groups must find material relevant to their needs. Collections and services have to include all types of appropriate media and modern technologies as well as traditional materials. High quality and relevance to local needs and conditions are fundamental. Material must reflect current trends and the evolution of society, as well as the memory of human endeavour and imagination.

Collections and services should not be subject to any form of ideological, political or religious censorship, nor commercial pressures.

Missions of the Public Library

The following key missions which relate to information, literacy, education and culture should be at the core of public library services:

  • creating and strengthening reading habits in children from an early age;
  • supporting both individual and self conducted education as well as formal education at all levels;
  • providing opportunities for personal creative development;
  • stimulating the imagination and creativity of children and young people;
  • promoting awareness of cultural heritage, appreciation of the arts, scientific achievements and innovations;
  • providing access to cultural expressions of all performing arts;
  • fostering inter-cultural dialogue and favouring cultural diversity;
  • supporting the oral tradition;
  • ensuring access for citizens to all sorts of community information;
  • providing adequate information services to local enterprises, associations and interest groups;
  • facilitating the development of information and computer literacy skills;
  • supporting and participating in literacy activities and programmes for all age groups, and initiating such activities if necessary.

      Funding, legislation and networks

The public library shall in principle be free of charge.

The public library shall in principle be free of charge. The public library is the responsibility of local and national authorities. It must be supported by specific legislation and financed by national and local governments. It has to be an essential component of any long-term strategy for culture, information provision, literacy and education.

To ensure nationwide library coordination and cooperation, legislation and strategic plans must also define and promote a national library network based on agreed standards of service.

The public library network must be designed in relation to national, regional, research and special libraries as well as libraries in schools, colleges and universities.

Operation and management

A clear policy must be formulated, defining objectives, priorities and services in relation to the local community needs. The public library has to be organized effectively and professional standards of operation must be maintained.

Cooperation with relevant partners - for example, user groups and other professionals at local, regional, national as well as international level- has to be ensured.

Services have to be physically accessible to all members of the community. This requires well situated library buildings, good reading and study facilities, as well as relevant technologies and sufficient opening hours convenient to the users. It equally implies outreach services for those unable to visit the library.

The library services must be adapted to the different needs of communities in rural and urban areas.

The librarian is an active intermediary between users and resources. Professional and continuing education of the librarian is indispensable to ensure adequate services.

Outreach and user education programmes have to be provided to help users benefit from all the resources.

Implementing the Manifesto

Decision makers at national and local levels and the library community at large, around the world, are hereby urged to implement the principles expressed in this Manifesto.

The Manifesto is prepared in cooperation with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

~ifla dot org

How to face changes in life: Who moved my Cheese?

Who moved my Cheese? Published in 1999 by Dr. Spencer Johnson. Emphasizing on change and the human psyche to respond to daily changes in life, this book indicate some key facts to follow if one has to grow in their life instead of getting stuck in a moment of repent or sorrow for whatever strange is currently happening and already happened in life.

Change is the only thing which is constant and it will going to happen in your life whether you like it or not. It’s better to be ready for that rather than getting an unexpected surprise in life /work.

The story is about four characters in this book, two mice and two little individuals who live in a maze and are searching for the cheese which they think satisfies them. Here Cheese is a similitude for the things which you need in your life and fulfills us like a monetary achievement, a relationship, opportunity, wellbeing, acknowledgment, and maze is where you are looking for these things. It may be in any way similar to Organization, people group in which you live or the relationship you have in your life.

Key lessons which can be inferred out of this story are given as follows:

  • If you do not change, you can become extinct? : Keep updating yourself with the changes around you.
  • What would you do if you were not afraid? : It is ok to be afraid but should not be afraid of taking risks in your life when it is necessary.
  • Smell the cheese often, so you know when it is getting old? : Be alert and aware of your surroundings. Keep checking for any change in your cheese and prepare yourself accordingly.
  • When you move beyond fear, you feel free : Let go of your fear, Stay Focused and positive then only you will be able to give your 100%.
  • Imagining myself enjoying new cheese even before I find it leads me to it : Follow the Universal law of attraction. Keep thinking of what you want and you will get it.
  • The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese : Don’t hold on to things in your life. Let yourself flow like a river and draw new paths (New cheese) when change happens.
  • It is safer to search in the maze, than remain in a cheese-less situation: Don't cry about what you have lost. See what is still there. Where there is a will there is a way.
  • Old belief does not lead you to new cheese: Keep experimenting with different ways in order to get new cheese. New inputs will lead to new outputs.
  • When you see that you can find and enjoy new cheese, you change course: Try to instill this belief in yourself that you can get your cheese and having it will make you happy.
  • Noticing small changes early helps, you adapt to the bigger changes that are to come: Be observant in life.
  • What you are afraid of is never as bad as what you imagine. The fear you let build up in your mind is worse than the situation that actually exists: Thinking about losing will never let you win. Conquer your fears.
  • Move with the cheese: Life doesn't stop and neither should you.
x

Thanks!

