I realized recently that it has been longer than usual since I have posted anything related to language learning here on Mission to Learn. Here’s a great guest post from Karen Schweitzer to fill that gap - JTC Reading from a textbook isn’t the only way to learn a foreign language. The web offers a number of free tools that can be used to enhance the learning experience inside and outside the classroom. Here are 15 language learning tools to try today: VerbaLearn - VerbaLearn is an excellent vocabulary tool for English language learners. It can be customized so that students can practice the words they need to practice and skip the ones they are already familiar with. Popling - Popling is a unique way to learn a language without intense study. This free web app sends random questions and flashcards to your computer screen so that you can learn new vocab words while you work on other things. Foreign Language Flashcards - This site provides free picture flashcards for visual learners who are trying to master a foreign language. Other resources include free foreign language learning guides, downloads, and a flashcard maker. Quizlet - Quizlet can be used to create and share flashcards. It is a wonderful tool for learning new vocabulary words. Lingolook - Lingolook is a foreign language phrasebook application that works with iPhone. The app isn’t free, but it is cheap. For less than $5, students can download it and learn all of the most important phrases used while traveling. Byki - This personalized language learning system can be downloaded for free. It is available in 70 different languages and includes tools to help people permanently memorize vocabulary words and phrases. eduFire - eduFire provides a wide range of video flashcards for foreign language learners. Cards are rated for difficulty and content so that students and teachers can quickly find what they are looking for. Livemocha - Livemocha offers the opportunity for learners to study and practice a language at their own pace. The site can also be used to connect with foreign language learners around the world. MyHappyPlanet - This social language learning site is perfect for students who want to meet new friends and practice a foreign language with native speakers. MyHappyPlanet also provides free videos from fluent speakers and member-created language lessons. italki - This free foreign language site can be used to find a language teacher or practice online with a language partner. italki also offers free language questions and the ability to ask questions about something you don’t understand. VoxSwap - VoxSwap is a social network for learning languages. The site introduces visitors to new people and language learners around the world. LingoPass - LingoPass is a unique site for language learners. Every time users share their language, they receive a free, one-week membership that can be used to attend any of LingoPass’ online language lessons. LingvoSoft Online - This site offers a number of free online language tools for learners, including a free online phrasebook, free flashcards, and free online dictionaries. MindTools - MindTools provides an excellent guide to learning foreign languages. The guide includes information about different systems and effective mnemonics. Babel Fish - This free online translator from Yahoo! can quickly translate text from one language into another. Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online degree programs for OnlineDegreePrograms.org. P.S. - Do you have others to add? Please comment and share them! Related posts:5 Free Web Tools for Learning a Language Collaboratively 25 Free Online Resources and Web Apps for Lifelong Learners 20 Language Links from the Free Learning Monitor

I had set out to do a year end post on charitable giving when I ran across the following image on Mint.com. There is some good information in it. There is also considerable room for critique and debate, as reflected in the comments on the Mint.com site. I post it here not so much for the specific data that it contains - which is all U.S.-based - but rather to support the idea of charitable giving in general. Even so, there are a couple of pieces of the data that struck me: Those who earn less than $20K annually give twice as much as a percentage of income as those who earn $100K Conservatives give more than liberals I don’t have hard data to back up my musings, but my general understanding is that higher income tends to correlate with higher levels of formal education, and that "liberalism" also tends to rise among the highly educated. Which leads me to wonder - as many have before - whether too much emphasis on formally educating the mind doesn’t perhaps pose some dangers for the soul. (As always, I do not equate formal education and true learning.) budget planner - Mint.com No related posts.

