Last TED Talk (except for mine) of the Year!

TED talk 8

For my eighth and last TED talk, I watched a talk about the new generation of reading online books on the Iphone and Ipad.  Personally I prefer reading books out of paper or something that looks like paper such as the Kindle, but it is interesting to see technology working with books and learning.  To me, this TED talk was something of a letdown.  It was not very inspiring, the speaker was unenthusiastic and the technology did not seem awe-inspiring.  I do like the interactive quality of the technology, however, and think that it is not at all useless.  It just does not seem as amazing as most of the TED talks we have watched in class or some of the technology I have already seen on TED.com.

Mike Matas, the speaker of this particular TED talk does not seem particularly empathetic with the audience or excited to be talking in front of hundreds.  He voice and posture make him seem like he does not care to be here which is really a turn off for the audience.  His one effective technique is possibly his way of using visuals and of taping what he is doing for his peers.  Things I can learn from this speaker are what not to do in a TED talk.

Mr. Matas' presentation style was mostly video of what he was talking about.  Similar but not nearly the same as the Picha Kucha or Ignite technique.  Visuals are very important but an active and eager speaker is also necessary for a TED talk, and this aspect was clearly lacking.

This video matters not because it was the most inspiring talk I have ever seen, but because it shows a new generation of possible learning for the world.  It seems to be a more right-minded approach to teaching and might be available in the near future.  

TED talk 6- Dave Eggers

From this video, a new type of learning development is shown.  Dave Eggers starts a free tutoring company in the back of a pirate store.  It became volunteer work to help students with their school work.  This generosity is shown and gives light on natural human kindness and a want to help each other.  From this video I have learned the necessity to try your hardest for the good of mankind, not just yourself.

 One thing Eggers says in his video has to do with the pressure of being published to the world, much like we will be published with our own TED talks.  He talks about the how these students tried the hardest they have ever tried before.  It is somewhat like Dan Pink's drive novel but the drive for these people is not a reward but the happiness of giving.  It truly effects humanity and is somewhat contagious to others.  Mr. Eggers shows shops and other tutoring companies that opened up after this first pirate-tutoring shop.

 Mr. Eggers has a way of talking that sounds like a story.  He uses humor and examples to give his point throughout his presentation and it is very effective.  The audience laughs and applauds at appropriate times.  They truly enjoyed his presentation and I did as well.  If a speaker captivates his audience with what he is preaching, he does not necessarily have to be the best speaker.

This video matters because it gives hope to students and it gives incentive to teachers, and not just school teachers.  If anyone gives their time to help someone, they are a teacher and a motivator.   This giving of time instead of money is a new approach to generosity.

TED talk from Laura Trice about saying "Thank you"

While I was watching this TED talk I realized that most of the TED talks I have watched have not dealt with true human emotion.  To hear someone talk about a topic she so truly believed in was inspirational in its own way.  My take aways from this video are to make sure I thank people for the little things in life and make sure I appreciate when people thank me.


This speaker's effective techniques were relating to herself and what matters to her.  By showing her emotions, she is a much more relatable person and is a much more effective speaker.  During my TED talk, which will be about having faith in all aspects of life, I will try to relate to people. I think showing emotions to people is a key part of a successful TED talk.


Ms. Trice's presentation style was humble in a way.  She did not have any back-drops or pictures, she just talked to the audience. It was a fairly short TED talk, about the length of time I will have in class to present my own TED talk.  Although she had limited time, she got her point across and it felt very good to see a shorter TED talk than the other ones I have seen.


This video matters because of the message it gives to all people. Something I did not notice in my other TED talks was an option on the bottom of the screen.  It was a language selector.  This 4-minute presentation was available in 32 different languages!  This matters to the world because it is truly a universal message.

TED talk on Photosynth: New Technology 2011

This is my 5th TED talk in running and it was called "Blaise Aguera y Arcas demos Photosynth."  The entire talk was about a new futuristic device called Photosynth, in which all shared images and photos in the world come together to form a "hyperlink"  between all shared content.  

From this video, I gain a new view of what this century will bring.  In the past 10 years alone, the world has given out new ideas and the power to create those ideas. Cell phones, laptops, and other technological advances give humanity a chance to be more creative than ever for the good of the fellow man.  

This speaker was not necessarily the best, but through his use of visuals and technology, he doesn't have to be the best speech giver I've ever heard.  What matters is how people express the emotions in talking.  You could tell that he was excited about this breathtaking advance in how our world will look at images and pictures.  

Today in fishbowl we talked about how amazing ideas often come from creative ideas already used.  For example you have a wheel and a chair.  Put them together and bam, you have yourself a rolling chair. This might possibly be one of the most simple and used inventions ever.  Just think of how often you see rolling chairs... now think of how often you see pictures.  Humanity is in an age where we see pictures constantly.  Images are a part of our lifestyle, which was shown in Symphony by Dan Pink.  By taking this idea of pictures, connections, and the human nature of generosity, a new invention has been made that will possibly change the way we view virtual imaging. 

Blaise Aguera y Arcas presents his TED talk with complete awe of this creation, which very much influences the way a viewer takes in the presentation.  When the speaker fully believes what he is saying, the viewer starts to believe it too.

What I took in from this TED talk was reassurance of the capability of humanity.  What matters in this video is the creation of hope for the future.  If people see this video, I hope they realize that many people's dreams (which many would have thought impossible 5 years ago) are becoming very possible.