 

 

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Best Ways To Earn Money Online

21 Ways to Make $100 or More Online in a Single Day

While it’s been a long time since I had my first $100 online payday, I have learned about a ton of different strategies to earn money online since then. And I want to share them all with you, one by one. But first, let me give you a little context about me and my story.

Around ten years ago, I started a blog called Good Financial Cents. While my website makes tons of passive income now, I initially built my blog as a marketing tool for my financial planning practice.

At the time, I didn’t know anything about online marketing, social media, or SEO. In fact, I was oblivious about the fact you could make money online. Fortunately, I met some mentors along the way that showed me I could use my online presence to earn real money.

This was such a huge mindset shift for me since, until then, the only way I knew how to earn money was by going out and getting more clients. I didn’t know it at the time, but I would eventually replace my full-time job with blogging income alone.

Now that you know my backstory, it’s time to dig in to some of the ways you can start earning passive or active income with the internet. If you’re interested in earning money online and in your spare time, check out these 21 ways you can earn $100 or more per day:

#1: Google Adsense

When I started my blog, I faced a lot of restrictions as a financial advisor. As a result, one of the only ways I could monetize at the time was by using Google Adsense. With this income-earning strategy, you simply sign up and Google gives you a code to copy and paste onto your website. From there, Google does the rest and you get paid any time someone clicks on your ads and/or makes a purchase.

When I finally added Google Adsense to my website, I was able to earn my first $100 payout within around three months. This is pretty cool, but a lot of people have asked me how I earned so much with Adsense at first.

You have to keep in mind that, as a financial advisor, most of the ads on my website are for financial products that pay out rather well. If your blog is in a different niche like food or fashion, it may take you longer for your ads to pay off with your first $100 check.

#2: Text Links

The second way I made $100 at first was via text links. If you’re wondering what text links are, check out any article on the web and you’ll see highlighted words you can click out to take you to another web page.

While I didn’t realize it for quite a while, there are a ton of companies who are willing to pay $100, $200, and even $1,000 or more for you to link from your website to theirs. But I was pretty stoked when a few companies would pay me $100 or more just for inserting a link into one of my blog posts.

Unfortunately, I eventually learned that selling text links is against Google’s terms and conditions. If you are doing this on a consistent basis, your website is going to tank over the long-term.

For that reason, selling text links isn’t a good long-term monetization strategy. You can do it every once in a while without any negative impact, but you’ll live to regret it if you get greedy and overdo it.

#3: Sponsored Posts

With a sponsored post, a company pays you to talk about their product or service on their website. While I initially made $100 to $200 for each sponsored post I did on Good Financial Cents, I kept jacking up my rates over time. 

How much can you earn? Blogger Alexis Schroeder of FITnancials says she frequently earns $3,000 per month with sponsored posts. However, some blogs with more traffic can easily earn $20,000 per sponsored post or more.

If you plan to do sponsored posts, I definitely recommend only working with companies you believe in and feel good promoting. If you promote anything and everything without making sure it aligns with your values, you probably won’t gain a lot of trust from your readers. Over time, this could hurt your efforts to grow your website more than the income from sponsored posts helps.

#4: Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most lucrative ways to make money online. When I was able to add affiliate links to my website, I watched my income surge in a big way in a matter of weeks!

In the financial planning niche, affiliates include companies like online brokerages, online banks, and financial tools. These kinds of companies pay very good money if you’re willing to promote them.

While the type of affiliates you work with will vary depending on the niche you’re in, keep in mind that some companies will pay you up to $100 per conversion. It’s not too hard to start earning real money with that kind of return on your time.

If you don't believe me, check out Making Sense of Cents. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner is the entrepreneur behind this blog, and she is also the founder of a course called Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. Through her website and course sales, Michelle consistently earns over $100,000 per month. No, that is not a typo.

#5: Display Ads

Display ads are very similar to Google Adsense except that the reader doesn’t have to click on the ad for you to make money. Think of display ads as billboards that are on your website instead of on the side of the highway.

With display ads, you get paid based on the number of times your ads are viewed no matter what. For that reason, these ads will work better for you as the traffic to your website grows over time.

