Open course from famous univeristies

http://open.sina.com.cn/index.shtml has the web link "Open Course" created. It provides access to many good lecture series from various well known universities with Chinese Transcript added to the video.

Here is one that I would like to recommend:

耶鲁：罗马建筑

讲师：E.E.Kleiner

学校:耶鲁

E.E.Kleiner是耶鲁大学艺术史与经典讲座教授、 耶鲁大学开放课程首席审查者，是耶鲁大学原副校长助理。她有许多关于罗马艺术的著作，其中包括罗马雕塑（耶鲁大学出版社)。

http://open.sina.com.cn/IntroductiontoRomanArchitecture.html

本课程是对罗马及其帝国伟大建筑和工程奇迹的介绍，其重点是城市规划和个别的古迹以及他们的装饰包括帝国的壁画。 罗马、庞贝和中央意大利发展将突出显示。

If you like to look at the original video from Yale University, here is the link I found via google:

Introduction to Roman Architecture | Yale History Lecture
► 42:31► 42:31	academicearth.org/lectures/intro-roman-architecture22 Oct 2009 - 43 minYale Professor Diana E E Kleiner lecture on Introduction to Roman Architecture from the course Roman ...

More videos for E.E.Kleiner »

Lecture Description

Professor Kleiner introduces the wide variety of Roman buildings covered in the course and links them with the theme of Roman urbanism. The lecture ranges from early Roman stone construction to such masterpieces of Roman concrete architecture as the Colosseum and Pantheon. Traveling from Rome and Pompeii across the vast Roman Empire, Professor Kleiner stops in such locales as North Africa and Jordan to explore the plans of cities and their individual edifices: temples, basilicas, theaters, amphitheaters, bath complexes, and tombs. The lecture culminates with reference to the impact of Roman architecture on post-antique architectural design and building practice.

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the great buildings and engineering marvels of Rome and its empire, with an emphasis on urban planning and individual monuments and their decoration, including mural painting. While architectural developments in Rome, Pompeii, and Central Italy are highlighted, the course also provides a survey of sites and structures in what are now North Italy, Sicily, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, and North Africa. The lectures are illustrated with over 1,500 images, many from Professor Kleiner's personal collection.

Course Index

1. Introduction to Roman Architecture
2. The Founding of Rome and the Beginnings of Urbanism in Italy
3. Technology and Revolution in Roman Architecture
4. Civic, Commercial and Religious Buildings of Pompeii
5. Houses and Villas of Pompeii
6. Habitats at Herculaneum and Early Roman Interior Decoration
7. Painting Palaces and Villas in the First Century A.D.
8. Exploring Special Subjects on Pompeian Walls
9. Augustus Assembles Rome
10. Roman Tombs
11. Nero and His Architectural Legacy
12. The Colosseum and Contemporary Architecture in Rome
13. Imperial Palace on the Palatine Hill
14. Civic Architecture in Rome under Trajan
15. Hadrian's Pantheon and Tivoli Retreat
16. Roman Life in Ostia, the Port of Rome
17. The Baths of Caracalla
18. Roman North Africa: Timgad and Leptis Magna
19. Baroque Phenomenon in Roman Architecture
20. The Rebirth of Athens
21. Architecture of the Western Roman Empire
22. The Tetrarchic Renaissance
23. Rome of Constantine and a New Rome
24. Discovering the Roman Provinces and Designing a Roman City

I like to follow the links systematically in 24 weeks, and learn something I like in 6 month's time!

Join me if you like to be e-classmate!

Cheers!
Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

On failures

Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the
success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult
task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy
in overcoming obstacles.

-- Helen Keller (1880-1968) American Writer

Learning by reflection and imitation etc...

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is
noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience,
which is the bitterest.

-- Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC) Chinese Philosopher

Slow vs standing still

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. ---  Chinese Proverb

Think in random manner: problme solving method

When facing new problems, most people tend to view their problems the same old way and solved it with old methods.

This fixed way of problem solving will not be the best way out and it does not lead them to any new ideas.

Try taking some form of random stimulation to knock problems off their current track and think differently.

Use a dictionary and pick words in random to trigger your mind.

Use the random word to your match your problems and find a connection to the solution.

Do it in a three to five round, then ask yourself how each word can help you view your problems differently.

Words selected randomly will trigger unexpected ideas and solution in your mind, which lead to fresh associations and connection.

When you use words in random, you link your thought in random directions and enable new ideas and solution to emerge.

Hence, remember, if you are stack in your problem solving process, one of the way to un-struck it is random thought that move you out of the problems, which enable you to think out of the box.

Dictionary is just one of the convenient tool, and other things that you can create the out of box thinking perspective may carry you through the same way!

Dexterine

Fun Fast Multiplication Trick

Fun Fast Multiplication Trick! A neat trick to quickly multiply two 2-digit numbers together!

Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to "jump at the Sun."

We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.

-- Zora Neale Hurston (1903-1960) American Writer


Imagination is the first step to creative learning!

We move a baby step one at the time, we might not land on the sun!

But we, get off the ground and move to other objects up over us and explore the sky!


Dexterine Ho