As much as I am a fan of learning, I’ve also become more and more aware that I often don’t need to learn anything new. I simply need to recognize what I already know and do something about it. I need to act on the obvious. This means, among other things, that … … I need to unsubscribe from all those e-mail newsletters that I haven’t read for months (or that somehow, mysteriously started arriving in my inbox) … ditto for all of the blogs I am subscribed to but never read … I really need to re-read at least one book from the past for every two or three new books I read … I need to take my own advice and be consistent about taking notes and reviewing them … I need to take my own advice about asking "Why?" more often. (A lesson my toddler son is really schooling me in these days!) … I need to stop checking e-mail every ten minutes … I need to make reflection a more consistent habit … I need to stop piling up things I know I am never really going to read, listen to, etc. … I need to be more consistent about filing and bookmarking the things I do plan to read or reference later … I … well, you get the point. The above, highly-incomplete list applies only to my learning and productivity habits. I could go on and on about other areas of my life. What about you? A new year is around the corner. No better time than the present to act on the obvious. Jeff Related posts:5 Powerful Reasons to Make Reflection a Daily Learning Habit, and How to Do It

I’ve just published the year-end edition of the Learning Monitor, my twice-quarterly round-up of learning resources, news, and insights.  If you haven’t tried out the Monitor yet, this is a great time to start. It’s free, it delivers valuable content, and you can unsubscribe with a click if you decide it’s not for you. What have you got to lose? Here are just a few samples from the Learning Smorgasbord, which features nearly two dozen other great resources. Subscribe to the Learning Monitor and you will automatically receive the latest edition. Khan Academy The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere. We have 1000+ videos on YouTube covering everything from basic arithmetic and algebra to differential equations, physics, chemistry, biology and finance which have been recorded by Salman Khan.  Via GOOD Blog *** A good service from Wild Apricot: 32 Free Webinars for Nonprofits - January 2010 Coming out of the holiday season, I thought we might find January a slow month for free web-based professional development opportunities for nonprofit folks — but, in fact, with 33 different webinars in the list, this month’s round-up of training events is larger than ever! *** 8 Services to Start Your Learnstream Flowing From LearnStreaming: There are many services that you could include in your learnstream.  Here’s a post to get you started on some of the basic services to consider for your learnstream.  I listed a couple of options for most services (my primary is listed 1st). *** TranslationZilla Compare your language skills with your friends with this online language game. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to subscribe Jeff Related posts:35+ Delicious Learning Links - a new Monitor is out! Are You Missing Out on These Two Great Values? 20 Language Links from the Free Learning Monitor

[tweetmeme] Not too long ago I published the all-time top 10 posts on Mission to Learn based on the number of page views those posts have received. Getting a lot of page views is great - it means a lot of people are visiting the site - but the posts that are the most popular aren’t necessarily my favorites. Here, in no particular order, are 10 I’ve published over the years that haven’t made it into the ranks of the most popular but nonetheless rank very high in my own heart and mind: Is Your Brain In a Box? My take on some of the major myths and misunderstandings surrounding the human brain. What Have I Learned at Work and the related When’s the last time you asked why? These two post are connected by the idea that we could all probably stand to apply a bit more critical thinking - and action - in our everyday lives. Taking Notes(s) and the related Are You a Miner? The Power of Revisiting Your Notes I recently wrote a brief post entitled "Acting on the Obvious." These two posts definitely fall in that camp. Taking notes and reviewing them are among the simple learning habits we too often ovelook. About Memory - Podcast with Fiona McPherson (Two Parts) I’ve done quite a few Radio Free Learning podcasts here on Mission to Learn, and I encourage you to check them all out if you haven’t already. This two-part series with memory expert Fiona McPherson is my personal favorite, however. If you have the least interest in how memory works and how you might improve your own, this is a must-listen. 3 Key Practices of the Sophisticated Learner The Sophists, a misunderstood and maligned group of Greek philosophers, have had a peculiar amount of influence in my life. In this post I apply "sophisticated," in its true sense, to the practice of learning. A Short Collection of Powerful But Under Appreciated Learning Strategies Anyone who has spent much time here on Mission to Learn knows I believe our most important learning happens outside the classroom. Here are some ways to power up your learning in everyday life. 7 LinkedIn Tactics for Lifelong Learning I wrote this post quite a while ago, but I think LinkedIn has still not made much progress towards being appreciated as a learning tool. Here are 7 ways it can be used. 5 Themes for the Web 2.0 Learner Some good comments on this one have been lost as a result of server crash a while back, but the thoughts in it are foundational to my view of learning here at Mission to Learn. I welcome any thoughts you have on the topic. There you have it. I hope you enjoy these, and thanks for reading Mission to Learn. Jeff Related posts:About Memory, Part II - Podcast with Fiona McPherson 25+ Sites and Tools to Exercise Your Brain About Memory, Part I - Podcast with Fiona McPherson