#6: Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is another way to earn online income if you don’t mind earning some of your money with active work. Another benefit of freelance writing is that you can gain exposure by writing for larger websites.

One of the first websites I wrote for paid me $150 per article. This wasn’t a lot of money, but I used the opportunity to improve my writing skills and get my name out there. I don’t write as much for other people anymore, but I do know plenty of freelance writers who are earning $250, $500, and even $1,000 or more per article.

Some freelance writers I know are even earning six figures or more writing from home each year. This includes blogger Holly Johnson, who earns over $200,000 per year writing articles for other websites. Johnson also offers a course you can check out if you want to become a freelance writer but need some help getting started.

#7: Getting New Clients for Your Business

When I started my blog, I envisioned my website as a marketing tool to get new clients for my financial practice planning. This strategy worked great since my online presence helped me build authority and reach people I may not have reached otherwise.

If you have a service-based business of any kind, I would absolutely suggest starting a blog or building an online presence you can use to get new clients. This can help you build your client base just like I did, and it’s a lot more fun than cold-calling or holding boring seminars.

#8: Coaching

If you have expertise in a specific field, you can also use the internet to build up a coaching business. This is something that happened on accident for me. As I built my blog and my brand, a ton of people started reaching out to me to learn how I did it and how they could apply the same ideas to their own business. While I initially gave out advice for free because I enjoyed it, I eventually started charging a consulting fee. 

How much you earn depends on the type of niche you wind up in. According to recent statistics, executive coaches make around $325 per hour while business coaches make more like $235 per hour. Life coaches, on the other hand, are able to charge approximately $160 per hour.

If you’re an expert in your field and people are constantly asking to “pick your brain,” you should start charging people . Your time is valuable and so is your advice!

#9: Selling Leads

Once I was a few years into Good Financial Cents, I started a second website called Life Insurance by Jeff. While we initially started this website to build up our own leads, we got to the point where we had so many leads we couldn’t handle them ourselves.

Eventually, I found out that a handful of insurance companies were willing to pay for leads generated through my website. These companies would pay between $35 to $100 per lead, which is insane. This was a big eye-opener for me since I had no idea this was possible.

Also note that it’s not just life insurance companies willing to pay for leads. There are a ton of different avenues and lead generation strategies out there, so make sure to consider all the possibilities.

#10: Digital Products

There are all kinds of digital products out there, but there is always room for more. I even have a few of my own!

If you sign up for my free Make 1K Challenge where I show you how to start a blog and make your first $1,000, for example, I have a $7 upgrade that includes some PDFs and behind the scenes video. While $7 doesn’t sound like a lot of money, this one product still helps me earn an additional $1,500 to $2,000 per month passively!

Another example of digital products is the wide world of printables. Lots of online entrepreneurs create digital products their customers can print at home, and they often make bank doing it. While many bloggers have their own printable budget templates, meal plans, or checklists, you can also find examples on Etsy.com.

#11: Online Courses

I’ve talked about my digital products before, but keep in mind that you can make nearly digital product on your own. It could be a PDF, a video series, or a course — whatever you think fits with your business model. Just keep in mind that you have to deliver the goods and make sure your product is high quality. If you sell crap just to make a buck, you’re going to lose street cred pretty quick.

In a post I wrote on how much YouTubers really make, I shared how some YouTube stars have courses of their own. For example, famous real estate YouTuber Graham Stephan earns a ton of cash selling real estate courses through his Real Estate Agent Academy. How does he earn so much? His courses start at $497 each. That's just one example, but there are plenty of others. 

#12: Investment Gains

Like anybody out there, you can set up an online brokerage account and buy ETFs or stocks. I’ve been able to make at least $100 per day off my investments for a long time, and this income is some of my favorite since it’s entirely passive.

Keep in mind that it’s crucial to have traditional investments in addition to an online business that can help you rack up passive income. Just open an account with Scottrade, TD Ameritrade, or another online brokerage and you’re good to go.

There are so many ways to invest online these days that there is literally no excuse not to. I am tired of the excuses, so start investing your money to grow long-term wealth today. #RantOver

#13: Peer-to-Peer Lending

I’ve been making money with peer-to-peer lending for a long time. With websites like Lending Club, borrowers and investors can connect for mutually beneficial financial transactions. On the investing side, you can invest in crowdsourced loans for individuals who need to borrow money all over the United States. Returns tend to be high on these loans, and you can use these platforms to build more passive income for yourself while also helping someone out.

Which peer-to-peer lending platforms should you sign up for? David Galland of Gallan Research dove deep into every option a few years ago. Ultimately, he said that the best peer-to-peer platforms for investors were Lending Club, Prosper, Upstart, and Funding Circle.

