Online Courses   

In this first of a series of six courses on the music of Beethoven in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his death in 2027, we’ll look at and listen to his first five symphonies. We’ll examine the history of these works and how they continue the symphonic developments of Haydn and Mozart. We’ll see how they reflect Beethoven’s innovative ideas and how the first five symphonies lay the groundwork for the last four. No previous knowledge is expected. The course will be mostly lectures, using PowerPoint and YouTube for musical examples.

NOTE: There is no class on Monday, Jan. 19. This course is part of an online share with OLLI at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Let’s say you’ve moved beyond “total beginner” as a watercolor painter and are ready for a new challenge. You’ve been told to focus on major shapes and values to create good compositions, but you’re not sure how. You’ve heard about negative space, but no one has shown you how to work with it. For many watercolorists, negative painting is the game-changing technique that helps them start seeing major shapes and understanding how to use the spaces in between them. Each live, two-hour Zoom class (with breaks) begins with a PowerPoint lecture, discussion and Q&A, followed by an in-class painting session. Outside class, plan to spend two-plus hours watching online videos, reading articles and painting. Experienced beginners and intermediate painters are welcome. 

NOTE: Students will need to use a private Padlet online bulletin board and be able to download and print materials. The instructor will send a detailed syllabus, suggested supply list, instructions and outline drawings for projects. Students can use their existing watercolor materials. Additional material costs will vary. 

Why obsess over kale and collagen while ignoring the foundations that make it all work? Every superfood and supplement depends on one catalyst — oxygen, optimally delivered through healthy breathing. This course reveals how proper breathing transforms your complete metabolic cycle, from fuel intake to waste elimination. Discover why healthy breathing 24/7 catalyzes cardiovascular, digestive, brain and metabolic health — while mouth breathing sabotages it, even if you eat well and exercise daily. Exercise with healthy breathing to amplify benefits and limit stress risks. You invest your time and money in proper food and ample exercise. Why not “invest-igate” in your breath and master the overlooked keys to metabolic health?

NOTE: This is a practical course exploring the different dimensions of your breath and respiratory functions. It is not a substitute for medical care of your conditions. You are responsible for your own participation.

As artificial intelligence continues its rapid development, it is important that those interested in AI continue experimenting with current AI implementations. This seminar will include perspectives on pay-for-service products, including those produced by OpenAI (ChatGPT, DALL-E), Anthropic (Claude.AI), Google (Gemini, Gemma) and Microsoft (Copilot). The historical development of AI will be discussed. The primary focus will be on the use of AI in professional services, individual utilization, and will emphasize establishing personal and professional skills. The seminar is a continuation of the instructor’s prior OLLI offerings on AI. This is a Level II seminar. Participants must have some familiarity with artificial intelligence. 

NOTE: Participants should be familiar with regular computer operations, including installing new programs and apps on computers and mobile devices.

Learn how to evaluate high-quality growth stocks and determine whether they are being sold at a fair price. We use the fundamental analysis methods as taught by BetterInvesting (www.betterinvesting.org) to over 5 million investors over the past 75 years. Learn how to form sound judgments, compare values between companies, make wise strategic portfolio choices, do research online and document your decisions. Students evaluate a company and practice articulating their judgments during workshops. This class combines lectures, activity workshops and one hour per week of outside video education and online tools practice. This class is a prerequisite for the spring course, DIY FUNdamental Stock Analysis: Beyond Beginners. 

NOTE: Maximum benefits will be achieved by attending all eight sessions. Equities are for educational purposes only; no recommendations will be made. We do not present alternate investment strategies. Penny stocks, ADRs, ETFs, index funds, mutual funds, financial advisers, cryptocurrencies and foreign stocks will not be discussed. Newer Windows or Mac OS versions only. 

We’re often told, “We can’t afford that program” or “The deficit will bankrupt our grandchildren.” But is this true? Unlike households, the U.S. government issues its own money through the Federal Reserve — it doesn’t need to “find” dollars before it spends them. That’s what makes the dollar a fiat currency: It isn’t backed by gold or any commodity, but instead by law and trust. This class cuts through myths about budgeting, deficits and debt to show how government spending really works. We’ll separate fear from fact and explore how money creation shapes policy, inflation and our everyday lives. 

NOTE: There is no class on Monday, Jan. 19.