A couple of posts back I wrote about Acting on the Obvious. Well, one of the obvious things in my own life is that I have not been able to give Mission to Learn the attention I’d like to lately, and it’s probably time to take a brief break rather than trying to "phone it in." This approach also happens to jibe with what I have written before about reflection and under-appreciated learning strategies. So…  I am going to take my own advice and sign off until sometime the week of February 8. But before I go … Sincere thanks to everyone who visits the site, and in particular, to subscribers. Visits and subscriptions have both nearly quadrupled over the course of the past year, and it’s been truly great to hear from others who are on mission to learn. I wish you all the best with your learning efforts in this new year. And while I am gone … If you happen to show up here for the first time or are a regular with some time on your hands, you may want to check out the recent 10 Most Popular Posts of All Time on Mission to Learn or 10 Personal Favorites from the M2L Archives. Or maybe listen to some Radio Free Learning podcasts or subscribe to the Learning Monitor. I am also happy to accept guest posts while I’m off. But better yet … There are so many great other blogs to visit, so I’d like to suggest a few. In 2009, I had the great fortune to participate in uber-blogger Leo Babauta’s A-List Blogging Bootcamp as part of my own personal development.  As a result, I’ve become aware of a number of great bloggers who are really dedicated to learning how to be even better bloggers. Here are a few that have jumped out at me and/or I thought might be of particular interest to readers here. I’d encourage you to pay them a visit. Self Development Mary Jaksch: Goodlife Zen Mary is Leo’s sidekick in the Bootcamp as well as on Write to Done.  I particularly recommend her recent post The Ultimate Personal Growth Guide: 100 Best Posts Justin Dixon:  http://alittlebetter.net Arvind Devalia: Make It Happen Karlil: Personal Development Pro Lodewijk van den Broek: How to Be an Original Patrick Stoeckman: Unwrap Your Mind Vin Miller:  NaturalBias.com beth vendryes williams: Make art. Transform life Business and Career Jeffrey Tang: The Art of Great Things Jane Cavanaugh: Life Work Blog Lifestyle Lisa: Life of Privilege Bill Wilson: Wine for Newbies This list isn’t even close to complete, but I don’t want to overwhelm you with too long a list. Have fun exploring, and I’ll "see" you in a few weeks. Jeff P.S. - I don’t have any sort of affiliate or other business relationship with the A-list Blogging Bootcamp. I am just a participant, a fan, and a "customer evangelist." If you are serious about growing your own blog in 2010, it’s definitely worth a look. No related posts.