#14: Crowdfunded Real Estate Investing

There are a lot of real estate investing websites out there, but the one I still use to this day is Fundrise.com. With Fundrise, you add money to your account and professional investors will invest your money on your behalf and pay you dividends. If you want to invest in real estate without the hands-on hassles of being a landlord, this is a great way to get started with as little as $500.

#15: Sponsored Social Shares

Like sponsored posts on a blog, sponsored social shares take place a company pays you to post about them on social media. This could be on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other social media platform.

I don’t do much of this, but my wife gets paid some fat cash to post pictures and talk about things like furniture, rugs, and kid’s clothes. It’s almost funny to me how much money you can earn, and it is surprising the kinds of things people will pay for!

#16: Selling Stuff Online

Another way my wife makes money all the time is by selling stuff online. She normally sells our stuff online via different Facebook groups. For example, we just sold this wooden hutch someone gave her for free as part of a social media sponsorship.

If you have items to sell and don’t mind spending some time creating free ads on Facebook or a website like craigslist.org, selling stuff is a great way to use the internet to earn more money.

#17: Sell a Physical Product

Back in the day, my wife and one her business partners had a subscription box product called Happy Mommy Box. They had 1,000 customers that were paying $35 per month for these cute boxes full of products happy mommies love.

Eventually, she got overwhelmed by it all and she and her partner decided to shut the business down. However, this just goes to show what kind of opportunity is out there.

For example, several popular YouTubers have their own stores they use to sell physical products. Jeffree Star sells makeup, for example, and Jake Paul sells all kinds of fan gear through his online store. You can also head to to Etsy.com and find all kinds of entrepreneurs selling homemade soaps, unique home decor, T-shirts, and pretty much anything else you can think of.

The bottom line: Physical products can also help you earn real money, so make sure to explore the different products you could sell. This could mean drop shipping products you market as an affiliate, but it could also mean coming up with your own product to sell.

#18: YouTube Ads

Even though I used YouTube back in 2011, I didn’t even turn on ads until 2017. When I did finally turn ads on, I started making $5,000 per $6,000 per month!

YouTube ads are easy because all you have to do is turn on ads every time you publish a video. Obviously, you’ll earn more money with this strategy as you build your viewership.

#19: Buying and Selling Websites

People buy and sell websites all the time for a variety of reasons. And, if you know what to look for, it’s easy to buy websites that can help you earn some passive income over time.

Personally, I have bought several sites over the years including FinanceforTeachers.com. I haven’t done anything with the site since I bought it a year ago, but it still helps me earn $100 to $150 per month with no effort at all.

If you want to check out websites and URLs that are currently for sale, head to Flippa.com.

#20: Brand Sponsorships

This strategy runs alongside sponsored posts, but it’s much more involved. Many brands want more than a sponsored post when they work with you. In fact, they are often willing to pay for some sort of sponsorship package that includes written content, videos, social shares, and more.

I’ve done a few of these over the years, and they can be very lucrative but also a huge pain! But, if you’re willing to jump through some hoops and you have a sizeable following, you can absolutely consider brand sponsorships as yet another way to earn money online.

#21: Book or eBook

Finally, you can also consider writing a book. I wrote a book called Soldier of Finance several years ago, but I am still selling copies to this day. The growth of YouTube channel has been a big part of that, which I am eternally grateful for.

The cool thing about a book or an eBook is that, once it’s out there, you can just keep selling it over and over. Plus, you can write a book about any topic you want! If you’re interested in any topic, hobby, or idea, chances are other people are as well.

At last:

While these are some of the ways you can make money online, this list isn’t all-inclusive. We didn’t talk about Facebook ads, retail arbitrage, membership groups, or a ton of other strategies!

If you need to earn more money on the side, remember to think about all the different ways you can earn money with the internet. Even if most of these strategies don’t sound like much fun to you, chances are good that one of these ideas is perfect for your lifestyle and goals. Start earning money online and I guarantee you won’t regret it.

 ~forbes

 

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Know more about open-source software

Open-source software at its core is about collaboration among developers: it gives anyone on the internet access to an application’s code on the backend.

After WhatsApp’s privacy debacle, many of the app’s users, in a mass exodus, downloaded Signal. Signal, while offering better privacy, is also an open-source software. Open-source is a type of license that a developer can opt for to make the source-code behind their app free and publicly available to anyone on the internet to use, modify and release. The fact that Signal is open-source does give the app more credibility, but for many the same fact raised a lot of questions. While some questioned the app’s security, based on the source code being open, others pondered on the ethics around software ownership and sale.

