education

Grade 12 Course Selection

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This weekend our youngest will be making his course selection for the final year of high school. For being only a fifteen to twenty minute activity to choose, it has turned into a weekend of hounding him to get it done. Frustrating for my wife and I, but I can understand why he is procrastinating.

This is going to be his final year of attending a public school. A flood of emotions are probably taking over compared to logic of just selecting courses. It will be his last year to be in classes with friends and spending time with them in the halls. The difficulty of the work in the classes will increase adding more stress as well. The time to play is coming to a conclusion.

In the end, he will get into grade twelve with a plan in motion. My wife and I will do our best to guide and help him along the way. He will graduate in 17 months time.

Final Few Months

Posted on by Josef Havelka

As our middle child approaches the end of being in the public school system, I remember fondly everything that has gone on. My wife and I did our best to be there for every single performance that was put on. No matter the cost or inconvenience it may have on us. Each and every production showcased the growth and skills the kids had learned over the years.

Old photo of Darwin singing.

Last night was an orchestra performance celebrating the class of 2022. My wife was able to attend- unfortunately I was unable- and enjoy the show. Twelve or so years of learning, practicing, and recitals lead to a successful performance by all involved.

Having our kids attend a Fine Arts school really pushed their creativity and knowledge of the arts. As they enter adulthood, I know it be be a strong foundation for their lives moving forward. With only a few months left, I am excited to see this part of our child’s journey come to an end and the next one begin.

As always, I am a proud parent.

The Bedroom: A Comfortable Reading Spot

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I have been enjoying reading once more. Now that we are essentially settled into our new home (almost FIVE months), I am finding comfort zones. Our home is starting to feel more cozy by the day… And not just because of our Christmas decorations.

When I read, generally it’s in bed right before I go to sleep. Right before we moved we had an ENDY mattress delivered. I can’t believe that my sleep has improved so much over these past few months. This was probably the best investment in our health ever made. What ends up happening however, is that I fall asleep very easily about a dozen pages into my book.

On the other side of our master bedroom is a little sitting nook by the balcony doors. I have sat here numerous times on Zoom calls and to read. My wife has also utilized this spot. It is a perfect setting for relaxing and daydreaming. Getting lost in the fantasy world of a good novel is throughly enjoyed.

Our family members each have spots that they enjoy as well. Obviously the teenagers favor their bedrooms. But I am doing the same. Your bedroom is a place of solitude where you can feel at peace. It’s the great location to read a book.

Do you read in bed? Or do you have a favorite spot that you find comfortable? Let me know in the comments.

Drone On

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Our oldest child is about to finish her first year of post secondary education. Because she is attending British Columbia Institute of Technology, there has been a good variety of in-class and remote learning happening. Her area of study is in film.

She has been enjoying all the different aspects of being behind the camera. She has had an introduction to filming, editing, sound, directing, and everything else involved. I love hearing about it all and how excited she is when she successfully accomplishes one of the tasks or projects. She has been putting in long hours and determination.

Yesterday she was learning how to use drones to create professional images and movies. Using drones may not be exciting to some, but these aren’t the little ones you buy at Walmart. Her class had a good day to test them out and these are a few photos she took.

Unfortunately due to Covid restrictions, our daughter will be unable to take on any apprenticeships this summer. She is hoping that after next year things open up and she can utilize her skills in a more hands-on approach. BCIT has been good to her and her skill sets. I’m proud of what she has been doing so far and love to see her sense of accomplishment as her projects get completed.

Prepping For An Interview

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Our oldest is currently in post secondary school studying media broadcasting and film making. One of her projects is an interview where the interviewee essentially monologues about something. Then she will show what they are talking about with some voice over work.

So she brought home her equipment as has decided to interview me. I get to talk about 3D Printing and how I got into it. As well she wants me to show how the machine works. Of course I jumped at the chance to help her out. And I get to talk about 3D printing- my latest hobby/obsession.

It’s not very often that my daughter wants me around. Naturally I am going to be there for her. Tomorrow I’ll continue to share about the experience. As it seems that for 3 minutes of footage it may take us all night to film. Right now she is setting up the lighting and camera. I expect to be sitting on the stool for an extended period.

Wish us luck for getting through this. I have to remember to step back and let her have full control. It is her project and her career path.

Pre-Grad Photos

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today our oldest daughter sort of did her graduation ceremony. I say sort of because it happened without fanfare, just some video cameras and a few classmates.

