Hans Rosling and the Magic Washing Machine Review (#8)

     My final TED talk review for English 9 Honors has brought me to an interesting man. He goes by Hans Rosling. What brought me to his "idea worth spreading" was, in fact, the title of his TED talk. He used a story about his mother and the first family washing machine to set his scene, which was a great choice. I found it interesting how he used this scenario throughout his time in a more global sense for his real point. He used his connection with his mother's and grandmother's amazement of this technology as the basis for his entire idea by allowing the audience to empathize with women around the world who did not have this luxury. Although Rosling was not wordy, I do think that one of his ideas was that multitasking is important. Advances such as the washing machine have and will allow people to focus on not the monotonous tasks, but the though-provoking/meaningful right-brained activities.

     Once the talk began, I was immediately engaged by the props Rosling used to tell his story. They were, as mentioned before, the basis of the argument but not too distracting either. Being from Sweden, I was also intrigued by his accent and also his account of worldly issues. I do not think he said too much, and this certainly wasn't the best TED talk I have seen (he did not use many facts or details in his thinking), but somehow I got a lot out of it. This may be from my external readings in A Whole New Mind and Drive. The silly manner in which Rosling presented himself was also somewhat unprofessional but intriguing. While he talked about the poverty line and what he calls the "air-line" or very much above poverty, he created a sub-category called the wash line. This was a humorous play on words because he identified the portion of the population that could afford washing machines; again, adding his experience to the mix. Toward the end when he finally got to his main point, he used props again in an unexpected way when he said that washing machines let his family read more. Instead of just stating this fact, he had an assistant pass books out of the fake washing machine to him, symbolizing the relationship.

     Through his chart of wealth lines and finally his ending statement,  Hans Rosling got to the point. It is important to somehow bring the poverty line people into industrial life and reduce rich people's energy use to help the others with their lack. The result, is the people formerly in poverty get time to improve their educations as well as their qualities of life, so hopefully they will become part of society.
     Personally, my whole life is reliant on machines such as the washing machine or coffee maker especially. This is a good and bad thing in my opinion. Yes, I can focus on more meaningful tasks, but I sometimes enjoy those tasks as a break from overloading my brain with deep, connective thoughts. I find turning on music and doing something necessary but not always worth while a relief from racking my brain constantly, but that's just me. In the world of education, this TED presents three problems for students to develop solutions; energy issues, economic issues, and social issues once the new middle class people are invited into "mainstream" society. The world as a whole will have to adjust society because there will be new competition and new cultures to deal with on a more leveled playing field. I wonder how that might play out with all the selfish people and dictators today...


Pictures: 1) http://www.kunskapspriset.se/images/2007/press_finalister/hans_rosling_hi.jpg
2) http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/files/2011/04/washing-machine.jpg
3) http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5242553656_5053c2bc1b.jpg
    

Patricia Ryan: Don't Insist on English TED talk Review (#7)