Open-source software at its core is about collaboration among developers. Open-source software engineers post their code online because they want other developers to modify it and make it better. The most famous example being the open-source operating system Linux and its plethora of derivations and distributions. If an app is open-source, then anyone on the internet can gain access and understand how an application is coded on the backend. But by nature of the code staying free, even if hackers find a potential bug they could exploit, there will probably be many white-hat hackers—good-guy hackers, who find security vulnerabilities for the sake of reporting them to the developers—who’ll find those vulnerabilities too. And since the code is open for all, community-based patches and bug fixes can be developed and distributed very fast. This ensures that apps stay under constant community surveillance too and any nefarious data transfers or privacy breaches can be immediately identified by a community of online coders.

But one of the main benefits of open-source software, because of the nature of the practice, is that they will always be free. Open-source code means anyone with a little bit of code compilation experience can make an executable out of the source code and put it up for free. Open-source software also have many developers who volunteer their time to update, maintain and support their favourite piece of open-source software. In a nutshell, open-source software are and will always be free and they benefit from a massive online community of coders, poking and prodding them for security and privacy issues. Sounds great! Should you sign up?

Well, not all’s fine and dandy in open-source land. While you would be more secure and supporting a community of developers who believe in free software and collaboration, the quality of open-source software tends to be hit-or-miss to say the least. While there are some excellent examples of good open-source software like Ubuntu, LibreOffice, GIMP and Blender, not all open-source software tends to be good. Also, because bigger software companies have hired professionals looking into all aspects of a software’s design, development, marketing, etc, open-source software tend to be developed by independent developers, sometimes single-handedly, who don’t have access to the resources that many big software companies do. This means they usually need at least a moderate amount of troubleshooting to get everything to work right and you will see the occasional bugs pop-up from time to time.

Not everything is a buggy mess, however, and there are excellent examples of some quality software that you could use to support the community. Mozilla Firefox is an excellent browser that is completely open-source with a special focus on privacy protection. Google Chrome technically isn’t open-source even though the core that it’s made on is: Google’s Chromium project is an open-source version of Chrome without all the Google bells-and-whistles. Mozilla, on the other hand, is owned by a foundation that is built around privacy protection supported by open-source software. Mozilla, apart from Firefox, also develops Thunderbird, an email client that replaces Apple Mail, Outlook and Windows Mail. Thunderbird is also open-source and one the most popular and beloved email clients.

On the productivity side, LibreOffice is an excellent office suite. Much like Microsoft Office, LibreOffice comes fully equipped with a word processor, a spreadsheet editor, a presentation creator, and a database manager. LibreOffice is also designed well and looks great with a top aligned ribbon design which looks good albeit very similar to Office. LibreOffice is also open-source and free. Celtx is also a great open-source scriptwriting tool that replaces Final Draft on the Mac and Windows systems.

While there are plenty of options for office and home users, creative professionals are where the shortcoming in open-source software actually becomes more evident. All creative professionals who use Adobe applications will complain about them a lot, but would never trade Adobe applications for any open-source option. This is not because open-source software in these categories are bad; in fact, over the years programmes like GIMP, Inkscape and Blender have become powerful alternatives to their Adobe counterparts. GIMP is an open-source image processor, while Inkscape is a vector illustration tool and Blender is used for 3D modelling. All of these programmes have grown over complexity and feature-set and in 2021, they’re very close to what Adobe programmes can do.

Regardless to say, Adobe remains king when it comes to creative production software. Not only owing to the quality of these products, each individual software works seamless with each other and their files. Many creative professionals will be working on various different programmes for specific tasks and with Adobe’s catalogue of software, they usually have a well-designed, developed and professional software for all of these tasks; having different components play together well is paramount in creative workflows. Although Adobe applications are great, they don’t come cheap and for $52.99/month, they better be perfect (which, sadly, they are not). Which is why even though I encountered some bugs, crashes and freezes with GIMP and Inkscape, they’re more understandable when it comes for free.

There are plenty of smaller open-source software like Signal out there too and if you look around a little, you’ll find open-source alternatives for almost all of the applications you use. You might even be using a few open-source applications right now without even realising it.

~prajesh

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Top 25 Websites to Learn Coding for Free

Learning to code has grown over the years from just a hobby to a career. Today, you can learn coding online, entirely for free. Gone are the days where knowing a programming language was reserved for the select few, or cost quite a hefty amount of money.

