TED Talks - My New Obsession!

I don't know how many of you know about TED Talks, but I'm here to tell you they are phenomenal! "TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate 'ideas worth spreading'" (Wikipedia). As a result of these conferences, TED.com has posted the conference speakers' "talks" for anyone to watch online for free.  

While I have known about TED Talks for ages, I'd never spent much time on the site. That is until today! As part of a homework assignment in my grad class, I needed to watch a couple of TED Talks and quickly became entranced with watching talk after talk after talk. For anyone who has yet to visit TED.com, I highly recommend you try it.  You will not be disappointed.  My suggestion is that you start with the New to TED? playlist.  11 talks which will astound you.   

I have to admit that I think my favorite talk just happens to be #1 on the New to TED? playlist: "Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity".  It was also the first TED Talk that I watched today (as it was part of my homework assignment).  The talk is by Sir Ken Robinson, "an English author, speaker, and international advisor on education in the arts to government, non-profits, education, and arts bodies" (Wikipedia) and it is well worth the 20 minutes of watching - particularly for anyone who is an educator. "Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity." Not only is Sir Ken smart and hits the nail on the head about education and creativity, he is also wickedly amusing.  Of course, he's funny - he's English! 

Another worthy TED Talk is "David Gallo: Underwater astonishments".  Five and a half minutes of underwater video that will blow your mind! "David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean." Seriously, I was amazed by this video and it made me wish I had stuck with my teenage fantasy about being a marine biologist!

In my typical obsessive compulsive way, I went to TED.com merely to watch a couple of videos and managed to while away an entire afternoon. It was informative and educational so I don't feel like it was time completely wasted, but I probably should have been doing other things like, oh, I don't know - lesson planning! Oh well, it was a great way to spend an afternoon. Check out TED.com!

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity