TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences -- the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK each summer -- TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and Open TV Project, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.These 10 to 20 minute videos provide an opportunity to expose students to the ideas, causes, challenges, solutions, that are currently and will be changing the world that we share. I integrate these videos into my classrooom to introduce topics. I assign videos for homework and create forums for students to respond online to me and to each other about what they heard and saw in the video. I use them to inspire my students to strive beyond the limitations and to believe in the possibilities that lie ahead.
TED is an acronym for Technology, Education and Design, however, the talks run the gamut, from a juggler who explain the patterns used in math and the challenge of overcoming difficulties in school through the rythmic patterns of repetition or the educator who created a tinkering school that allows children to build rollercoasters using power tools at very young ages. I share these talks with parents, colleagues and friends. I have yet to visit the TED site without finding something of interest.
A visit to the TED website will open unlimited possibilioties for you, your classroom and your students.
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