I consider myself a relatively careful reader. I take little notes in the margins. Dog-ear important pages. Maybe jot a few things down in a notebook as I go along. And yet I am stunned whenever I happen to go back to a book for a second or even a third time how little I remember of the contents. I’m not talking about reading to study for a test, mind you. I can usually retain what I need to long enough for that sort of thing.  And besides, the days of having to take anything other than self-imposed tests are long behind me. No, I am talking about the book that I put on my list because I thought it sounded really interesting. The book I devoured over the course of a week or so and then place dutifully on those shelves my wife and I were so thrilled to have built in our living room. A year later, if I happen to pick up that same book, I am lucky if I can remember the first thing about it. For example, I had this experience recently with Steven Pinker’s How the Mind Works. Ironic. Apparently the mind doesn’t work all that well over the long haul. So here’s what I plan to do: re-read regularly. Yes, I know there are all sorts of tips out there about retaining more of what you read.  Josh Kauffman, for instance, highlights some valuable ones over on The Personal MBA blog as does Tim Ferris on his blog. Useful stuff in certain situations, but a great deal of my reading is purely for the pleasure of it, and while I most definitely want to learn from it, I don’t want to become obsessive and make it into a chore. So, I’m going to re-read. Specifically, as a reader suggested on a Pick the Brain post on lifelong learning I did a while back, I’m going to re-read an old book for every three or so new books I read. I’m also going to start noting down what I have read and when - inspired by a friend who always writes the place and date of the things he reads in the front of the book. I’m not sure how much that will help, but I am betting it will help quite a bit. What do you think? Is re-reading part of your learning habit? What helps you retain what you read? Jeff [tweetmeme] P.S. - If you are interested in memory, you may also want to see my earlier series on 5 Key Paths to Improving Memory as well as my podcast with Fiona McPherson from About Memory. Related posts:About Memory, Part II - Podcast with Fiona McPherson Are You a Miner? The Power of Revisiting Your Notes 25+ Sites and Tools to Exercise Your Brain

I was gearing up to head to DC for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) annual Technology Conference today when word came that the event had been canceled. Snow has pretty much shut down DC, or at the very least, flights into DC. It’s a conference I happen to like a lot, so I was bummed to hear the news - until things took an interesting turn. Namely, as the original Technology Conference was put on ice (so to speak), #UNTECH10 - The Unofficial Alternative to the Canceled Tech10, was already in the works. As a result, folks who are in DC will be meeting up in-person at the Renaissance Hotel and those who are not in DC will be able to participate virtually. I’ve already written about this over on the Tagoras blog, but I just had to mention it here on Mission to Learn because it seems so highly relevant to … well, the mission to learn. It’s such a great example of: Learners seizing the reins of their own learning Taking great advantage of what social media and other Web 2.0 technologies make possible for learning Blending both formal and informal learning experiences And probably most of all, I like it because it involves taking some risks - always a great catalyst for learning. Folks could have just walked away with a "better luck next year" attitude, but they didn’t and I think some congrats are in order: Kudos to Maddie Grant and Lindy Dreyer of SocialFish and their co-organizers for seeing an opportunity and sticking their necks out. (Yes, if this works out they will look like a million bucks, but of course, there was no guarantee it would work out and pulling it together is a lot of work.) Kudos to ASAE for stepping back and letting members and volunteers roll with it. I have no idea what the thought processes or discussion were at ASAE, but this is one of those situations where the big organization could have strong armed things and either tried to run the alternate show itself or tried to quash it. It doesn’t look like ASAE plans to do either. (And see Peggy Hoffman’s post on the value of volunteers in this situation.) Kudos to everyone who is signing up to participate or stepping up to present and provide content - particularly those who may be trying out this sort of learning experience for the first time. I’ll be "there" of course, and I hope some readers here will join me. The conference site is at http://untech10.conferencespot.org/ and if you happen to actually be in DC, you can sign up for the face-to-face part. Whether or not this event falls in your area of interest, what are your experiences with "unconference" learning events of this type? Please comment and share! [tweetmeme] P.S. - I put this sort of thing under the Learning 2.0 umbrella. If you are interested in Learning 2.0 - i.e., blending of the social Web and all it enables with more traditional learning approaches - you might be interested in the free eBook Learning 2.0 for Associations. No related posts.

