TED: Ideas Worth Sharing

Analyzing TED Talks:
I am a big fan of TED, whether it's edTed, TEDx, or TEDxYouth. 

Click here to visit my TEDed page

I like that TED talks are short, yet still very thought provoking. I really wanted to use them in my class, but do it in a meaningful way. I didn't want to just show a video and say there you go, think about that. I adapted a four C's graphic organizer to make it applicable to watching a TED talk, and now we have TED Talk Tuesdays. My class really enjoys TED Talk Tuesday and if we miss it for some reason, they always grumble in disappointment. I've linked to a google doc that you can download and print.
   It does take a little behind the scenes work to find the right TED talks, so I have included a top ten list of my favorite TED talks. In the beginning, I spent a great amount of time trying to find talks that went with our current curriculum, but I have since let that go in favor of talks that will get them thinking about the bigger picture, making real life connections, asking questions, or questioning themselves. My students have gotten really great at connecting the ideas from the TED talk to what we are learning, so I feel like I am taking something away from them if I make it so obvious by showing a talk on river systems when we are learning about the agricultural practices of ancient civilizations.

1. An 11 year old’s goal of peace through soccer balls
2. The power of a great introduction
3. What's wrong with our food system 
4. What makes a hero?
5. Detention or Eco Club: Choosing your future
6. How inventions change history (for better and for worse)
7. Try something new for 30 days
8. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
9. Why can't we see evidence of alien life?
10. And of course this one, because"I think we all need a pep talk"

I have begun using the TEDed page to make my own lessons for videos. My first video lesson goes with "The One and Only Ivan".

Ms. Marshall's TED ed Page