The school had the art majors come in to be filmed as they crossed the stage. The larger groups of students were lined down the halls standing at markers. From there, only four went into the auditorium at a time. Then one would walk across the stage and pause in various spots as they were filmed and such. No audience. And only a handful of teachers. The rest of the world (family and friends) will see an edited version of the ceremonies June 17th- the original date of the Grad.

For the rest of the week, our daughter gets to hold onto her grad gown. My wife and I are planning on making the most of it and take a metric ton of photos. We already began tonight. We got lucky that our daughter has had the biggest smile all evening. Many of the photos were far more fun than I expected.

Today was a bittersweet day that’s for sure. It was already going to be bittersweet knowing that she has put in a lifetime of schooling that culminated to this final moment. We also drove up to her elementary school where she first entered the school system, just to get that photo.

Her smile was obviously genuine. And I did capture numerous other candid photos. But I cannot share them, she would be more embarrassed than she will be seeing this post. Even though I am totally a proud parent!

Wanna see pictures of my kid??

Back to…. School?

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Okay. Self isolation is still happening in British Columbia. Easter Weekend has ended and the teachers at our school will be working on remote learning with the students. In our home, we have the “scheduled online class meetings” written on our calendar for each of our kids.

There are many different programs and apps that the teachers are planning to use in order to assist the kids get some form of education. It’s a crazy learning curve for everyone involved. Not just the teachers and students, but the parents who need to try and be a big part of this new adventure.

I for one don’t want to have a generation of stupid roaming the earth once the self isolation and quarantines are lifted. I want the students to still get an education. My wife and I are going to do our best to alleviate the strain on the teachers and our kids by being active in their learning. I’m not saying we haven’t been a part of their education, far from it. I’m saying that we are still having to evolve and learn with our kids.

Hopefully when all is said and done the kids will have learned something. Or perhaps they will have taught us something in the process. But for now, School’s Back In Session.

BCIT

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday our oldest daughter received the news that she made it into BCIT School of Business for Television and Video Production . She has been striving to get into this course for ages. Last month she also worked on hitting the prerequisite ahead of time by taking an online course offered at BCIT. This was her first Post Secondary course (she’s still in Grade 12) and her first opportunity to learn how the workload would be. Our daughter was bouncing with joy when she learned that she’d be one of the limited students for September’s intake.

Needless to say, we are really happy for her. Over the past couple of years she has been focusing a lot of her attention to working behind the camera. My wife and I are really happy that she attends the Fine Arts School where she gets an opportunity to use high end video equipment and software. Mind you, our daughter hasn’t strayed from her original major- music, so it’s nice to see her artistic abilities come alive.

Our daughter is a lot like me and can dissect a show or movie to its bare bones. We often share thoughts and dialogue about cinematography and filming in general. This is my connection with her, and I love it. I wish nothing but continued success in her endeavors as she grows into a young adult.

The course at BCIT is a full time two year program with a diploma. Once she completes the course, she will be able to work throughout “Hollywood North” as Vancouver is always a booming industry. If she wants to continue or expand her studies, she has talked about going to Capilano University for relevant courses. My hope is that she gets work doing what she loves and continues to love the work she does.

Carving Up An Education

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Our middle child entered grade nine back in September. The one thing about her is that she strives for excellence in all of her classes. A few years ago, her grade four teacher advised us that she could easily skip a grade because of her intellect. My wife and I discussed this at great lengths but came to the conclusion that as proud as we would be in pushing this, we wanted our daughter to remain amongst her peers. This proved to be the right decision socially.

Back to the start of this school year…

Our daughter had made her selections for classes the year prior and was looking forward to some of the possibilities that awaited her. When she found out at the start of the school year that she’d be taking a class she had zero interest in- let’s just say disappointment was prevalent. That class you may ask?

Carving.

Once she began the year, she took it quite well. Her ambition to maintain straight “A’s” took over the disappointment factor. So she aced the class. It didn’t surprise me. The reason being- her Opa is fantastic at working with wood.

My wife’s father was a brick layer by trade, but enjoyed wood working and cabinetry as well. Much of our home was created and envisioned by him. Our children have been surrounded by his talents so naturally it opened up a door to their hidden abilities.

I love seeing something made from nothing so to speak. Creating art from a piece of wood or a blank canvas makes me happy.