Even if you have no desire to go into the development field, learning a programming language can be very beneficial:

  • It’ll help you better manage websites
  • It’ll reduce reliance on an outside developer for your own projects
  • It’ll give you the freedom to build apps, websites, and other projects with ease

Whether you want to start your own career as a programmer, learn how to build websites, or create projects for fun, this post is for you. Now, let’s dive into the best places online where you can learn to code for free.

Here are 25 sites to learn to code for free:

1. BitDegree

BitDegree offers a ton of free courses that range from programming to game development.

They offer standard online courses and gamified courses. Gamified courses help to bring achievements and interaction into the learning process. All you have to do is choose your language and start learning.

There are a variety of programming languages covered, but the most popular ones are highlighted below:

  • HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript, SQL, JQuery

BitDegree also does something unique by incorporating blockchain into the education process. There are transparent rewards and an achievement system that helps businesses recruit tech talent, and measure course success.

2. Coursera

Coursera provides coding-based courses, tutorials, and resources taught by professors at leading universities. You’ll find hundreds of different coding-related courses to choose from.

To develop these courses, they partnered with some of the best teachers at top-tier universities. This means you learn how to code from some of the best resources out there. Every course on the site is completely free, but, if you want to receive a certification you’ll have to pay for it.

You’ll find a variety of courses available like:

  • Python, Java, HTML and CSS, IoT programming, C language
  • Introduction to programming

3. Code Academy

Code Academy is one of the most popular sites where people learn to code for free. More than 24 million people have learned to code using this platform.

They offer courses ranging from introductory programming to more advanced languages. The interactive learning approach lets you immediately apply what you’ve learned. There are over 300 million hours of free coding content available to take you from complete beginner to working programmer.

Some of the languages you’ll be able to learn at Code Academy include:

  • HTML, JavaScript, CSS, jQuery, PHP, Python, Ruby

There are several other courses available as well, but the languages above are the core focus.

4. edX

edX is a massive open-source higher education learning platform. It currently has a network of over 5 million students.

The site is broken down into many different categories that extend far beyond programming. Since you’re here to learn to code, you’ll find the most value in the ‘Computer Science’ category.

Here you’ll find tutorials that teach you languages and skills like:

  • HTML and CSS, Java, jQuery, C++, C#, Python, SQL
  • Mobile app development

There are also paid courses available, but there are enough free educational materials to teach you the basics of coding.

5. Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a massive online learning platform. It’s a great place to start developing a wealth of coding-related knowledge and skills. You’ll find courses and tutorials that range from computer programming basics, all the way up to advanced applications.

All courses are taught by experts. However, students are encouraged to share what they’ve learned throughout the process. With Khan Academy, you’ll be able to learn and pick up programming languages like:

  • HTML, CSS, Javascript, Databases

There are also foundational courses that teach you the philosophy and skills behind computer programming as a whole.

6. Codewars

Codewars teaches you your desired programming language via a series of challenges. These code challenges draw from martial arts as each challenge is referred to as a kata.

The goal of each challenge is to help you sharpen your existing skills with a certain programming language or to learn a new one from scratch.

As you progress through each kata, the challenges get tougher and tougher. Once a challenge is complete, you’re able to see how your solution stacks up to others. This will show you different techniques for solving certain development problems.

Some of the languages you can learn with Codewars include:

  • Java, Javascript, C#, Ruby, Python
  • SQL

7. Code.org

Code.org is built with the goal of making programming a part of the regular education curriculum. Over a million people have used this site to further their programming knowledge and skills.

The education approach you take is up to you. You can dive into the one-hour tutorials, or take a more structured approach.

There’s also a large catalog of courses that are broken down by ages ranging from K-5, 6-12, and even University level.

8. Udemy

Udemy is an online education portal that offers thousands of courses. There are a lot of paid courses on the platform, but you’ll also find plenty of free ones as well. Plus, there are always coupons and specials where you can find discounts and even free versions of paid courses.

You’ll find plenty of development courses, where you can learn things like:

  • Web development
  • Game development
  • Mobile application development
  • eCommerce site creation
  • All the programming languages you could ever want

9. Dash General Assembly

Dash is a free online course that’ll teach you the basics of web development, all within your web browser.

You’ll learn the basics of HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript, and how these languages work together to create beautiful, modern websites. In addition, it asks you to build a series of small projects that integrate together at the end to show you how to create a website of your own.

With Dash, you’ll come away with an understanding of the bigger picture of website development. It’s a great place for beginners with no previous development experience.

10. Free Code Camp

Free Code Camp is all about creating real-life relationships and building a community around programming education. It provides the chance to learn coding by participating in various challenges. You’ll get access to programming tutorials and courses to help you complete each challenge.

