Ric Elias: The Moments that Shape You

If you knew your plane was going down and you thought you minutes on Earth were numbered what would you regret? What would you wish you would have done? Not many people experience something that will alter their life forever. This TED talk was given by Ric Elias, the man who was sitting in seat D1, the seat right next to the flight attendants, on the day the plane landed in the Hudson. He talks about 3 things he learned that day. He realized what is truly important to him in life. This video has made me think what matters to me? This really relates to our TED talk because it is about what matters to us. This video really touched me, my mind is going in so many different directions because it made me think of so many experiences in my life, and I realize that I want to live my life as the nicest person I can be. I want to help others and make a difference in others lives. I do not want to go through life, living just for me. I can really connect to this video because it brings back all the events that have shaped who I am today. It makes me think back to 6^th grade when my mom and I were in an ATV accident. All I can remember about the actual accident was darkness and my mom asking if I was okay. I remember ripping off my helmet and seeing my mom with a huge black bump immediately on her head. Like Ric said he remembers the words “brace for impact”, I remember my mom telling me “I’m hurt go get daddy.” Today those words still bring memories flashing to my mind. Sitting on the mountain waiting for the rescue crew changed my life. I thought I was going to lose my mom, and I told her she could not die. I could not lose her, and I could not live without her. It made such a difference to me because I respected my mom and brother so much more after that day. I did not want to fight with my mom, like Ric said he would not fight with his wife. If I said something mean to my family, I could not live with myself until everything was okay, because I learned the same thing Ric did, life can change in a second, and do everything while you can. His style of presenting was very different. He used some humor, but not much. He hardly moved around the stage, and his voice was not as excited as all the others I have watched. After all those things it may make it seem like it would have made it boring, but it made it more powerful and helped me to connect on an emotional level. This talk really made me think of  a quote by Barbra Bush, “At the end of your life, you will never regret no having 0passes one more test, not winning one more verdict, or closing one more deal. You will regret not spending time with a husband, friend, child, or parent.” Ric and Barbra have both helped me to change my perspective. I will not always constantly worry about school, I need to worry about getting done what I want to, and living every day like it is my last.

Clay Shirky: Changing the world through technology

Watching Shirky’s talk has really made me wonder, in what other ways can we change the world through technology? That is a big question because I think there are so many different things we could do, even his example of Ushahidi just started with a blog. I think the story of Ushahidi is amazing. Everyone can realize the truth, when their number once source disappeared, and that being media. These days I feel like everyone has become really dependent on media, and people trust everything they see. Sites like Ushahidi are so important because people can communicate and help each other. I personally think our world needs cognitive surplus. I don’t think people are as helpful to each other as we should be. Everyone is concerned with their electronics and we have lost all of the personal connection. It was really interesting when Shirky started talking about the day care. When I heard of it I thought people would be on time to pick up their children to avoid a fine. Once I saw the results I was shocked. As we started to talk about it in class it made sense to me. I was thinking why would people be late it would cost so much more money? It makes sense because if people can pay to be late, then they won’t feel guilty; it will feel like it is not on their time, because they paid for their actions. It also eliminates the parents’ personal relationship with the daycare workers.  Before it would make sense that the parents wanted to get to the daycare so the workers could go and they parents did not feel bad. Now with the fine, people just pay away their guilt. These story’s make me wonder, what could I do with technology to change the world? What could I start that would help kids who do not have homes? What could I do to get money and medical help to places that have been hurt by disasters or disease?  Shirky had a really interesting style. He had a different sense of humor that he would stick into his presentation, but it was kind of sly. It never seemed like he announced “here is my joke!” he just snuck it in. That made it funnier in a way, but sometimes I did not really get he was joking.  My topic is not very serious, so I was thinking maybe I could use something like Shirky did to make mine even more interesting. I found it really funny how he was talking about something so serious, and then he went to the cats. I liked the humor and, I have seen it in all the TED talks I have watched. I want to find a way to stick humor into my talk because I think it would make everyone want to watch my presentation more. This really relates to education and the world because I think we could use blogs like Ushahidi to help people around the world. Like I said earlier it makes me wonder what I could do with technology. If we used cognitive surplus in the right way, we really could change education and the world.