Supporting the Students

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Today my son shared with me some of the school work he has been working on this year. It was a part of a “Student Lead Conference” that was going on today. I’m always thrilled to see what they’ve been learning. It’s even better because of our son’s enthusiasm.

He was keen to show me everything. From how clean his locker was to his poem and picture of a Blue Butterfly. We spoke of science, math and French as well. I also took the opportunity to speak with his teachers as well and heard nothing but encouragement. In fact, the one teacher was really excited to tell me which group of kids I was going to have in the cabin in June. (It’s a secret that I am not allowed to tell my son.)

I have always been a huge proponent of the education system of all students. In the front of the school is this mural that I helped to create and be a part of a few years ago. There was a set of meetings that brought the teachers, parents, and the community together to help develop our district.

Years later, I see how innovative and successful the students are becoming. And how they are willing to grow and learn in different ways. Knowing that our kids aren’t afraid to share what they are learning makes me happy. It’s a relationship that I want to encourage and have flourish over time.

Supporting our youth today will make for a better world tomorrow.

One Last Item?

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Back to school shopping was completed yesterday. Most of our supplies have been the leftovers from years gone by.  Saving money 101! Don’t throw it out or give it all to the kids at the start of the year! We have found that oftentimes the supplies requested aren’t all being used throughout the year.

We have a cupboard under our stairs that we have named “The School Supply Cupboard” – it’s a very original name. It also looks like it was ransacked and looted. No one wants to clean up, so it’s barfing out the contents everywhere.

We still needed a few things this year from Staples and Walmart. As I entered Staples, I remembered my childhood of back to school shopping. The K-Mart near us would have a list of the schools and the supplies needed to be picked up.  There wasn’t much selection back then- so nearly everyone had matching items on the first day. Sure, some of my fellow classmates had fancy pencils or pencil toppers, but nearly everything was the same. Nowadays there are too many options.  Many being far too expensive.


The last item we needed for our daughter going into Grade 8 was a cellphone. Giving a phone to a child isn’t ideal. But with the amount of after school activities and the difficulty of communication ahead of time, we knew this was a necessity. We had done the same for our oldest daughter when she entered Grade 8. Of course our two year contract was up on her phone as well, so she wanted an upgrade. Both of our daughters each now have an iPhone 7. A better phone than my wife and I at the moment.  My wife originally didn’t want to allow this. But with news that an iPhone 8 was coming out soon, she was ok having a lower model until the release date in a month or two.

These phones were the last big expense prior to the start of the school year. Next week, I’m pretty sure there will be hundreds of more dollars being requested. Ugh. It leaves me to wonder:

Why is free public education so expensive?

Back to School!!!

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I can’t believe how quickly summer ended.  The weather was hot. The kids stayed active. And my last two weeks have been spectacular. We went to Vancouver Island, Powell River, camping on the west side of Harrison Lake, and finished it with a couple of days at Great Wolf Lodge.


We also enjoyed hanging out with friends and family, tasting beers, a horse show, swimming in various rivers, lakes & pools, Parkour, reading books, walks, fresh fruits & vegetables, plus movies and video games galore to name a few more.  This past summer was another great one that everyone enjoyed. Now we are looking forward to the start of the school year.


Music classes, drama, art, and photography will take center stage as our children enter their next year at Langley Fine Arts School. This means a new instrument- or two if one or more child chooses to try something different. We may need to update photography equipment- my father-in-law donated a bunch of developing equipment, so we may have to make a dark room. I love photography, so this could be a new hobby of mine as well…

Outside of school there has been a few changes. No more cheerleading for our middle daughter. She has decided to return to Speed Skating in an effort to make it into the BC Winter Games. All of our kids are leaving piano lessons (sadly 😢) but they are wanting to pursue other musical passions. Such as guitar and drums! As the school year unfolds over the next month or so, I’m pretty sure more clubs and groups will be wanting to be joined by the kids.


I really love all the fun stuff we do together. I’m also really proud that my children want to take on new challenges as they get older. Promoting their education is a big deal.  Over the past few years, my wife and I constantly talk with our kids about post secondary education, scholarships, and their future successes. Even with our youngest going into grade 6, we still want him to focus on his future goals.

