I'm pleased to share a brief update on the 2014-2015 Burlington High School TED-Ed Club.
So far this year, members have engaged in lively discussion and at times intense debates over a variety of controversial topics. They have challenged one another to articulate their big ideas and have provided one another with positive as well as constructive feedback. As a club, we have also spent a significant amount of time examining a variety of TED Talks. Members have analyzed the way speakers structure their talks and the mechanics of the presenters' public speaking skills.
Using the TED-Ed Idea Book a a guide, we most recently discussed some common "bad" presentation habits and the strategies members can employ to avoid these mistakes. Members came to the consensus that the best way to avoid the common um's, and's, likes, and awkward pauses during a talk is to adequately prepare. As their facilitator, I've done my best to allow members to drive the direction of each meeting, but have also encouraged students to invest a significant amount of time researching their topics and to really start thinking critically about the beginning, middle, and end of their presentation. In an effort to provoke this critical thinking, I asked club members to share with me their ideas so far. Several members responded to my request and below, in their own words, is what they had to say:
TJ Horgan:
"The idea of my TED talk is to explore the motives and lyrics of modern rap music through a critical lense, both affirming themes and depicting inconsistencies."
Ashwini Chauhan
"I believe that the way you present yourself based on your attire strongly reflects your mood or how you approach certain situations and make decisions. I think its important to frequently look your best in your perspective because it helps enhance your self esteem and positive thinking. I hope to further elaborate on this topic for my TED talk."
Siddhartha Srivastava
"Last year, I was obsessed with physics and discovered an idea to conserve electricity, many of my friends discouraged me of my ideas and experiments.But one day,I got something which opened a whole lot of ideas for me, a shock, literally an electrical shock, and then I tried various experiments and then derived on a conclusion that the considerable amount of electricity lost due to earthing of short circuit appliances can be preserved and my topic of the TED talk will be that."
Catherine Hoyt
"Idea: Identifying the patterns of self esteem and how they fluctuate as people go through life and specifically go downward as people process into adolescence and young adulthood. I'm creating another video which will hopefully prove this concept."
Daniel Pais
"I am going to give a talk on how to properly buy your first car, and how your dream car differs greatly from your dream FIRST car. I will first start off by talking about how cars are teenager's first gateway to adulthood and it is your first chance to prove your responsibility. Cars are like children in that they require food (gas), cleaning, surgery (fixing parts), and and constant attention."
Ansh Bhammar
"I am doing my talk on Neuroplasticity, which is the idea that the brain can rewire its neural pathways. Specifically, there are devices called SSD's (Sensory Substitution Devices) that allows the brain to change its neural pathways. For instance, using theseSSD's, we can make the blind see, the deaf hear, and so on. Using the idea of neuroplasticity and SSD's, I want to explain how we can solve many neurological and sensory disorders we have today."
Mira Mehdi
"A topic idea for my TED talk is Global Warming. I would like to talk about what caused Global Warming as well as what we can do to fix it. Global Warming effects everyone in the world so by making awareness, we can really help save the planet."
I look forward to posting future updates as students continue to explore their passions and declare their ideas. In the coming weeks we will discuss how the use of visuals can support and enhance their presentation.
So far this year, members have engaged in lively discussion and at times intense debates over a variety of controversial topics. They have challenged one another to articulate their big ideas and have provided one another with positive as well as constructive feedback. As a club, we have also spent a significant amount of time examining a variety of TED Talks. Members have analyzed the way speakers structure their talks and the mechanics of the presenters' public speaking skills.
Using the TED-Ed Idea Book a a guide, we most recently discussed some common "bad" presentation habits and the strategies members can employ to avoid these mistakes. Members came to the consensus that the best way to avoid the common um's, and's, likes, and awkward pauses during a talk is to adequately prepare. As their facilitator, I've done my best to allow members to drive the direction of each meeting, but have also encouraged students to invest a significant amount of time researching their topics and to really start thinking critically about the beginning, middle, and end of their presentation. In an effort to provoke this critical thinking, I asked club members to share with me their ideas so far. Several members responded to my request and below, in their own words, is what they had to say:
TJ Horgan:
"The idea of my TED talk is to explore the motives and lyrics of modern rap music through a critical lense, both affirming themes and depicting inconsistencies."
Ashwini Chauhan
"I believe that the way you present yourself based on your attire strongly reflects your mood or how you approach certain situations and make decisions. I think its important to frequently look your best in your perspective because it helps enhance your self esteem and positive thinking. I hope to further elaborate on this topic for my TED talk."
Siddhartha Srivastava
"Last year, I was obsessed with physics and discovered an idea to conserve electricity, many of my friends discouraged me of my ideas and experiments.But one day,I got something which opened a whole lot of ideas for me, a shock, literally an electrical shock, and then I tried various experiments and then derived on a conclusion that the considerable amount of electricity lost due to earthing of short circuit appliances can be preserved and my topic of the TED talk will be that."
Catherine Hoyt
"Idea: Identifying the patterns of self esteem and how they fluctuate as people go through life and specifically go downward as people process into adolescence and young adulthood. I'm creating another video which will hopefully prove this concept."
Daniel Pais
"I am going to give a talk on how to properly buy your first car, and how your dream car differs greatly from your dream FIRST car. I will first start off by talking about how cars are teenager's first gateway to adulthood and it is your first chance to prove your responsibility. Cars are like children in that they require food (gas), cleaning, surgery (fixing parts), and and constant attention."
Ansh Bhammar
"I am doing my talk on Neuroplasticity, which is the idea that the brain can rewire its neural pathways. Specifically, there are devices called SSD's (Sensory Substitution Devices) that allows the brain to change its neural pathways. For instance, using theseSSD's, we can make the blind see, the deaf hear, and so on. Using the idea of neuroplasticity and SSD's, I want to explain how we can solve many neurological and sensory disorders we have today."
Mira Mehdi
"A topic idea for my TED talk is Global Warming. I would like to talk about what caused Global Warming as well as what we can do to fix it. Global Warming effects everyone in the world so by making awareness, we can really help save the planet."
I look forward to posting future updates as students continue to explore their passions and declare their ideas. In the coming weeks we will discuss how the use of visuals can support and enhance their presentation.