Once you have some skills you’ll be able to apply this to the real-world by building tradable projects and coding for non-profits. Some of the languages and skills covered include:

  • HTML5CSS3, Javascript, Node.js, React.js, D3.js
  • Databases
  • Git and Github

Best of all, you won’t be coding alone. There’s a community forum with others who are learning alongside you. And you have the option to meet other coders who live in your city to chat or exchange knowledge.

11. Code Conquest

Code Conquest is a great platform that’ll help you learn the basics of coding. Even if you’ve never written a line of code in your life, this platform will help you get started from square one.

It’s designed to walk you through the process of:

  1. Learning what coding is
  2. Choosing which languages to learn
  3. Knowing how to improve your knowledge and skills
  4. Applying these skills to real-life problems

On the site, you’ll find a variety of tutorials that’ll help you learn programming languages like:

  • HTML and CSS, Javascript, PHP, Ruby, jQuery
  • Python, MySQL

In addition to everything above, you’ll also receive specific recommendations to extend your education with different tools and platforms.

12. MIT Open Courseware

The OpenCourseWare Initiative brings all of MIT’s undergraduate and graduate courses online. Even without getting into MIT you can get an MIT-level education, provided you have the motivation to complete the work.

Computer science is just one of the many available subjects. You can go through the degree program, or take individual courses.

For example, you’ll find a variety of introductory computer programming courses like Python, C and C++, and Java.

13. The Odin Project

The Odin Project takes all the guesswork out of learning web development. When you’re trying to learn to program on your own it can be difficult to put all the skills you’re learning together.

You know the pieces to the puzzle, but you can’t quite figure out where they go. This platform has created a logical process from the best educational sources available on the web. Furthermore, you will learn to build projects along the way and have an active community to help you through the process.

You’ll learn programming languages and techniques like:

  • HTML and CSS, Git, Javascript, Ruby and Ruby on Rails
  • Databases
  • How to get hired with your newfound skills

14. W3Schools

W3Schools come equipped with coding tutorials, resources, examples, and exercises to help you learn to code. Their slogan is ‘The World’s Largest Web Developer Site,’ and it doesn’t disappoint.

Start by choosing the programming language of your choice. Then either jump right into the program or select from different learning options. You can begin with a short quiz to see how much you already know and where a good place to start would be. Or jump right in and test yourself with short examples and reviewing exercises.

W3Schools offers a wide range of languages such as:

  • HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL and PHP
  • Python and Java
  • C++  and C#
  • And more

15. Hackr.io

Right away you can see that Hackr.io has numerous programming languages you can learn. After selecting the course you want to take, it will first direct you to a list of tutorials where you will be able to filter the course to your liking.  You can select free or paid, as well as, beginner or advanced, and in which language you would like to be taught.

Some of their best programming courses and tutorials include:

  • Python, JavaScript  and Java, Android Development
  • C and C++, PHP
  • Data Structures and Algorithms
  • And many more

In addition, Hackr.io has a Blog giving tips on different coding languages as well as answering questions their users ask. Plus, the Roadmaps section takes you on a recommended learning path for you to learn the right skills in a structured manner. Roadmap helps people who have no idea where to start to achieve their goal.

16. Bento.io

Bento.io prides itself on helping other developers out. They believe that you shouldn’t have to pay to learn to code and want to provide you with all the coding knowledge that you need to succeed.

Its modern dashboard starts you off with a feed containing all the topics and tasks you are interested in. Making it easy for you to pick up where you left off, or move on to a different topic. It also shows you what your current learning plan is and what you have coming up next.

The tutorials are organized into tracks and allow you to see an overview, how much time it will take, and if you’ve already started or completed it. It even recommends what you should try learning next.

Topics that Bento.io currently offer online are:

  • HTML, CSS, JavaScript
  • Git, Python, SQL
  • Shell,Flask
  • Heroku

Not only does Bento.io provide its own material, but it has a page of links to other sites if you are looking for more information. You can simply search the topic you need and find more websites with a different take on the information.

17. Code Avengers

Code Avengers takes an interactive and fun approach to learn to code and program. There are a variety of courses that’ll teach you how to code websites, apps, and even games.

Each course on the site will take 12 hours to complete and is available in a multitude of different languages. Plus, there’s a community filled with programming experts to support you.

With Code Avengers you’ll learn languages and skills like:

  • HTML, CSS, Python
  • Javascript, jQuery
  • Web Development

There is a 7-day free trial that’ll help you determine if it’s worth investing in the entire program.

18. Solo Learn

Solo Learn is a free website that offers a handful of different programming languages. One of the best parts is that is mobile-friendly. The app is used just as much as the website.