Throughout the school year there will be challenges. Some will be scheduling conflicts. Some may be financial conflicts. And of course, some will be motivational conflicts. Like how do you get your child to do homework when sitting in front of a screen would be so much more fun? Or how do you explain that even if they don’t like the way the teacher teaches, you still have to complete the work assigned? Almost every parent has these problems to face. Some parents face bigger issues that are much harder to talk about. Just remember that we’re all in it together. Oh yeah…

It’s almost back to school!!! With 3 exclamation points.

Turning Japanese 

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I mentioned briefly in a previous post about wanting to travel to Tokyo to see Disneyland.  More like I wrote numerous blog posts about our adventure.  I also mentioned that I wanted to learn Japanese before we go.  Maybe I only mentioned it on my Facebook, but hey those are most of my readership anyways.

So I first went on a search to find some classes nearby.  No real success.  Next I decided to search online for advice on learning Japanese.  Many sites recommended numerous apps.  This lead me to downloading one that seemed perfect for my beginner brain.


And because I downloaded it on my Apple ITunes account, it is now shared with my children on their devices.  Now the competition to learn is on!  We began with the basics of numbers and pronounciations.  The other night at the dinner table we were yelling numbers at each other in English and Japanese.

For a free app it has brought us such joy.  So I decided to pay for the full app.  Not only did it unlock the Japanese lessons, but now we can learn the basics of other languages as well.    Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, and Mandarin are all included for the low price of $27.99.  That is essentially the cost of a text book.

This is going to be beneficial for our trip.  My children and I are going to each learn a language.  Firstly, we are having fun with Japanese and my kids are beating me at their knowledge retention on the numbers alone.  


What I am going to do over the next few months is to take each lesson and try to learn it the way I remember being taught how to learn French in school.  Start with numbers, months, greetings, etc… just to learn the basics.  I’m hoping that this will give me a strong foundation to survive a few days in another country.

Plus, you’re never too old to learn something new.  I’m going to keep working on making myself a better person as I continue to age.

SMRT

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I often see in my children their potential to do something great with their lives.  I then begin beaming with pride at all of those “what-if” scenarios.  Architect?  Musician?  Olympian?  The future is wide open.  My wife and I push them to do their best at whatever it is they are working on.  The results thus far have been rewarding.  Both to us as parents, and the look of satisfaction on our children’s faces.


My two oldest came home with excellent report cards this week.  All “A’s” and one “B” this semester.  After telling them how proud we were with their grades, we did the inevitable- we asked how they thought they could improve that one grade from a “B” to an “A”.  Not that they needed to improve it.  They are already getting really good grades on a regular basis.  

It takes hard work to get those grades.  My wife and I are constantly reminding them about homework and practice.  Sometimes I worry that if we weren’t doing that, how good would the grades be?  We try not to hound the kids and make it miserable to get the work done.  Just friendly reminders, daily, every day, like a broken record.


Even though our kids are school smart, they astound me with moments of stupidity they portray in everyday life.  As if the part of the brain that makes them function is on the fritz.  Today for example, my middle daughter couldn’t figure out how to plug a Zip drive into the USB and then how to open the files on the computer.  It’s something she’s done before in the past, but today- she needed guidance.  She is also the only member of the household who seems to get paper jammed in the printer…  

Tonight our oldest daughter was asked to wash dishes and make dinner.  She couldn’t figure out how to scrub a pot using something besides the wash cloth.  She then asked how to drain the water from a pot so that we could enjoy perogies.  Our children spend a lot of time in the kitchen with us.  I’ve even tried explaining how and why we prepare foods the way we do.  But it just doesn’t stay with them.  

How will they survive in the real world when they move out??  Don’t you dare tell me they are living with me forever.


But in all of their wisdom and stupidity, they are great kids with lots of potential.  Opening up their eyes and minds to gather knowledge is the challenge.  Like throwing cooked pasta at a wall- sometimes it sticks and sometimes it falls to the floor.

Do you hear that?

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Do you hear that?  That is the sound of the inevitable back to school.  It is the sound of Silence.

My home.  My neighborhood.  My tranquility.  All of it peacefully existing.

No sounds of children playing.  No tv or videogames.  Just…. Silence.


The children are only just beginning their school year.  They will return home each afternoon with new knowledge and homework.  Some days they will moan and groan claiming a horrible disservice is happening to them.  They are suffering the hardship of being educated.


Today, at home, I am enjoying The Silence.  Even the animals have calmed down.  No birds chirping.  No dogs barking.  Everything is at peace with the world.  Like a sigh of relief has passed through the neighborhoods as children pause for the day in their desks.  With the teachers preparing for the year ahead, they keep the classrooms calm.