TED talk with Clay Shirky

Clay Shirky's TED talk was about "cognitive surplus."  He talked about the online work we do as the human population to give our creativity into projects.  If your are wondering like I was about why cognitive surplus was not a large part of our world 20 years ago, Mr. Shirky answers that as well.  We were a "consumer society" for a long time and got used to consuming.  Eventually, we had enough resources to broadcast our creativity in a sense and show the world a different generation of sharing thinking.  


Design was also a main theme of Mr. Shirky's talk which was interesting because our class has been studying design for about a week now.  COgnitive surplus can mean many things from humorous to serious, which definitely shows the design aspect of this new generation of thinking.  Cognitive surplus has had a change on "scientific and political efforts" around the world.  The entire idea is to put forth your ideas, which is creativity in my definition.  Cognitive surplus is made because of the "design of generosity."

From this video, I take away understanding of why the world has changed so fast in a technological sense in the past 10 years.  To me, technology does not seem very new because I grew up in this new era, but it is very new to our world.  It has given us a chance to speak for ourselves and tell our ideas to the world. 


Clay Shirky has many effective techniques for his speaking.  He uses a very sure-sounding tone of voice that is convincing and gives evidence in the form of a powerpoint to show visuals to his audience.  His presentation style is one of confidence and relating to the public.  Through his use of common internet creativity, he relates to the common man.


This video matters because it explains an entirely new era of creativity.  To me, the explanation of cognitive surplus matters because I have lived in technology all my life and relate to what he says and see the importance of what he's saying.  Creativity is taking off in our world in an entirely new way: through the use of computers and the internet.  This has changed our world and will continue to change the way humanity lives.

My 3rd TED talk in counting

Today I saw Dan Pink for the first time EVER!  I think he is a good speaker but if I had to choose between the two, I would say he is a much better writer than a speaker.  I always pictured him to be older, but I guess with his writing style and what he is saying in his writing, I should have expected him to be  younger.  Lots of his presentation today had to do with a simple puzzle, shown below.

Like most people who look at this puzzle, I didn't understand it immediately.  It took me a few minutes to figure it out and the result makes you want to smack your forehead.   The puzzle says to put the candle on the wall so no wax can drip on the table using only a candle, tacks, and matches.  The solution involves those three, but adds an element most do no think of... the tack box!  A picture of the solution is shown below.

Most people look at the solution and think how unfair the solution is, or at least, that's what I thought.  The problem is about using your creativity and what is around you to solve something seemingly unimportant.  Dan Pink's point throughout his speech was not how well you could solve the puzzle or even if you could solve the puzzle, his point was what drives us to solve this puzzle.  A long time ago, there was an experiment held to see what actually drives the human being.  Mr. Pink gives the analogy of a horse with either carrots or a stick being the driving force.  The results were revolutionary and went against what humans think they know.  Motivators such as the carrot or the stick had a negative impact on our creativity!


Throughout his speech, Dan Pink spoke with confidence and through his use of somewhat bitter humor and hard-headed evidence, he was inspirational.  I need to remember the use of these TED talk techniques in my own speech.  Mr. Pink also used the back screen to project images that went along with his speech which is a technique I will be using.


This video mattered to me because it honestly gave me a new view on what rewards do to people and if this will someday change the future.  If people are willing to work harder and are more proficient without pay there would be a changed world.  People all around the world need to see this and try experiments on their own to see the effectiveness of what Dan Pink has to say.  After I read A Whole New Mind I might try to read Drive,  because it sounds very interesting.

TED talk blog #2 "What adults can learn from kids"

The TED talk I listened to was by the author Adora Svitak.  I learned by clicking on the link that she was actually a real child, although not one many people can identify with.  She is now twelve and goes around the world as a speaker.  


When I first watched this video, I did not know what to think.  The message was clear:  adults should be listening to children.  However, during the 8 minutes of her speaking, I do not think the message was as pronounced as it would have been in a normal 11 year old.  I took away the message and that is all and I do  not even agree with her.  So far, having watched only 2 videos, this is my least favorite and probably will continue to be so in the future.  This girl was so unique that neither children my age nor adults could relate with her, which is very important in a TED talk, in my own opinion. 


She had good techniques with her speaking but, like I said earlier, was so different from other people that they could not relate with her.  This is a key aspect in TED talking and will be necessary in creating a successful speech, so I will have to make a memo of that.  One of her speaking methods that most annoyed me was the way she said children and adults like she was neither a child or an adult.  She did not use "we" in association with children, which I think would be helpful in her speech.  Okay, enough with the negatives.  Some good speaking methods I took away from her talk was her complete confidence in speaking and the way she adds modest humor to her talk.


Her speaking style was not that of a child, but one of an adult.  In her presentation she said she had been writing since she was four years old, while most of society does not even know the alphabet at that age.  It seemed slightly odd, which is prejudiced because I am, obviously, a child.  To an adult, her speaking may not have seemed weird in any way, but I don't know.


Personally, I think that children should learn from adults which is why we do not grow old to young. The main message connects to me because I am a child even though I do not completely agree with the message.  In my opinion, children should not necessarily teach adults, but should be listened to by adults.  We should be respected, not be teachers.  I do think that education and the world are changing to be more accepting to children and what they want, but it is in respect to us.