I Am A Student - Massive Open Online Courses

When you return from a trip, you bring home more than photos!  I brought home memories, names of new friends, and a trunk load of new ideas!  One idea, shared by a fellow passenger, was of participating in a Massive Open Online Course (a MOOC) from the comfort of my home computer!

I remember hearing that some universities were making college courses available to the public at no cost, such as MIT’s Open Courseware.  But being fully content with the classes we took through various adult education programs, our Learning-in-Retirement program, and Senior Scholar auditing at UCLA, I never looked into it.   

This shipmate explained how a MOOC works…how simple it is to register for one of hundreds of course offerings available through various websites.  Once home I merely googled “MOOC” and was astounded by the hits. 

I eventually registered for a 6 week course at Coursera entitled Growing Old Around the Globe. It is offered through the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania.  It consists of watching various expert video casts (none longer than about 15 minutes), participating in a weekly webcast, posing questions and answers on various discussion forums with the other 6880 students, and completing a written assignment answering a question of the week.  You can do as much or as little as you want, but if you do all that is suggested you can earn a Certificate of Completion.  Best of all, it is all FREE.

The focus of this particular course is to take an in-depth look at our increasingly aged world, the process of aging and the impacts on the individual and the society.  We are into our second week and I this is my submission in answer to this week’s question, “What is it to be old?”

I recall driving with my husband in our car one delightful summer day.  I was in the passenger’s seat and I had the window down.  The breeze was coming in the window and I felt vibrant and alive.  I happened to glance in the side rearview mirror of the car and was shocked at what I saw.  It was a neck.  It was an old neck.  The skin was not tight but appeared to fold in on itself like crepe paper.  It was MY neck.  Was I old?

The picture I have chosen to submit is also one of a body part.  It is my left hand and arm.   

You can see that this skin, too, is not tight, seems to fold in on itself like crepe paper.  One way of looking at age is to see the biological signs on a body that seem to shout out, “This body is aging…this body is old!”  However, when I picture myself in my mind, my arms are toned, my neck is supple.  I do not see in my mind’s eye what the mirror reflects to me.  

I think that as long as I do not let my aging body define my real age, I am not old.  But that is not easy to do.  Society gives us constant reminders that what we see in the mirror is not desirable.  Companies ask us to pay large amounts of money for wonder lotions that should puff up wrinkling skin, regenerate dying cells.  Surgeons offer us procedures to tighten sagging cheeks and jowls.  

I believe in my mental vision of myself.  It is aligned with my sense of energy, my sense of purpose, my sense of self.  I try to focus on that.  I must admit that I also tend to avoid looking into mirrors, I prefer to be the one taking photos rather than the one being photographed.  I do not think this is denial but rather that I do not want to put my focus there.  What you focus on, expands!  My mental image contributes to my sense of well-being.

I think I dress appropriately for my age.  My adult children often tell me that I look nice.  Last Christmas, Marc and Charlotte gave me the white Fossil watch that is on my arm in the picture.  At first I thought…”This watch is too young for me” and I placed it in my dresser drawer.  Recently, my old watch battery died so I took out this watch and put it on.  I was surprised how much I enjoyed wearing it.  It helped me to feel engaged in the world.  It helped me to feel younger!

I am enjoying the course.  Retirement is the best kept secret.  There is so much to do and so little time!