TED Talks for Teaching & Learning

It goes without saying that TED is an inspirational video resource.  TED talks are informative, influential and thought provoking and this has got me thinking, why not integrate them into teaching? For example, you can use them to develop students’ oral and communication skills by debating particular topics and forming discussions. Also, they are a fantastic catalyst for students to express their views and craft compelling and persuasive arguments and opinions.

TED talks are also excellent  for improving literacy and writing practice in particular. Some of my previous blog posts talk about blended and flipped learning, TED talks are perfect to build on this principle. Students can watch a talk at home for example and construct written feedback in few paragraphs on its content. This can then be shared with their peers as part of a bigger class online document or simply submitted 1:1 with the teacher. In a nutshell, the possibilities are endless.

Here are my recommendations:

To boldly go – Ski to the North Pole. Row across the Pacific. Swim on Mt. Everest(!). These adventurers have pushed themselves to the limits of human endurance, and in these talks they share what they’ve learned about themselves and the planet.

The creative spark – Need a burst of inspiration? Wildly creative thinkers share ideas, strategies and warmhearted encouragement to let your genius out.

Redefining success – Success is: feeling that tingle of excitement about what you do, sticking with what matters through hard times, living a life you can feel proud of in retrospect. These talks say it all.

Our digital lives – Our hyper-connected lives have been rewired for the digital age. These talks explore how the Internet and social media are shaping our relationships, personal lives and sense of self.

Where do ideas come from? – How does the metaphorical lightbulb go off? Is it a flash of genius? The power of crowds? These heady talks explore the nature of ideas themselves: Where they come from, how they evolve, and how each of us can nurture them.