At a garage sale, I stumbled upon the “Smith-Corona Ten-Day Touch Typing Course” – a gem from 1961 that includes a workbook and five records to accompany the lessons. It boasts that you will “hear it on the first day…type it perfectly on the 10th…on a Smith-Corona Portable “(i.e. manual, non-electric typewriter). I can just picture the teen girls sitting by their phonograph pecking away.
Besides the nostalgic rush that it gave me, it highlighted that we have been learning at home for decades. Most people continue to learn well beyond their formal schooling, but instead of doing it with 33-1/3 RPM records, now we count on sites like Acumen+, Udemy, Udacity or edX to provide how-to lessons for millions.
The desire for practical education has always been present (and hopefully always will be). Whether it be a language, DIY home skill, crafting, business expertise, food preparation or something else, I hope you carve out a slice of time this weekend to learn something new. If you can learn to type in 10-days with no visual aids, just think of what an interactive online class can provide for you. The world awaits!