Time to relax.  Who needs summer vacation when you can enjoy the autumn peace?

So you hear that?  It is the minutes slipping by to the next summer vacation…

Big Announcements

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Sony announced some stuff.


Apple announced some stuff.


Nintendo announced some stuff.

It all had me wondering, do I need it?  Of course not.  Do I want it?  Maybe.

That’s where it ends today.  Maybe.  Maybe purchasing a new tech gadget or game would be fun.  But is it something that I need immediately on the date of its release?  Not really.  (I wrote a couple of months ago about Firsties and the “Fear of Missing Out”.)  Do I have disposable income that could buy it? Yes and no.  I could very easily buy something else or go somewhere with that money.  Or I could spend it on my children.  That is the most likely event.

Today was day 2 of the new school year. $428 was spent as we walked in the school door on school fees. We had already spent money on back to school supplies before the first day.  This spending doesn’t include the after school activities that are still to follow in the upcoming month.  Children are bloody expensive.  But paying for their education, activities, and traveling with them is the best investment we have ever done.  


My time and money mean more to me when I see my children’s accomplishments and achievements.  So this fall instead of getting a new iPhone, I’m planning on upgrading my children’s education.

And maybe buying an Apple Watch 2.

School Concert Band

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I played clarinet in Concert Band from Grade 6-Grade 12.  I did very well at it getting A’s & B’s on a constant basis.  That was 20+ years ago.  I could not for the life of me play or read clarinet music if you asked me to do so today.

My wife and I strongly support music learning in the school system.  It teaches some fantastic skills that can be very useful in everyday life.  Aside from math, teamwork, and public performing- the skill sets such as studying, practicing, and reliability become enforced as well.  We also support music learning outside of the school.  All three of our children play piano.  Our oldest plays flute and has taken up playing a clay ocarina that we picked up at a convention for her. (Mostly because she really wants to play video game themes and Star Wars). For our son- we bought an electric drum kit when he was in Grade 1.  Not one of those toy ones either from Walmart, we figured he’d appreciate it more to get a nice set to practice on.  Our middle daughter received an electric guitar for Christmas one year and has been bugging to get lessons for a few years now.  That was put by the wayside because of every other activity the kids do.

Our parlour grand piano.


However, I did pass on my clarinet onto our middle child when she was in Grade 5.  She loved playing it so much that she practiced all the time without being asked.  She also entered the Honor Band program that year.  This past year she decided to join choir and surprised me at her talent.  (My wife and I both are terrible singers, but still belt out a song just for fun.)  Next year our middle child will be going into Grade 7, so she asked about learning a new instrument.  As I mentioned before, she has already been doing piano since Grade 1, so my wife and I gave her the okay to look at expanding her musical horizon.  I thought she would choose to play the flute like her older sister or possibly the saxophone.

Nope.

She chose the bassoon.


Her music teacher called us yesterday and told us the school has a bassoon for her to borrow over the summer.  He seemed very excited and felt that because of her interest in the instrument that she will do quite well at it. We picked it up later in the day and my daughter put it together.  Standing up: the assembled bassoon is almost as tall as she is.

When my daughter got home she decided to go online to learn more about the bassoon.  She wanted to learn how to assemble it and how to play the notes.  She went one step further and created a Power Point Presentation about the bassoon on her own accord.  Her excitement about the bassoon is very eccentric and adorable.  I’m not sure where the desire came from, but I sure don’t want to crush her enthusiasm.  I know she will perform quite well at the instrument.  I’m also really happy that the school is lending us one, since the cost of reeds alone for the bassoon is astronomical compared to the clarinet.


It is encouraging to see that we have shown our children a pathway to musical education and that they have taken to it with great strides.  I strongly recommend parents to look at music as a fun educational tool.  Who knows where your kids may go.  Perhaps one day, they too will want to play the bassoon.

What’s Best.

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday was the last day of Grade 8 for my oldest daughter.  This morning, her and I sat down and talked over a cup of coffee about the past year.

