DIGITAL LEARNING FOR FREE (ALMOST)

“Learn at least one thing new today before going to sleep at the end of the day.”

- Jun Asis

One of the things I have vowed to do daily before I go to sleep is to know at least one thing I have not known before. I never let a day pass without learning something new. This is not limited to my chosen interests but it covers any good information under the sun. Whether it is about the internet, positive thinking, technology, business, entrepreneurship, Christian living, good values, parenting or education, there are readily available ways for me to learn.

I describe my self as a digital learner. I use the technology and information available to fill my thirst of learning. It is not expensive to learn with technology, as many people think. It will entail some cost but for the most part, but it will be more costly in the long run if you do not learn. With the strides in digital realm, learn can be free. Well, almost.

EBOOKS. These are the digital equivalent of books. If you have a computer or PDA, these are great resources of information. Most of my ebooks are free and many of them can be freely distributed for free. Just google ebook , and plenty of hits will come your way. Or you can go to www.gutenberg.org for public domain books that you can download for free.

AUDIO BOOKS AND PODCASTS: Most would think of music when they hear of MP3s. Aside from music, a lot of books are in mp3 format. Also, there are a lot of podcasts (downloadable audio on the fly with the proper software) which are very helpful and informative. These cover about anything under the sun. Many radio programs of various interests do podcasts. Moreover, a good percentage of them can be played (and replayed) in an mp3 player. You can listen to them at your convenience. One notable podcast is www.StartupNation.com, about small business, how to start it and how to run it successfully. I find their ideas and insights quite invaluable.

I invested in a 256MB mp3 player and have used it extensively while driving to the office, walking or working. It cost me PHP3,700 because I also use it as a USB flash drive (instead of the less reliable, clunkier, less-than-sturdy diskette). For those who will use it solely for listening, a 128MB mp3 player is enough, and will cost about PHP1,500 up. If you have not saved that amount yet, listen using the computer.

EMAIL. Instead of reading chain letters, hoaxes, get-rich-quick offers (which are always spam mail anyway) and urban legends, I subscribe to several newsletters and e-zines (e-magazine). I subscribe to Chicken Soup for the Soul, success and self-help, spiritual direction and reflection about the faith, business, marketing, selling and humor. I don’t get to read them all everyday, but refer to them on a regular basis. Some even offer free email courses.

Also I send out a regular email about positive attitude and success and entrepreneurship weekly. Email me with SUBSCRIBE as the subject at magandang[dot]balita[at]gmail.com if you want to join the list. I will send you a free ebook, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill or As A Man Thinketh by James Allen just for joining.

WEBSITES AND BLOGS. If you just know where to look, I dare say 95% of the information you need is on the web. Frequent websites that inform and educate. Go to blogs of those you trust, who talk sense, whose opinions and insights matter. Aside from the mainstream news portals such as CNN, Yahoo and MSN, there are a lot of other websites that can teach you what you want to learn. What’s more, there are those that specifically cater to the topics of your choice.

I must make a precaution here. There are a lot of websites which may mislead and give false information. Be careful where you go. One of the things I do before trusting a site is searching for the background of that site (or author). Read what others say about it and then judge using your mind and heart.

Listed below are some of the sites I trust. I will be writing more about them in detail in succeeding posts:

Bizdrivenlife.net
Sme.com.ph
Briantracyintl.com
Jimrohn.com
Dailyscriptures.net
Startupnation.com

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS. Despite being a digital learner, I still consider books as the most common source of knowledge. I still read books a lot. I’ve had lots of books but I hardly felt the dent in my pocket. Why? Because I bought pre-owned books, borrowed, swapped and went to the library. My new books comprise just about 10% of my collection. If you are not sure where to start, subscribe to Reader’s Digest. It has variety, culture, science, humor, fiction, inspirational articles and a lot more. And even if it gets old, you’ll find that you can re-read it. And if you have children, it could prove to be invaluable to them in their school work,

Learning must not stop once you leave school. It does not have to cause major damage to your budget (though you should consider investing in learning). Use what is available. Be a digital learner today.