TED talks? Try out Ed Talks for Educational Inspirational

You have heard of TED Talks - Ideas worth spreading. Now check out EDTalks - "a collection of video interviews, discussions and presentations featuring thought leaders, innovative educators and inspirational learners."

CORE Education has harnessed the ideas into a site for inspiring educators and learners from across the sectors, to share their provocative thoughts and inspiring challenges. Be encouraged to try new horizons...

Specific Ed Talks that relate to ECE in ICT are:

Don’t underestimate early childhood education - Margaret May

Why ICT in early childhood education?  - Tara Fagan

ECE and ICT - by Tania Coutts

Gever Tulley: 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do

Its been yet another day of bad tv, rain out doors and a bit of a tummy bug. So I turn to Ted Talks. Even the ones I have heard before are worth revisiting - and always there is something new to learn.

When considering children at your school or kindergarten... your children at home... it might be prudent to ask yourself... Do you want cotton-wool kids?

Then why not let them use power tools, sharpen knives, break copywrite laws, play with fire? Gever Tulley is founder of the Tinkering School, and this is his TED talk about 5 Dangerous things you SHOULD let your children do.



Having reheard Gever's ideas and been provoked about his ideas - I still can not help wondering if he has 'left out' some safety ideas... MMMmmmm what do you think?

TED Talk - J. Harris: The Web's secret stories

Feeling a little under the weather, I thought I would rest, watch the sun play in the harbour from my bed, and catch up on a little ICT professional listening (prefer that to the readings!). Have you seen TED yet? TED talks, such as Ken Robinson's talk posted earlier this term on ICTECE, are mostly thought provoking, well executed and cutting edge. Check out the "Jaw Dropping" category. It was whilst browsing through this that I discovered Jonathan Harris and his amazing universe.

Who is Jonathan Harris?
Instead of re-inventing the wheel I shall quote Jonathan's profile on the TED pages.

"Artist and computer scientist Jonathan Harris makes online art that captures the world's expression -- and gives us a glimpse of the soul of the Internet."

And

"Jonathan Harris [is] a New York artist and storyteller working primarily on the Internet. His work involves the exploration and understanding of humans, on a global scale, through the artifacts they leave behind on the Web." Edge.org

And here Jonathan Harris tell's the secret stories of the web. (see a selection of responses to the video below).

Beverly Kaye – August 28 2008
"At Manaia Kindergarten, we are encouraging children to tell and share their stories, to express themselves and their world. They share these openly on their public blog. It is great to see Jonathan's amazingly creative approach to gathering such stories, and devising an art-form that allows us all to celebrate the importance of humanity's feelings, thoughts, and emotions, Amazing."

Allison Thagard – August 29 2007
"I love how Jonathan says that we leave our foot prints with the blogs that people write. All the technology in the world helps anyone to be able to leave pieces of ourselves to others, in the future."

samantha frost – February 23 2008
"I thought he gave a very well rounded and interesting presentation of what seems to be some great anthropological work. Look forward to viewing the websites!"

Clifton Burriss – June 10 2008
"Mr. Harris, how do you make a project like "We feel fine" and not spend an eternity reading all of that, let alone creating "Universe" which will truly be even more impossible to unravel every article? Man, I thought I couldn't get out of the chair with Youtube, Facebook, and Google, and then this fellow invents couple more info-distribution boards. Wow..."

NOW check out the UNIVERSE
And have a play...

Ken Robinson

This talk from Ken Robinson may be a few years old - but definitely a good watch. What seems like an obvious way forward for education, seems to be a new idea for so many. Sir Ken Robinson, doesn't so much give a definitive view on what education should look like, but rather poses some reflective questions about education today. I have felt for some time that early childhood is on a good road. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the school system followed the lead of Early Childhood Education, by following children's interests, strengths and the tools that come so naturally to them, as a vehicle to teach them many of life's necessities. And along the way wouldn't children develop a passion for learning, because they are learning about things that interest them. And wouldn't it be great if assessment did not consist of a hall filled with rows of desks, shuffling papers, tension, stress, and a pass or fail. But rather wouldn't it be great if children could be encouraged through positive assessment practices, and scaffolded by teachers who are passionate because there are sharing their strengths and interests. Because isn't it that which is important - the knowledge, skill and passion TO LEARN - and not the actual data we throw at them? Because the data we feed them today, will probably not be the data they need for tomorrow...

Here's Ken Robinson's take from TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design)

Also check out Ken Robinson's views on National Standards