At the end of grade seven last year, a big decision was made about our oldest daughter’s future.  We needed to send her to a high school.  She was on a wait list since kindergarten to enter a choice Fine Arts school.  We got the call for her to audition and come in for an interview.  Mom and dad were super excited and happy.  Eldest daughter- not so much.  But she auditioned (under some protest) for drama and music and was invited back to major in both departments.  She left both auditions happily and was excited for most of the drive home each time.  However, by the time we got home, she had put up the “wall” and was adamant that she would not be attending this school.  A few months of emotional battles ensued.  Mom and dad “forced” her to go to this awful, horrific school.  Mom and dad weren’t listening to her wishes.  Mom and dad were about to ruin her life.  Mom and dad made a promise to her. At the end of the year, we would discuss sending her elsewhere if she was still unhappy.

The year has ended.  As promised, I sat and spoke with my daughter this morning about her first year of high school.  I wanted to hear what her thoughts were on the past year and what she would like to do the following year.

Being right isn’t always a feel good moment.

She said those words that every parent knows to be true.  “Dad, you and mom were right.”

Furthering my Education

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Education in a post-secondary aspect was not something that I’ve attained to the extent that I wished.  I did take a few courses over the years, but more just things to try and land a better job, never something that has interested me. Back in the fall of 2015, I signed up for EdX: free online courses and classes from the world’s best universities including MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, etc..  It sounded neat and the course material was spread over a few weeks and only required an hour or two/week to complete.  I promptly forgot that I had signed up, until an email showed up today, and my excitement level grew.


I am going to educate myself in “The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact on Pop Culture” starting May 17th.  It is a six week course offered up by the Smithsonian and comic book industry legend Stan Lee.

Here’s the course outline quoted directly from the website:

“The ancient gods of Egyptian, Greek and Roman myths still exist, but today, they have superpowers, human foibles and secret identities. They come from comic books and graphic novels, and have taken over pop culture on the stage, screen, video games, and animation.

From Superman® and Spider-Man®, to The Avengers® and The Hulk® and beyond, who are these heroes? And, how have they evolved from folklore and myth, across all cultures and religions?

Learn from Smithsonian and industry experts including:

  • Stan Lee, who was one of the creators of the modern superhero template. His early comics featuring Spider-Man, Iron Man®, The Hulk, Thor®, and The Avengers led Marvel to success. He continues to reinvent himself to create modern global superheroes and appear in cameos in superhero films and TV, such as Avengers: Age of Ultron.
  • Michael Uslan, executive producer of top grossing, award winning movies, including The Dark Knight series, Lego® Movie, the animated Batman films and Batman® VS Superman.

In this course, we explore the following questions:

  • Why did superheroes first arise in 1938 and experience what we refer to as their “Golden Age” during World War II?
  • Why did the superhero genre ebb and flow in popularity over the decades?
  • How have comic books, published weekly since the mid-1930’s, mirrored a changing American society, reflecting our mores, slang, fads, biases and prejudices?
  • Why was the comic book industry nearly shut down in the McCarthy Era of the 1950’s?
  • How did our superheroes become super-villains in the eyes of the government, clergy, educators, and parents of the mid-20th Century?
  • When and how did comic books become acceptable again, and eventually become valid teaching tools in universities and schools?
  • When and how did comic book artwork become accepted as a true American art form as indigenous to this country as jazz?
  • Finally, when and how did comic books become “cool” and the basis for blockbuster movies, hit TV series, top-selling video games, and acclaimed animation, while also impacting fashion and style- and even the moral and ethical codes of children- around the globe?
  • For the first time ever, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is excited to offer the opportunity to go into the collection and see why superheroes are a dominant cultural force in today’s world.

As you learn about how cultural myths, world events, and personal experiences shaped the first superheroes, you will apply these frameworks to create your own superhero– or you can choose to do a deeper analysis on existing comic book heroes. This original project is required for certification and anything created by you as part of the course is the intellectual property of you and you alone. At the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to take your final project work and participate with other current and alumni students in a two week “team track add-on” to the course.

At last, fans, students and seekers of knowledge have the opportunity to enroll in the ultimate comic book course.
What you’ll learn:

  • The history and origins of the first superheroes and comic books, and how they changed over time.
  • The evolution of American society from the Depression to today, as viewed through the lens of the comic book genre.
  • How the current globalization and diversity of the next generation of superheroes impacts our storytelling across all mediums.
  • How to apply historical examples to create superheroes for the present day.”

Now, it is up to me to complete this free online course and thus become SUPREME LEADER OF THE NERDS, or at least sound like it.  Take a look at the course for yourself, or perhaps discover other online courses that may interest you.  The Rise of Superheroes

An educated world is a better world.

Stan Lee says this!