TED talks have silently changed the way we think, behave and believe. Most people think this is only for the erudite and upper echelons of academia and intelligentsia. In reality the pervasive and persuasive quality of the TED talks and seeped in through the pores and gone deep into our psyche. And one area which has been deeply influenced is education. TED talks education thoughts and philosophies have travelled from their speakers to the global audience through their conferences, videos as well as blogs.
So what is different about the TED talks education ideas that we won’t find anywhere else?
They spread ideas to bring not just change and reform but a revolution.
TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since 1984 they have converged to bring forth new ideas and thoughts to our lives. The silent revolution has been fueled by their underlying motto — “Ideas worth spreading”. Thinkers and doers from these three arenas meet in the TED annual conferences held in Long Island and Palm Beach and in the TED Global Conference in Edinburgh UK. These talks are not merely thought provoking and inspiring. They are life altering.
You only have to glance through the best TED talks to know that these are not just talks about change but futuristic ideas that will shape the younger generations. TED affects all spheres of life but it has had immense impact in education. It impacts the way we learn, the way we can teach, our current theories and practices, innovative ideas of learning and delves deep into the child’s mind to see how our minds are shaping up. You will find all these and more manifested in the various TED talks which focus on education and learning.
That doesn’t mean that you will get great ideas only from the TED talks education videos. Every talk is an inspiration. And every talk motivates you to change and act. If you want to shape the minds of your students in innovative ways you can pick up great ideas from all TED talks. Each is a priceless learning experience. A glimpse at the top TED talks on education:
- Ken Robinson: Changing education paradigms
- Sugata Mitra: The child-driven education
- Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers
- Mae Jemison on teaching arts and sciences together
- Bill Gates on mosquitos, malaria and education
As I mentioned earlier, both parents and educators can profit from more than the education videos for everyday TED comes up with new speakers and new ideas to share. And every talk has a valuable lesson in it. Some of the best TED talks also include:
- JK Rowling: The fringe benefits of failure
- Salman Khan: Let’s use video to reinvent education
- Joachim de Posada: Don’t Eat the Marshmallow
- Jill Bolte Taylor: The Breakthrough (on Her Stroke)
- Susan Cain: The Theatrical Polish
If you have gone through even 3 of them I am sure you are already a changed person by now. Imagine the change it can bring to our future generations simply by sharing these ideas and encouraging more independent thoughts.