     Language is the way people communicate using their personal culture. Patricia Ryan's TED talk explained the importance of different cultures' ways of communicating. She also identified the importance of the ability to communicate through generations. This, I thought, was an interesting thing to ponder because so much history is relayed verbally and in different jargon or context. In Ryan's speech, she also unveiled the British and American agenda of "selling" the English language. A common world language is useful in terms of trading and doing business, but Ryan explained that the language of English has now become the business. An education in English has been ranked the best of the best, therefore English speakers have pushed all other languages out the door, no matter the ties to cherished culture, in order to supposedly better the world. And when analyzed, the real motive of helping these "illiterate" nations is to make connections for natural resources; using the excuse of "empowering the rest of the world".
     Patricia Ryan has a powerful presence, probably because she is a cute, old British woman! She engaged her audience first by cracking a joke at this. After everyone laughed, she went right into story mode, which I believe is a strong move, considering stories are easy to remember, as Dan Pink points out in A Whole New Mind. She then presented her topic with a few statistics, which gave viewers a mental picture of the depth of the situation. She noted that a language dies every fourteen days. This fact allows viewers a grasp on the true effects of English spread; but, I would have liked her to acknowledge other causes so that there would be an ability to connect larger ideas here.
     Ryan's presentation was aided by many pictures and short stories. I do think these tactics help in most cases but there were too many in her talk. The small tales and simple pictures did not link to the harder to understand pieces of the talk, but rather some that were also simple in nature. In other words, I do believe Patricia Ryan presented herself well as a wise educator, but used too many uncomplicated visuals/stories to really be useful as a tool. Instead, the became a distraction. This is one area I need to think about for my own TED talk because much of it is not based on facts, but stories in media as well as my own life. I hope to use detailed and rich tales that tie into every piece of my main topic.
     The idea of "not insisting on English" is simply the fact that too much of this good thing turns out to be not so good, as a dietitian would say about nutritional value. In the minds of the USA and UK, English has been the main ingredient for a peaceful and harmoniously educated world. Some of this is true, but the conquest has become an obsession. Ryan describes the situation now not as a gateway to world trade and communication, but a barrier. A story about two scientists that were puzzling over the meanings of scientific words illustrates this point. The two English scientists did not understand the word for what they were experimenting with, until a third, from Germany, explained that in German it made much more sense. Her point here is that cooperating with other languages can get people very far, because each has a different and creative way of thinking. This statement ultimately led to her great call to action, asking the audience to celebrate diversity and "mind your language,  (and) use it to spread great ideas."
      Much of this talk is simply connecting the English language "empire" to the world and how it has been used in education. Ryan pointed out that the top universities are in the USA and UK. This is why everyone is going crazy for our language. English means opportunity. However, the culture piece and "outside of the English box" thinking is lost by this. A solution, in my mind, is the prospect of students abroad. I have several teachers that have studied around the world and not only understand more of other languages, but come back a more thoughtful and whole person. This is one experience I would like to have growing up in order to expand my own mind. Using the techniques described in Pink's novels about thinking a new way can help people understand foreign ideas that are learned on trips such as those. On the world stage, languages are simply dying. However, Ryan used an example of how a young man in Kenya helped his village using his own ideas and culture. Evans Wadongo saw a need in his community for light after dark, in order to improve homework abilities. Through the power of his own initiative and cultural resources, he built a solar powered lamp and increased his community's test scores greatly. Leadership such as this in the world, and using one's own different cultural knowledge (e.g. plants as medicine), means many conclusions can be made to the world's toughest questions and issues.


Pics: 1) http://images.ted.com/images/ted/ec53a437b299ac1a83e2c52de5b1ea972e403bef_389x292.jpg
2) http://www.home.co.ke/images/stories/evans-wadongo.jpg

Dave Eggers wish: Once Upon A School Review (#6)

     A wish for students is one that will truly change the world. Dave Eggers's TED explains his wish for a new teaching technique in tutoring based on his own experience as an entrepreneur/writer/tutor leader. Eggers's emphasis in his tactics interested me because it involved not only one on one instruction, but immersion in an exciting learning environment. The kids in his unique centers (such as his pirate supply/publishing office/tutoring center) are intermixed with working adults and other kids from their communities. I believe this is a great way of teaching because this kind of learning is one without barriers and involves connective/creative thinking; which Dan Pink would approve of. The fact that parents are also able to get involved and watch their children learn in a new way intrigues me as well. Many families are so disconnected today that by simply making the tutoring accessible to the ordinary child and parent, as this system does, the family in turn will be more in tune with the future of their child's education; which, is so important to looking toward the future.
     Dave Eggers is not a wonderful public speaker. I could have focused more on his passion and words without his continuous fidgeting and inability to look up for the majority of the time. However, his willingness to accept that he did not always articulate himself well made him easy to empathize with. Once I got over the swaying and wringing of hands, I noticed that his style was so obviously one of a writer's. His vocabulary had a large range and he used humorous observations about life to lighten the mood. I also noticed a mess of papers of his speech on the floor next to him, which made me laugh as well. What made him really interesting though, was his use of story. Because he is a writer, he used his talk generally made up completely of stories, and executed them well. At first, I thought there was too much story, but, I realized that this is a very personal topic to him. If he were not to tell these tales of his life and how he began his business in tutoring, he would have no credibility. This is one aspect I need to make sure to get across in my own TED talk because my supporting statements are all based on media and personal story as well.

     Inside many of Eggers's tales were a lesson to the world. His essential message is an inspiration for people to use their talents in a new way to help the greater good, and, more specifically, create a new way of teaching and/or tutoring. The issue of one on one attention for students was his main goal. Letting a child know that they are the center of attention in their learning creates exponential opportunities for them to grow. This technique allows the student confidence in their work because they are with one person they trust; which, in the future, lets them free their minds from fear of being wrong and using their creativity in the world.
     A new way of going about teaching is something that can be done teacher by teacher, and school by school, but should eventually become a world-wide effort.  I find it a helpful tool when my teachers or I take the time to meet one on one because our ideas can be bounced off one another specifically and become meshed into a greater idea than the original. In terms of affecting education as a whole, this has come up in several of my English class's fishbowls about A Whole New Mind because students right brained thinking has not been accessed properly in traditional teaching. We have explored thoughts about new structures to schedules but never thought about simply adding more one on one time and possibly, as Eggers's volunteer tutors do, have local tutors come into class to help out. Techniques like this illustrate a creative way of solving education problems instead of simply looking at budget concerns. Once the world has experienced the new teaching theme, which will be a long time from now, the effects of newly transformed students can lead to astronomical advancements in all fields. Through Eggers's teaching/tutoring tactics, pupils are willing to become leaders and make a difference in the world because their ideas are being heard by a teacher who is with them at all times, and then the whole world.

