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What is the best way to use a TEDx event to motivate teachers to be more creative, entertaining, innovative, enthralling, etc.?
I am starting to think about the next TEDxTokyoTeachers and I would love to hear what the TED community has to say about motivating teachers TED style. I know there are a lot of workshops and education seminars that focus on making better teachers, but what can I do with a few hours, a few drinks, and a TEDx format to make better teachers?
If you are in the Tokyo area in March I would be more than willing to get your idea on stage.
Topics:
creativity education innovation inspiration teachers tedx
Debra DeSocio
I say it's a Miss Take. You can try again! I also sing to my students. Around here we always sit up tall. I say O they say K. One teacher I know sings class class class and the students say yes, yes, yet. A muti-modality approach is best. These strategies are very apparent at the elementary school. We must empower our students
Henry Woeltjen 10+
This is because outside stimuli activates the internal processes needed for learning. The brain must be “in the mood” to learn. We must focus on enhancing the positive “moods” in our child’s emotional circuit. In a positive “state” a child will be more apt to absorb, respect, and analyze information being presented.
Another great tool is one on one conversations. Don’t just ask a question and wait for the first few to raise their hands. Get involved. Pick a student you know understands the material first when asking questions. This will ensure nobody feels stupid for analyzing the data incorrectly.
Teachers need to be aware of how sensitive children are to information flow. If you project information you better be sure it is “encoded” correctly. If you fail to do this…one confrontation with a child can close him off to you forever. Ensure you have positive relationships with students that aren’t superficial forms of “hello and goodbye” . Understand they want your approval and need your attention as they may not be getting it elsewhere.
Target the children who love learning and facilitate more difficult tasks to challenge them. Motivate other children to join these groups that do more difficult work…inspire them to understand the benefits of “difficult work” and “critical thinking”. Don’t allow them to use social procedure outside of the classroom…inside of the classroom. Take control….do your thing!
Henry Woeltjen 10+
Vision is not something easily aquired. It is the projection of possibility through a complex web of "what if's". It takes focus and critical thinking to uncover better teaching strategies. The teacher should understand the material...and then understand how to manipulate the data....just that raw data the student needs. We need not format every idea....creative designs can have greater impacts in the academic arena than any text-book.
Let's take a history class.
Teacher A - Mrs.Doubtmired
Teacher B - Mrs.Gogettums
Teacher A has a problem motivating students to stay awake. Her class constantly comes back with bad test scores...and the school staff is begnning to question Mrs.Doubtmired's ability to teach.
Teacher B has no problems motivating her class. Her classes constantly score higher on tests than any other class in the history of the school. Mrs. Gogettums is respected and loved by her peers.
We can think of math...and then reveal a real formula behind teaching strategies.
Mrs. Doubtmired = (d)
Mrs. Gogettums = (g)
(g) - (d) = Solution
(d) Mrs. Doubtmired shows no emotion when she speaks. She uses no visual aids and doesn't seem interested in the material herself. She doesn't mean to be this way. However, she has never taken any time to better her communication skills.
Mrs. Doubtmired doesn't take the time to analyze the raw data. Let's take a look at the raw data and then formulate a solution to our problem.
Raw Data - Children are not recieving/storing an appropriate amount of data.
"Raw Problem" - I need to analyze strategies to increases data flow in my classroom.
Solution Example - Decorating a classroom is shown to have positive impacts on learning.
Robert Nieto
Mario Stassen
Peter Denny
Sams dad
Jason Wolfe
Can you expand on our Kleenex advice. I am not quite following but am interested.
Sams dad
If you use a kleenex like a flat sheet it is ok for collecting mucus but it will not muffle sound. It needs to be turned into what I call, "a rosette" that is: wadded so that it is a fluffy ball. Then use that to sneeze into or cough into. It muffles sneeze sound and cough sound very nicely. AS such it shows respect for a lecturer or teacher or minister etc. It also teaches those around you that you are a caring person; and it teaches them "good manners" and it shows that you have good manners.
Jason Wolfe
I will try to get that tissue lesson in...we have some serious hay fever seasons here in Japan so it will be useful!
Thanks for that advice.
Robert Nieto
Jason Wolfe
Joseph Donaher
Jason Wolfe
This year I am hoping to have someone teach us how to replace the inside of a toilet, or fix a leaky faucet.
Last year we wanted to have someone show them how to install a window, but ran out of time. But you are right, teaching is for learning, and if they can learn something new, then the event is a success.
Thanks for your reply!
Cara Renna
Jason Wolfe
I really like this idea! I have been thinking about getting the audience to do something in their seats with the people around them...but what to get them to do is the question. Any ideas? What kind of activities?