I mentioned back in the fall that I had enrolled in Leo Babauta’s A-List Blogging Bootcamp in an effort to take my blogging to the next level. For those of you not familiar with Leo, he is the creator of Zen Habits, a blog he took from 0 to 150,000 subscribers in the span of about two years. Bottom line: Leo knows a thing or two about blogging, and better yet, he is dedicated to teaching others. Tomorrow TODAY (Saturday, Feb 13) Leo’s current bootcamp "How to Create a Blog that Rocks" will kick off at 5PM eastern with a live Webinar. If you are really serious about building and growing a blog, I’d be hard pressed to come up with a better place to start. When you sign up for the bootcamp, you get: direct access to Leo’s tremendously valuable knowledge and insights through a high quality series of lessons and Webinars; access to a great network of other bloggers who will be one of your best resources going forward; high quality interaction with Leo himself and his Bootcamp partner Mary Jaksch (also a highly successful blogger at Goodlife Zen and Write to Done). Like most things of this sort (or at least ones run by people who know what they are doing), you get lots of great free learning content simply by signing up to get more information. Even if you don’t sign on for the full Bootcamp, it’s worth at least signing up for more info on A-List Blogging Bootcamps to get the freebies. There are, of course, other ways to go about this. Leo’s course costs money, so you could opt for going out and finding free resources instead. In fact, I strongly encourage you to do that - you will learn a lot and make some great connections in the process. I did that for years to great benefit, but I found that when I finally connected in to the well organized set of resources and the great connections that Leo and Mary provide, the impact was much higher than anything I had been able to do on my own. Since signing on and starting to follow Leo and Mary’s advice my subscriptions and traffic here on Mission to Learn have gone up by 50 percent, and they have more than doubled on my personal blog. For the cynical out there - or more positively, those of you who are applying your critical thinking skills -  yes, the links I am giving you here are affiliate links. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was not an affiliate, but that was because there was not an affiliate program. As soon as Leo and Mary started one, I signed up right away. This is a program I believe in, and if it can produce a little income to cover hosting and other expenses here on Mission to Learn, so much the better. Really, if you are serious about blogging, check out How to Create a Blog That Rocks Jeff P.S. - I’ll be in the forums at the Bootcamp myself helping to answer questions and provide guidance to new bloggers. I hope to see you there! Related posts:The Short Goodbye 5 Learning Games for Climate Change - Blog Action Day

It’s incredibly easy to waste a lot of time on the Web by reading random blog posts, poking around on Twitter, watching videos, or succumbing to any number of other temptations. I try to avoid this sort of Web grazing as much as possible, but I realized recently that I have probably been too careful in avoiding it - my stock of ideas was starting to seem a bit depleted. So, this  morning I set aside some time specifically for that purpose.  Primarily, I spent a good bit of time sifting through posts in my Google Reader and a couple of discussion groups to see where they led. As a result, I came up with: At least three to four decent ideas for blog posts - and probably more as the various ideas I gathered percolate An eBook on pricing that helped me get me unstuck on an article I have been writing  - and will also probably help me solve some pricing challenges I have been wrestling with for a while. (Via Seth Godin. If pricing is a topic you care about, this is a gem.) A business model idea that may be just the ticket for a new initiative I have been pondering Great follow up notes (on a member-only discussion board) to help me review and synthesize some of what I learned at a recent conference A good example/idea to pass on to some of my clients that sell online learning All of that came from maybe 20 minutes or so of random poking around. Okay - maybe not entirely random in this case, since I started with blogs already saved in my Google Reader and discussion boards to which I already belong.  But the lesson I take from it is that I need to be more consistent about carving out some time just to poke around and generate ideas. It’s still easy to get carried away and waste a lot of time, of course, but if you set a time limit for yourself (use a timer if you have to!), you’ll probably be amazed at how much you can get out of 20-30 minutes. Maybe I’ll keep doing this on Saturday mornings; maybe I’ll pick another day - don’t know yet. But in any case, I plant to make it a more consistent habit. How about you?  How do you rev your idea engine? Please comment and share. Jeff P.S. - If you like what you read here on Mission to Learn, I’d really appreciate it if you would subscribe by RSS feed or by e-mail. P.S.S. - I missed this one when I was doing my Saturday morning surfing, but here’s a great post on Copyblogger that stresses learning and acting on what you find during your Web travels: Is Reading Posts Worth Your Time? No related posts.