In the Solo Learn Playground, there is an area to share the code you are working on and have other people collaborate. They can offer suggestions or get inspiration from your code or idea.

Some of the courses Solo Learn offer are:

  • Ruby, jQuery, Swift 4 Fundamentals
  • HMTL, CSS, PHP, SQL
  • C / C# / C++
  • JavaScript, Python

In addition, you can check out Solo Learn’s blog and read recent news on apps, technology, and tips for learning to code.

19. Google Android Training

Created by the Google Developers Training team, what better way to learn how to code and gain a Google Developers Certification, than from the experts themself.

With web fundamentals, you can check out coding tutorials, guides, and the best practices for building your web knowledge. It also offers tools like Chrome DevTools, Lighthouse, Workbox, and more, to make learning easier.

Since the site is oriented towards intermediate and advanced developers, you’ll want to have a grasp of the basics before you get started.

Programs include:

  • Android development
  • Web development
  • Firebase
  • Machine learning
  • Tensor Flow

You can also get involved in other projects and provide feedback to other students. The community approach is all about helping each other succeed.

20. Upskill

Upskill is a free online boot camp that’ll take you from beginner to advanced developer. The main focus of the course is teaching you web development, and it’s a great place to start, even if you have no experience.

You’ll learn coding skills such as:

  • WordPress plugin development
  • WordPress best practices
  • Javascript
  • HTML5 and CSS3
  • PHP
  • MySql
  • Node.js
  • Ruby on Rails

The curriculum is 100% project-based, which means that you’ll be building a real-world portfolio as you progress through the course.

21. Plural Sight

Plural Sight, formally known as Code School, is an online learning platform that offers both free and paid courses. The platform is organized into different learning paths and defined by languages and skills. Their approach to education is laid out as follows:

  1. You choose your education path that’s created by professional instructors and work through the material.
  2. You practice what you’ve learned directly in your browser window and get immediate feedback.
  3. You rack up points as you complete each course level.
  4. You monitor your progress and keep track of all your achievements, badges earned, and material consumed.

Some of the learning tracks offered include:

  • CSS and HTML, Javascript
  • Ruby, Elixir, PHP, Python
  • iOS
  • Databases

22. Codeasy.net

Codeasy.net offers a very unique and fun way to learn how to code. You’ll be immersed in an adventure story that requires real-life programming skills to navigate your way through.

Throughout the story, you’ll be taught the basics of C#, all the way up to more advanced topics and functions. It’s designed with complete beginners in mind, so you don’t need any knowledge of software development to get started.

The best part about this educational experience is that it doesn’t feel like you’re learning. Your goal is to save the world from a machine invasion, and you’ll use your newly acquired coding skills to do it.

23. Hack.pledge ()

Hack.pledge () is a community made up of seasoned developers, who can share their knowledge and mentor the next generation of programmers. Here, you can perfect your development skills by learning from some of the top developers in the field.

To get started you’ll sign the pledge, committing yourself to master craftsmanship in software development. Inside you’ll have access to a wealth of information that’ll help you step up your coding abilities.

Aside from learning, you’ll have the ability to connect with mentors who are currently at the top of their field.

24. aGupieWare

aGupieWare is a free online curriculum based on courses offered by MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Berkeley, Stanford, and Columbia. In this program, you’ll find 15 different courses which are further broken down into 3 introductory classes, 7 core classes, and 5 electives.

This course is a great place to build a solid programming foundation. You’ll learn skills like:

  • Computer science
  • Swift programming
  • Python
  • Security testing
  • Linux
  • Hacking

25. Edabit

Edabit takes a slightly different approach to learn to code. Instead of coding tutorials or courses where you watch a video and then try to repeat it yourself, Edabit offers bite-sized challenges so that you can practice your abilities.

With popular programming languages like:

  • C# and C++
  • Java and JavaScript
  • PHP
  • Python
  • Ruby
  • Swift

Simply register for the free site and access the online challenges immediately. You can choose your level from very easy to expert. The Shuffle page generates a random unsolved challenge for you, right away. Spending an hour of coding on this website will quickly turn into 5 hours.

Conclusion

Learning to code used to mean hours and hours of expensive education. But, with all of the free coding resources available today you can learn to program in record time, with zero money up-front.

Of course, there is a multitude of paid programs and courses available as well. But the free resources are more than enough to get you started and develop the foundational knowledge to succeed as a programmer.

You don’t have to go through every single course or program on the list above, but instead, pick the ones that seem the most exciting and dive in.

Have any questions, tips, or tricks about code learning? Share them with us in the comments below.

~Hostinger