I was thinking to get them to talk and see who in the group has a great idea worth sharing and somehow getting a round robin where the 'winner' could have the chance to speak stage during the second session.
How to organize this is the question...I will keep thinking.
Cara Renna
One of the best teacher trainings I have ever attended was a full day of presenters walking their talk. The training on collaborative teaching was collaboratively presented, the "keep kids engaged" idea involved us folding and tearing paper into "notebooks" and taking lecture notes as directed by our presenter, a variety of graphic organisers were in our hands for our use as yet another presenter shared with us his experiences in using them. We emerged with presentations, resources and first hand use in trying them from the learners perspective. That was awesome. Maybe some of your presenters would be able to do this as well?
Robert Galway 20+
Jason Wolfe
I think at the last event there was talk of this but because of a few reasons, including that this was a later evening event with alcohol served, it was shelved.
But having a student identify a truly inspirational teacher and then have that teacher come out and do a talk would be a great way to kick off the event. I also help out with TEDxYouth@Tokyo so I know some youth who are familiar with the TEDx format.
Thanks for this inspiration!
When I get this happening I will contact you and you can watch the live stream. Cheers!
Wade Crum
I may have stated this before in another education post, but I think it's worth offering up again: I would propose to let students choose from a list of mini-courses...early in their education. After completeing a balanced portfolio of these courses, the students might have an idea of which specialties the wish to go further in. At this point let them aquire all the skills necessary to acheive "chosen specialization". Now the student has a reasonable interest in improving his/her education. Learning for learning's sake can be quite bland and over-reaching. Let the student s direct their own curricula.....why wait till college?
Robert Winner 50+
The US system is driven by the text book writers and the test developers. All syllabus will reflect what they provide. We can learn a lot from the high results that Singapore achieved in the last PISA exams. The change in philosophy that made the success that they currently enjoy should be explored and the lessons taken to all systems to be evaluated and integrated where possible.
Through legislation and unions the public has been taken out of the public school systems. Parental involvement is limited and volunteers are put in their place and treated poorly. Budgets are dwindling and requiremenrs are growing.
Great teachers have great administrators that support their efforts ... great parents that support the teacher ... and great students that have the desire to learn. Great teachers find a way to involve the parents, community, and bring the administration into the effort.
The answer is not money, motivation, or resources .. the answer lays in finding a path through the maze so that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an on coming train.
We also need to admit that college is not the goal for everyone. We need to embrace manual trades as well. Having a dual track available would resolve many issues and faciltate many students needs in both college prep and manual trades.
I wish you well. Bob.
Fritzie Reisner 100+
Kristan Julius
Fritzie Reisner 100+
As part of your planning for the event, take a look at the Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences. I am certain you will get ideas for what sort of speakers to invite from the articles you read there. It is not "scientific" material in the normal sense, but it is state of the art in terms of what we know about learning, effective classroom organization, and pedagogy.
Jason Wolfe
We are short on time and last year had speakers max out at ten minutes, most averaging 8. I need speakers who will motivate teachers to seek out this material, either at a workshop, book or online.
I suppose they could do it as a teaser trailer.
Thanks for reply...I will definitely look up that book!
Gail . 50+
Two weeks ago, I was in my knitting circle and the issue of the Chicago teachers' strike came up. The majority of the group are retired teachers who supported the strike. They also realized that there has to be reform in education, but from their point of view, that means ending standardized testing.
I mentioned that I had only recently understood why that is a bad thing, and that the teachers would do well if they would educate parents about why it is a bad thing. No one in the group would let me continue. They didn't want to hear about Dr. Kaku as he explained it. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LelNYqVEOZQ&list=PL89DA217D574A8362&index=8&feature=plpp_video ) Turns out, they don't know what's wrong with it themselves.
I started to mention a TED video where research is showing that if you put kids in small groups (pods) and allow them to talk about what they are learning, that the kids seem to have visual memory of the events, and they remember things far longer. The group was outraged. Put the desks in a row facing the teacher and let the teachers teach - that's what they're there for.
I've become pretty convinced that teachers should have term limits. A year of volunteerism. Either that, or teachers should have to compete for students like businesses have to compete for clients.
Jason Wolfe
It sounds like you were in a very conservative group of teachers/people and as an educator I know some teachers like that, but, and here comes the good news, there are a lot of great teachers out there moving away from just memorizing and testing, and getting kids to work together to solve problems, learn from each other and then later reflect on it by writing it down and learning it again. The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) http://www.ibo.org/ is one very large group that has some great ideas around learning.
I like your idea of competing for students, could be a great way to stay motivated and in the game. Term limits would also limit really good teachers...how would you keep them in the system?
Cara Renna