In small groups my 9 class was given the task to view and analyse TED Talks covering a wide variety of topics. Their objective was to find the ONE TED Talk that every grade 9 student everywhere should watch. After much debate and persuasion we've narrowed our list to these five nominations (in no particular order). Click on each title below to watch the Talk and then read their arguments as to why these Talks made their lists.
SCROLL TO THE VERY BOTTOM TO SEE THE RESULTS OF OUR COLLABORATIVE VOTE!
Wearing Nothing New
Our nomination is “ Wearing Nothing New” by Jessi Arrington. We chose this TED talk because It sends fantastic messages to grade nine students and people in general. One of the messages she sends is, one should be confident about his or herself. Jessi mentioned in her presentation “ If you believe you’re a beautiful person inside and out, there is no look you can’t pull off.” We believe that this is true, self confidence is a problem for many students in high school, but there are some individuals that have great confidence, who accept themselves for who they are, and they show that by the way they look, and that’s how they show everyone how beautiful they are inside and out. The second point is “fitting in is overrated”. This is important considering that a grand majority of students strive to fit in and be adequate, at least what society sees as adequate. They want to be liked by everybody yet also be themselves, which Jessi explains is highly improbable, since everyone is different, and people shouldn’t worry about fitting in because it is infact overrated. Furthermore in the TED talk presentation, Jessi states that her unique outfits introduce her to “amazing new people”, that “benefited her in a positive way”. Students can learn from that. By wearing unique, colourful, and expressive clothing they can be more open with the peers around them, and can help them find themselves through their clothing. During Jessi's presentation she used visual aids, such as a slideshow to improve and made her TED Talk exceedingly professional, her presentation skills were very thorough and engaging. She made her TED enjoyable, and she emotionally connected with the audience by consistently making eye contact, she used events from her life to connect with audience. These are the reasons why we believed this TED Talk was the best lecture by far!
Texting saves lives
One of the most common forms of communication today for Grade Nines is texting, so it seems smart to reach out to them and help them using texting. Grade 9s all over North America are experiencing problems in their everyday lives and aren’t speaking up to talk about it,some of them don’t feel comfortable talking on the phone to a teens help line or talking to someone at school about their home or school problems, texting is the solution. Texting is a very casual way of communicating,some teens and grade 9s will feel more comfortable texting someone then going to meet someone face to face.1 in 3 teens have been bullied and assaulted and are not getting the help they need. Thus, Texting is one of the most powerful methods to gain access to a person in crisis because text messages have a 100% read rate. Teens often feel more secure telling secrets, from being sexually harassed to telling their best friend who their crush is. We can use text messages, to help save lives across the world. Teens NEED to see this Ted talk,it's important for them and others around them. The only way we are going to stop,bullying,rape and harassment is if we tell the people.Creating a texting hotline is one of the best things we can do, it’s quiet so you have your own personal information kept to yourself, but the data and information, we can get from millions. In Canada, only 1 out of 5 children who need mental health services receive them.-CMHA. This program is a way for those odds to change.
8 Secrets to Success
This Ted Talk is important to all grade nines because it shows you how to be successful in every aspect of life. One of the main goals for teenage kids these days is to become rich and these secrets will help them get there. This Ted Talk will teach grade nines how to be successful and happy at the same time. It will make you inspired to succeed and be happy while getting your job done the right way. By taking these secrets to heart, you can make what Confucius said “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life”, a reality. I mean why would you not want to live a happy and successful life. This Tedtalk is also very intriguing to watch and listen to. It has a very good message and also has some humour in it too to help appeal to the audience. Following these eight life secrets will not only make you happy in life, but will also get you to where you want.
The magic of_ truth and lies (and iPods)
The TED Talk “The Magic of Truth and Lies(And iPods) should be the TED Talk that every grade nine should watch. The video hooks the audience into watching it through magic tricks, creating a insightful and reassuring message and gives plenty to support its ideas using the ipods, all wrapped up in a wonderful presentation by Marco Tempest. Mr. Tempest’s amazing performance leaves the audience in awe as they realize the art of deception and truth about lies. Unlike other speakers, just talking in front of a power point presentation wasn’t enough for Marco Tempest. Even if there is a strong message, it’s often hard to keep the attention of the audience for a five minute presentation. Marco was able to carry out his message strongly, all while keeping the audience entertained and informed. He used his magic and amazing visuals to let everyone know that deception doesn’t have to be a negative thing, and everyone lies. In addition, the video can speak to all of us. Everyone does lie and deceive, no matter how small the lie may be, and everyone should know that sometimes, deception isn’t a bad thing. Art, in essence, is deceiving the mind to create real feelings and emotions. We can carry this message with us for the rest of our lives. The presentation that Marco Tempest gave was extremely well thought out and eye opening. As soon as he began the audience was enthralled due to his new take on common deception. The visuals in this TED Talk is what will capture your attention completely. As we have noted, “The Magic of Truth and Lies(And iPods)” is a fantastic video to show all the Grade Nine students as it grasps it’s audience through the performance while conveying a heartening idea.
I think We aLl need a Pep talk
Life isn’t a game, and if it was, ARE We all on the same team? Life is too short to sit on the bench and be boring, it’s time to get up and do something. I believe this TED Talk is telling us as students to get up and embrace the chances we have around us that may be slowly passing. This is important to us grade 9’s because not all of us have the confidence to get out there and step out of our comfort zone. But in reality why be scared? The travel may be difficult but in the end it makes you stronger. Some people these days also hide their true personalities, because they are either too shy or self-conscious to be themselves. This video displays an inspiring pep talk from “Kid President” where he tells us why we should be more bold, confident, and get off the bench and jump into life. If we were all like this, no one would be afraid to stand out because “standing out” would be the new norm. no one would have to be scared to get out of their shell, this would bring more creativity into the world and inspire more students to pursue more different and innovative careers. The world can not change if the people don’t change so this video of a child telling us (the world) to change really gets at something. I believe we all see the world in a different light but really I think we all want the same thing, to be ourselves without judgment, without the fear of standing out, but that's what we really need to do. STOP BEING BORING!
Once you have viewed ALL of the 10 Nominated TED Talks,
click on the button below to cast your
FINAL vote for your TWO favourite talks!
click on the button below to cast your
FINAL vote for your TWO favourite talks!
The results are in...here are our top 5 choices in order:
#1 How to Raise a Black Son in America (Grant)
#2 Texting Saves Lives (Morris)
#3 This Gel Can Make You Stop Bleeding Instantly (Grant)
#4 The Magic of Truth and Lies (and iPods) (Morris)
#5 8 Secrets to Success (Morris)