In Louise Penny’s mystery novel “The Grey Wolf,” published in 2024, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste must uncover what at first seems a domestic terrorist attack before realizing that it is an international conspiracy led by someone they called the Grey Wolf. In the follow-up novel, Gamache et al. realize that it is the Black Wolf — with powerful allies in law enforcement, industry, organized crime, even government — that they must find and bring to justice. Using lecture, discussion and PowerPoint slides, let’s explore both books and how the author uses standard mystery-writing elements to move the plots forward. Participants should read both books before the class starts.

NOTE: This course is part of an online share with OLLI at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The four play sequence known as the Henriad is considered by many to be the crown jewel of Shakespeare’s history cycle. In the Middle Ages having no royal male heir led to awkward moments but having too many heirs meant disaster: The five sons of Edward III brought England 100 years of usurpations, murders and civil war, ending only in 1485 with the new Tudor dynasty. The familial and national tragedies portrayed in the plays based on this era continue to rivet audiences—from Richard II’s fecklessness through Henry V’s fleeting moments of martial glory to Richard III’s melodramatic villainy. This course will examine the play “Henry IV, Part One” (in the OSF ’26 season) in the context of the BBC series “The Hollow Crown.”

NOTE: Students should have access to a copy of the play and “The Hollow Crown” video series. As an option to private viewing, the four plays in the video series will be shown at Campbell Center on successive Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m., Feb. 6-27.

“I Am the Word” is a channeled book by spiritual author Paul Selig. The source of the material is a nonphysical collective called “The Guides,” ostensibly spiritual masters who are preparing our world for a major shift in consciousness. Some of the topics to be addressed and discussed include: cultivation of “Christ consciousness” (this is not religious, but a vibrational experience); our current time of cosmic change; releasing self-defeating patterns such as shame and fear; overcoming judgment of self and others; various aspects of love; addictions; and freedom from conditioning and cultural mandates. The material is not religious nor is it rigid dogma. The power of the message is inherent in the text, and the message is one of hope and transformation.

NOTE: The required book is readily available online.

This course is an introduction to qigong and simple stretching patterns. Movements will be taught both as physical and energetic exercises and as methods for improving present moment awareness and mindfulness of subtle perceptions. No special clothing or experience is required. Participants should come as they are, ready to have fun with others! Although qigong can be studied for a lifetime, this brief series will give you a taste of the practices. Students will learn a set of simple movements to integrate into their daily routine. The exercises will challenge and enhance students’ flexibility, balance and coordination. The classes will include social time with other students using breakout rooms. 

NOTE: Students will have access to the instructor’s videos on his YouTube channel. A DVD and digital material are available for purchase. Since this course is online and consists mostly of active movement, students must be prepared to take complete responsibility for their own physical well-being.  A signed liability waiver required to participate. Classes will not be recorded.

This workshop is an introductory course offering practical training to enhance nonfiction writing skills. The storytelling techniques emphasized are applicable to memoir, historical articles, long-form journalism and book-length nonfiction, for both print or internet. Class materials include selected readings, posted online, that demonstrate key writing techniques practiced by successful, well-known authors. Students should expect to spend six to eight hours a week reading assignments, writing and analyzing workshop writing submissions. Students are required to submit, for analysis, four 500- to 1,000-word writing samples by midnight, Fridays, using content derived from their experience. Students will read one another’s work and share evaluations. 

NOTE: “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott is assigned to be read by the end of the term.

Thanks to modern technology and the web, we can now explore unique resources from the comfort of our own homes. Whether it’s the history of baseball cards, Sondheim musicals or how holograms are made, there is an explanation and demonstration available somewhere online. Learn how to navigate free resources that may be new to you and understand how to search strategically to satisfy your curiosity. Each of the three sessions will focus on a different theme: Americana, artistic endeavors and mind expanders. No previous knowledge is needed — just a good internet connection. Digital handouts will include links to all the websites demonstrated.

NOTE: This course is part of an online share with OLLI at the University of Nevada, Reno.

What stories from your life would you like to tell? This course in writing personal narratives is derived from the Readers Write section of The Sun literary magazine. We will review samples from past issues and write responses to the magazine’s prompts. We will also look at upcoming topics, so students may submit works for publication. Students are expected to write one 400- to 800-word essay each week and share it on the interactive website Raider Moodle. Participants will respond to others’ essays by answering the following questions to encourage supportive feedback: What did you notice? What struck you? How did you connect personally to the story? All students are welcome, regardless of writing experience. This course has been offered previously, but all writing prompts will be new.

NOTE: There is no class on Monday, Jan. 19.