Hi,
When I got the idea to learn about options I did a course run by David Novak (do a web search), when I did the course (a few years ago) it was a 2 day course. You did 1 day where they taught some basic indicators and tracking techniques, then you paper traded 3 stocks for 2 weeks and then came back for another day where they reviewed your work and taught you some more indicators and how some trading software works (Metastock at the time).
I liked the course because it was in a workshop style with applying knowledge, but it was one of the those $1000+ courses where you could probably get the same info on the net or in books, but I needed the leading by the hand approach.
Was it worth it?, I never did trade with real dollars, found I didnt have the mindset to manage that level of risk. Which in some way was better than learning the hard way I guess
The terminology and the indicators were nothing new, just the environment in which its was taught.
From my exposure of learning options, I think you need the following;
1) A good internet forum where people just talk options that has been around long enough to experience 2-3 major market swings. That has a couple of newbie boards. When I did the course Novak had a mailing list where they posted questions and got answers from either Novak or other students.
2) Buy a couple of books or read a couple of websites that explain the basics like trend lines, indicators and charting. I bought several from Dymocks (Chris Tate, and others)
3) Find a way to papertrade either via excel or some free trading program (I dont know if they exist). Excel has a candle stick chart option and can be used to create a simple chart for drawing trendlines.
4) Develop a money management system, how much of your bank will you trade, when to get out when you win, when you lose. How much much per trade. And stick to it.
5) And this is the trickest bit, select a SMALL number of indicators (2-3) that you can use to indicate a BUY or SELL. At one stage I keep adding and adding indicators as I learn more and more, and in the end got analysis paralysis
6) And papertrading is VERY, VERY different to trading for real. Greed and fear come into play.
There was a great line from a book I read called "The New Market Wizards", I can't remember it verbatim, but there was this Trader that was interviewed or mentioned, and when he became the best trader around he said he no longer enjoyed it, because he was able to completely control his emotions while he traded, the excitement and rush he had when he traded before was now gone. Just an interesting thing to hear about what some did to succeed.
Regards
Michael G