Becoming a subject matter expert and conveying that expertise is easier now than it has ever been in the history of mankind. The interweb enables both the learning and conveying of knowledge.

The Self Made Scholar is a site that gives you some of the tools you may needto become knowledgeable in a field. For example, it provides links to free online classes grouped by subject area (The site is actually called Self Made Scholar: Directory of Free Online Classes and Free Online Courses).

More importantly, in my view, the Self Made Scholar website contains valuable advice on defining your education goals and turning those goals into reality. For example, choosing concrete, rather than generic, goals is stressed:

Ineffective Goal – Learn HTML
Effective Goal – Create several websites using HTML, referring only minimally to a coding book.

Ineffective Goal – Learn about American literature.
Effective Goal – Identify and read 100 classic American novels, memorize the major time periods in American literature, and be able to discuss major American authors.

The site goes on the emphasize other aspects such as collecting materials, making connections, and then finally taking action. The post Create Your Own Independent Scholar Research Plan is worth a look on its own merits.

As with all learning, be sure to examine your sources because I noticed that some of the classes offered were better than others.