The clock’s ticking! Each day brings us closer to the new academic year. So whatever time is left, let’s seize the opportunity it offers and, instead of wasting time, dedicate just two hours to unlocking incredible learning that boosts your skillset every day.

Hold on geeks! These two hours aren’t about mindless scrolling. I’ll introduce you to powerful digital tools that will equip you with valuable skills and boost your confidence as you enter your new academic year.

Let’s explore some of these resources...

Visual arts and design platforms

Those of you who have an artist inside of them can polish and learn a whole new exciting world of visual arts and design. There is just so much on internet easily available now that it is literally hard to pick one skill or tool to learn.

A lot of the tools require payment, so I have chosen only free tools to discuss here. But before we begin, do know that there are two main categories in visual arts and design, choose accordingly.

Software: Software are run after installing on the digital devices; there are different categories for graphic design, photo editing, 3D modelling, animation, web design and more. Each category has numerous options. Examples include, GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Programme), Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo and many, many more.

Online communities: These platforms are vibrant online spaces where artists and designers connect, showcase their work, connect with others and learn from tutorials and resources. Some well-known options include: “DeviantArt,” with all kinds of visual art.

“Behance,” focuses on professional portfolios and showcasing design work and if you are a pro, you can also showcase your artwork there and get a freelancing job according to your expertise.

Then there is “ArtStation,” primarily for concept art, illustration and 3D art used in games and movies. There are a lot of courses available here on making deep illustrations, creating characters, simple scenes, etc., all you need is to make your account to access the course.

Tux Paint: This award-winning software is a haven for budding artists. Completely free and open-source, Tux Paint provides a user-friendly interface packed with drawing tools, shapes and even fun sound effects to keep the little ones engaged.

Another great tool is Krita, which is again a free and open-source digital painting programme. You can explore its vast features and hone your skills with the help of readily available tutorials.

The next in the list is Pixilart, if you are a fan of Minecraft and Roblox, this one will excite you more because of the pixelated art. It offers a free online platform to create game sprites, pixel art masterpieces and even animated GIFs.

Coding, the art of controlling the technology

Coding is important, and we all know that. It’s like a new language that unlocks the ability to create and control technology, not just use it. You give instructions steps by steps to build something or solve a problem. By learning to code, you can create games, animations and even websites!

There are hundreds of tools available, but let’s narrow down our search to Scratch and Code.org. Both are completely free to use!

Scratch uses colourful drag-and-drop blocks to represent code. You can snap these blocks together to create animations, games and stories. Scratch is perfect for beginners (ages 8 and up) because it focuses on the core concepts of coding without getting puzzled in complex language.

While Code.org offers a variety of interactive coding tutorials and games, often featuring popular characters from movies and games. You can learn the basics of coding through solving puzzles and completing challenges. Code.org caters to a wider age range (from 4 and up) with different difficulty levels.

MIT App Inventor

For the tech geeks MIT App Inventor, is a perfect tool. Imagine building your own phone app, like a game or a helpful tool! MIT App Inventor makes this possible, even for beginners. It uses a fun, drag-and-drop feature with colourful blocks instead of complicated code.

Anyone can get started quickly, even kids! In fact, you could have a basic app up and running in less than 30 minutes. But MIT App Inventor isn’t just for simple things. You can also build powerful apps that can make a real difference in the world. This MIT project is all about giving everyone, especially young people, the chance to create technology instead of just using it.

MIT App Inventor is a high-level block-based visual programming language, originally built by Google and now maintained by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It allows newcomers to create computer applications for two operating systems: Android and iOS. This website is a hidden gem for techies! You can polish your coding skills and learn how Artificial Intelligence works. In short, it is the perfect place for anyone who wants to become a future tech master!

A click with a skill

Taking pictures is amazing, especially with our smartphones! But capturing truly great photos takes skill that can be developed with the right guidance. There are many free tutorials available on YouTube to learn about photography and hone your skills at any time. However, a step-by-step beginner courses can be especially helpful as you learn everything from the beginning. For example, CK-12 offers various courses with easy-to-follow instructions that explain the important parts of photography, like light and effects. CK-12 is a non-profit organisation, which means they don’t charge any money! Moreover, CK-12 offers a variety of STEM and other social studies courses. The platform is full of various activities that are centred on all ages and follow the same curriculum standards used around the world.

Music lovers

If you have a yearning to play tunes, then there is a whole new exciting world waiting for you to explore with free resources to develop your skills, from playful apps to in-depth theory lessons.

The first in the list is JustinGuitar; the site offers comprehensive courses in learning guitar for free. It offers video lessons, song tutorials and practice tools that cater to all skill levels.

At Hoffman Academy, you can explore selected free piano lessons. There is a good amount of free content available, including video lessons, games and printable worksheets.

LMMS (Linux MultiMedia Studio), for teens +

This free and open-source software introduces you to the world of Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). You can learn about sequencing, editing audio samples, adding effects and experiment with creating original electronic music.

Other music learning platforms include BandLab, Soundtrap, where you can create music and learn with other young musicians and work together on creating original music.

Exploring writing programmes

Writing gives you the power to spread your ideas and share them with the world. But where do you begin? There’s a whole world of writing programmes waiting to be explored, each offering different tools and tips. Based on their features, user-friendliness and educational value, I’d recommend these three free options for kids to learn storytelling and writing.

Storybird features story templates, writing challenges, artwork to inspire stories. This site is best for visual learners and even if you or your sibling is in elementary grades can reap benefits from it.

NaNoWriMo, Young Writers Programme (YWP): This programme is a fantastic option for older kids and teens who are serious about honing their writing skills. YWP provides a structured approach, with clear guidelines, tips, word count trackers and an online community where young writers can connect, share their work and receive encouragement from peers.

What makes YWP stand out from other resources is that it gives time-bound challenge where participants aim to complete a novel draft within the month.

Next in the line is ReadWriteThink, which offers interactive writing tools like graphic organisers and story starters to spark creativity and make learning engaging. The platform also provides a treasure trove of printable activities, including worksheets, writing prompts and rubrics.

Mastering the numbers, math

Maths can be as easy as putting together a jigsaw puzzle and as hard as cracking a secret code used by spies. While there are so many subjects I have left out, I will not leave the maths … because, let’s admit, many of you still struggling and the coming academic year is all about new challenges. So let’s just find out some easy and fun platforms to practice math and excel.

Khan Academy: This platform contains almost all the subjects comprehensively. Whether it is music, science, general knowledge, technology or engineering — Khan Academy has it covered. So for math, you can explore a wide variety of courses according to grade level all complete with video lessons, practice exercises and assessments. Khan Academy offers courses from basic arithmetic to calculus, making it a great resource for kids of all ages and skill levels.

Other platforms include IXL Math, where you can work on specific math skills or complete personalised learning paths. Math Playground and Prodigy Math both offer fun, game-based approach to teach math concepts.

For middle school and above, the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives proves as a valuable resource. This free library contains digital representations of physical objects commonly used in math education, such as blocks, counters and fraction strips. These virtual manipulatives allow users to explore and understand mathematical concepts in a hands-on way, regardless of access to physical materials.

So with this, I end and leave you with a bundle of free digital tools to explore according to your interest and hone your skills and expertise.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 13th, 2024