For more information on Dave Eggers's wish and how you can make a difference go to: http://onceuponaschool.org/


Pictures: 1) http://lauralyall.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/dave_l.jpg
     2) http://www.anguslloyd.com/images/homeworkhelp.jpg

Kathryn Schulz: On being wrong Review (#5)

     The thought of being wrong is very scary for human beings. In her TED talk, Kathryn Schulz reminded her audience that being wrong is OK, and is part of being human. Kathryn has studied this topic for about five years and brings up the point that being wrong is what leads to an interesting life story filled with success and creativity. Watching her speak, I especially enjoyed  a one of her statements that being wrong is special to humans as our amazing minds "can see the world for what it isn't. We can think of the past and future." This struck me because that is what makes us different from all the other animals out there. We are so obsessed with remembering what is behind us and seeing what is in front of us that we hardly know what we are talking about in the present!
         What made Schulz so believable and someone the audience could be  comfortable to be told they were wrong by was that she was so down to earth. At the beginning of her talk, she told a funny story about her completely making a fool of herself due to a misunderstanding on a road trip. This warmed up the audience and proved her point that everyone goes through this kind of embarrassment. She also allowed herself to be vulnerable and awkward in front of the audience. Some of her jokes were not too funny but she was secure in herself, further proving that being wrong once in a while should not be looked at as a big thing.

     One great technique Schulz used was an analogy to help her viewers understand the feeling of being right, and then realizing how wrong you actually were. She used the example of the coyote and the roadrunner, how while the coyote chases his prey, he ends up following it off a cliff. However, the coyote is completely unaware of this wrong choice and remains suspended in the air until he looks down and realizes this mistake. He was so sure of himself that his wrong felt like a right, or that he was still on solid ground. This is the same path our thoughts take when we make a horrible mistake.
     Errors make up a major piece of all of life. I have had many times where I have fought with my best friend, just to see who was right about a stupid subject. Reflecting on this TED talk, this is not something I am proud of because sometimes those quarrels seem to push us further apart. We have made the concept of being wrong so vile that nobody wants to admit it, when in reality, many wrongs can make a right, just a creative right. In the education world, as Schulz brought up, we are so hammered as young children to not make mistakes and that there is one way of thinking to solve certain problems. This unethical way of teaching has been addressed in so many other books and talks, like Sir Robinson's, I wonder how nobody has done anything about it. Children have the ability to take a different path to figure out an issue, adult teachers may not understand their thought process, but if they are not allowed to practice trial and error, so many creative results will not be able to help us in the future. The world is going to have to accept this new way of thinking as part of transitioning into what Dan Pink calls the "Conceptual Age". History has proven, for example, that errors in inventions have created the very tools we use daily because the inventor was not bothered by his or her faults, they persevered and possibly made something they hadn't even dreamed of. The "system" we have today does not allow humans to simply make a mistake without ridicule, and that will be dangerous come the artistic "Conceptual Age" Daniel Pink of A Whole New Mind predicts.
     Kathryn Schulz's speech was interesting because to many, it was something that the public may not want to hear. We are simply wrong. A lot. She was respectful in delivering her point but I do believe she could have maybe beefed up the issue by connecting it herself to other instances around the world or even give herself a more credible look by including factual research, just to appeal to the L-Directed thinkers in the audience. Overall, however, I thoroughly enjoyed her topic because it gave me a better outlook on how I will now view my thought process. And who knows, if everyone out there watched her talk, so many exciting ideas could be unleashed because nobody would be afraid of being wrong.