Daniel Pink: Motivation

My definition of motivation would be a form of encouragement or reward causing someone to succeed at a task. After watching Daniel Pink's TED talk, he had changed my view of motivation. I learned a lot about how people think through his talk. The biggest thing I took away from his talk was that people do not perform as well, when they have a reward at stake; in fact, people that are not going to be rewarded usually tend to do better. Daniel had many facts and statics to support his idea. It was very persuasive and surprising. I have always thought I would do better if I was going to be rewarded. It is very interesting because we read a part from his book Drive after the talk. The sample of the book just went into more depth of his whole theory. I found it very interesting because even with preschoolers, the ones that were not being rewarded were the ones who succeeded. This has completely changed my ideas because I have always thought just the opposite. It has made me start thinking about what really motivated me in life. Most of the time, I do things, and make sure they are done well for self-satisfaction. I do things to know I can prove to myself, that I can do whatever I want. Sometimes, I think my motivation is to show other people what I can do. I always want to prove people wrong, and I think that is one of my biggest motivations in life. My dreams also motivate me. My dream is to go to Duke, and every time I do not want to study, I remember that every A is just getting me closer to Duke. Daniel's style of talking was very different than the other two talks I have watched. We watched a different video in class than the one that was online, but yet they were both very different. With the one on YouTube, he didn't really show his face. He drew everything out, which in a way made it more interesting and easier to understand. When we watched the actual TED talk, he was very enthusiastic, and passionate in the way he was speaking. He used a lot of facts and statistics to back up his information. His style was so different because it was all based on research. It was a little harder to connect with him because he did not really have any personal stories. At times I was also a little bored, just because it was a little hard to follow. I think this relates to education in a big way. Grades are a great example of rewarding or punishing students for their work. Those grades will later get the child into college, and the college they go to will help get them a job. In my world life revolves around grades because it is what will get me further in life. Like I mentioned earlier I want to go to Duke, but i need good enough grades to get in. The talk has made me wonder, how would students perform if it was for themselves and not a grade? If it follows Daniel's theory, then everyone would perform much better. His talks were very interesting and have really made me start to think about what truly motivates me.

Believe: Caroline Casey

Everyone thinks they have limits; there is something they cannot do, but after Caroline Casey give her talk, it has changed my perspective on what I can and cannot do. She had a very remarkable story about her dream of being Mowgli from the Jungle Book or a race car driver. On her 17^th birthday her parents gave her driving lesions, but that same day her dreams were crushed. She learned that day that she was and had been her whole life, legally bind. She really was able to come over her disability, and no one ever knew she could not see. She went to normal school and experienced everything like a normal child. Caroline’s way of presenting was much different than Ken Robinson’s. Ken was very humorous and wanted to get everyone interested through humor. Caroline told her story very seriously. She really got into telling her story passionately, and the way she told it, it reached out and pulled you in. She was so encouraging, and passionate. Even though she had gone through so much she still had so much belief in herself. During her talk she told personal stories, which made you feel like you lived that whole experience with her. It made it feel like you were there every time she failed, every time she got her eyes checked, and when she finally lived her dream. Caroline was so energetic, during the time she was talking I was never bored. When she talked she would paint pictures in your mind of her struggles. They tone of her voice made you feel what she felt every time someone told her no. I took a lot away from this video. It really could connect with me on a personal level because my sister was diagnosed with a disease right before she went miles away to college. Not only would this disease have stopped many from going to college, but she has overcome her disease, and never asked for help along the way. She never once complained, or said “I can’t do this”. She had determination and was not going to let the disease take her dreams away. Caroline has shown me the same thing. She has taught me to always believe in myself. Follow my dreams and never let anything get in my way. Caroline found a way around her dreams. I think this is not only apparent in life, but in education. In education, I have realized I can do whatever I want. If I want an A on my history test, I can get the A I just need to invest time and believe in myself.  I know now that I can follow my dreams; I can go to Duke and become a lawyer, all I have to do is believe in me.

The Reality of Creativity: Ken Robinson

What is creativity? After watching this video I have realized that there is not one answer to that question, and everyone sees creativity in a different way.  Mr. Robinson was saying how school limits children’s ability to be creative. In school, normally teachers and parents are creating us to be robots that will later succeed in math and science, but what can we do in the real world? Ken uses a lot of humor in talk and it really makes the viewer want to watch the video. It makes him seem real and it allows him to connect with the viewer on a higher level.  He also tells personal stories that make the viewer connect to his talk even more. I found it really interesting when he was telling the story about Julian Lynn, the chorographer. All teachers saw in her was an annoying little girl that could not focus. They thought she was sick and suggested she go see a doctor. Maybe now they would have taken that as a disease and put her on medication to calm her down. Because the doctor saw potential in her, she is now an amazing choreographer and gets to share he talent and creativity with the rest of the world. Ken seems very comfortable on the stage. He knows exactly what he is talking about and he seems very natural. He adds a lot of humor but is still serious. He can connect with people on a different level, and makes his talk interesting. I watched this video a couple times, and each time I was never bored. He has so much to say and can make it feel like he is your friend. After watching the video it really changed my perspective on education. I never really saw a problem with education before watching videos like these and reading AWNM, but now I see that kids are being stripped for their create ability’s. We are taught to go with the crowd and not be different. Kids need to be allowed to be who they are, because they might turn out to be very important people. This has given me a lot of ideas for my own talk, and even life. I think when viewers are entertained and into the talk, they will take more out of it. It seems more important and people will want to make a difference. In life, I want to try and be more creative. I will share my ideas, and not let my education take my dreams and creativity away from me. Even though he adds a lot of humor, it is sill is a serious matter, and I think if everyone were to watch this video, we might see a change in education and a change in the world.