Picture Citations: 1) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Kathryn_Schulz_-_official_author_photo.JPG/220px-Kathryn_Schulz_-_official_author_photo.JPG 
2) http://img.slate.com/media/1/123125/2253303/2253718/2253719/2253720/100512_Wrong_cliffTN.jpg  

Clay Shirky TED Review (#4)

     Clay Shirky's TED talk was an enlightening experience on so many levels. His main idea, "How Cognitive Surplus Will Change the World", not only explains the title itself but several items about human behavior that connect to so much of the other studies I have personally viewed. His talk began with a story about an amazing woman in Kenya, Ory Okolloh, who brought the truth about political issues in the country to the general public through her original blog. When she received too much information about the issue from people witnessing the effects, she made a shared source website, called Ushahidi or "Witness", that anyone could post on to share their experiences with the world. This technique spread throughout the world and turned into so many websites on various topics that used the idea of shared source. Shirky, in a general sense, explained that this kind of "human generosity" used in free time for a "civic" purpose for the enjoyment of the  world will be able to change all of society if recognized and rewarded appropriately. I agree with his bold statement because of all the outside sources I have seen that simply say the same thing. Many of Dan Pink's points in Drive mention the use of shared source information, and it is possible because of a newly recognized motivation called intrinsic motivation. Shirky brings this point into his talk by saying that intrinsic and economic motivations are incompatible, and he uses an example of a daycare experiment to explain the issue of contractual vs. social design of shared websites. It is the social motivation that brings people to share their insight for free. Basically, what I got out of the speech was that these kinds of shared information sites among the masses is driven by people's emotions that wish to connect them to a larger world.

     Shirky was not only captivating because of his multi-connective topic but because of his passion and research behind his words. He used an excitement in his voice to his advantage and implemented that into stories and outside sources. The presentation style also added to the effect of his words. For example, he used some sly humor when he was talking about examples of shared creativity people have made popular online such as "LOL Cats". He was so into his speech that the pictures of silly cats in the background caught the audience off guard. I also enjoyed his strong last statement that gave the audience his vision for the future which was loosely, "... we can celebrate and reward people using generosity to contribute to civic value in order to change society."
     As mentioned before, this topic can easily be connected to so many things. In my own life, I have often wondered why people use their time to answer questions on Yahoo answers or write massive amounts of research into Wikipedia for the use of others. Although I have reviewed a few pieces on this kind of motivation, Shirky's talk brought to life the real draws to this type of creative productivity, especially through his example of Ory Okolloh. Education institutes may also learn a thing or two about this future of shared, free information and take matters into their own hands by encouraging projects that many will be able to see across the globe through technology. I am so thankful my English teacher has prompted my class to do the same kind of creative writing. On the world sense, the correct use of shared information sources could potentially end so many problems with media and their influence by overpowering governments. For example, there has been total media blockage in Egypt recently by the government that has kept people in the dark of what has truly been happening. Through Okolloh's idea, people experiencing the oppression could get the news out there for the world to act on the issue. I believe part of the problem with rich, comfortable people is that they just don't understand, they just don't empathize, as Sam Richards would say, with the people they hear snippets of bad news about because they do not know the whole story. The possibilities of properly used "cognitive surplus" actions are astronomical and could lead to world peace, the Miss America dream, right? ;)
     Overall, I enjoyed this particular TED talk the best and the least because of its level of thinking. I LOVE the way it connects to all of the pieces I have been reading and really brings together all the different looks into human behavior into real life examples, such as the daycare research. I did not like, however, the difficult time I had piecing together this information and attempting to share my thoughts about it in this blog! The main idea was scattered throughout the talk and was interrupted by so many other important points that there sometimes seemed not to be one, clear topic. This could have been redeemed by a repeated statement that reminded the audience of his point. This is one technique I will make sure to incorporate in my own TED talk.


Picture citation: http://www.imbringingbloggingback.com/wp-content//money-vs-happiness.jpg 
 

Dan Pink Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (Review #3)

     Dan Pink's  RSA talk gave me a better understanding of his thoughts on human motivation that I have learned from reading a few excerpts of his book Drive. Prior to viewing this cleverly animated explanation, I did not understand why he could make an assumption that in creative projects, higher monetary incentive actually creates a negative effect for the project's quality. This video helped me to realize about my world that people are not machines and therefore wish to be self-directed through most tasks. Unlike so many companies have thought, employees do not want to be bought off and controlled as much on projects that include their own creative ideas, for fear of their personal thoughts being smothered by corporate, "big man" ideas.
     Although much of my attention was focused Pink's silly drawings and trying to understand what exactly his point meant, his speech was captivating in a way that was subtle. For example, he included pauses and interjected a few personal stories as well as quoting other researchers that related to his topic. While telling his personal tales, he also seemed to give each character a voice and explained the thoughts that might have been running through their heads. This aspect gave the interjection more meaning. As for Dan Pink's presentation altogether, I thoroughly enjoyed the idea to use the RSA format of drawing out the ideas for the viewer. This technique aids both visual and listening learners, which is consistent with his ideas about the brain in terms of exercising both hemispheres, especially the right (visual/creative).
     This video has a simple point. Society and business owners need a new method of getting the best work ethic and quality product out of their employees. Changes in the future are coming, as Pink says in his novel A Whole New Mind, and a motivational system that caters to the more right-brained tasks up ahead will need to be formulated to make the transition smoothly. Systems that allow the employee to be self-directed in as many ways possible, take on a skill that he or she is able to master, and a meaningful task so that the employee feels like they are part of something larger than themselves.    
     The study of human motivation in a general sense can be connected to anything in the world, because there are countless personal items that motivate each one of us. However, I do not agree with Pink's argument that higher incentive equals a crappier product. Through personal experience, when I am offered a larger reward, no matter what the job is, I work harder at it in order to earn the reward. This is also shown in many educational situations where pupils stay up all night in order to earn their "A". The same, in my opinion, applies throughout the world in all individuals, politics, and most other situations because, unfortunately, people can be bought. Within Dan Pink's own writing in Drive, he does mention the satisfaction that humans get with solving puzzles and doing a good job with their work, so, why can't that motivation of pride not also be used with larger incentives? That being said, I do believe Pink has a good case in the sense that humans are not completely predictable, and cannot be stereotyped with an economical analogy. The same sort of point has been made by the previous two TED talks I have viewed;  Sir Ken Robinson's mentioned that schools have killed creativity through stereotyping their children's learning habits, and Sam Richards' explained how empathy, thinking outside oneself or not stereotyping others, can show you a whole new way of going about your day.
     Daniel Pink's intriguing video captured my attention because his point was generally well thought out, and the format of the talk was something I have never seen before. I would have liked to have seen his facials while he explained his passionate stance, because he is obviously intense on his studies of human minds and tendencies. However, overall, this video was enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Dan Pink's work that wish to have a new way of exploring his mind.

Sam Richards: A Radical Experiment in Empathy Review (#2)

     Sam Richards' lengthy talk about empathy was driven by his experiences as a sociologist. A few factual points I learned from this TED talk were that sociology is, "... the study of the way people are shaped by things that they don't see.", in the words of Richards. Being a sociologist begins and mainly consists of putting oneself into another's shoes. Through his heart-touching examples of Arab Muslims in Iraq, I learned a few hard-fact items about the war the US is currently engaged in; for example the main reason so many countries are invested in other poor countries are not solely because of justice and freedom, but the issue of resources. Richards explained that the Arabs in Iraq have a reason to be angry because they know this fact and have realized that, "... someone else has a design for your resources..." for the advancement of their own well being. This has given me a new insight on how to view other people without prejudice.
   A few techniques Richards used successfully in his TED talk were powerful pictures that allowed the audience to empathize easily, an enthusiastic and passionate voice, as well as an active body that emphasized points rather than took away from the listening audience. His visual affects were especially intriguing because they had a clear purpose to the interactive exercise he led the audience through. This is one aspect I enjoyed that would possibly make my future TED talk more enjoyable and would have engaged the audience into better understanding in the last TED talk I reviewed by Sir Ken Robinson.
     Richards' serious but passionate tone was perfect for the point he was trying to get across, but was not as engaging, personally, as Sir Ken Robinson's humorous speech. Mr. Richards' style was much less of a laid back, story-telling piece with a profound connection, it was more of a persuasive and informative format in which much of it was examples, but not even enough connection. This is one quality that lacked and lost my interest toward the end. His experiment was partially the main point of the talk, but took up too much of the time to get the point across. I would have liked to have seen more explanation on why empathy is such a big part of sociology and why this matters and how it connects to anything and everything.
     The main idea here, what matters, is that society needs to think more in fresh perspectives to understand the world around them. Sam Richards said empathy is the key to being a sociologist, but he unfortunately did not realize that empathy can be connected to so much more. Personally, I can use empathy in the way he taught it to be used; as means of understanding where other people are coming from with their own emotions. However, used on broader terms such as education and the rest of the world it can mean exactly that, or lead to something otherwise unrelated. The novel A Whole New Mind includes empathy as a key factor in succeeding in the future of creativity. The practice of empathy can be interpreted as the ability to think abstractly most likely by using the creative part of the brain. Therefore, empathy should be taught in education in order to enhance student interaction as well as creativity for the future. This, in turn, can teach the world the empathize in an emotional and mental way. All of these factors bring up the question, if people learn to empathize, will the world be a more peaceful place?