TED Community » Austin Berrier

More About Me

I'm passionate about

change, design, and humor, but not necessarily in that order.

Talk to me about

technology, design, or political change. Actually, you can talk talk to me about anything. I am always ready to try or learn something new.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +0.60 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Conversation: How can the idea of a flipped classroom be used on a massive scale? Also, how can it be improved?

  Feb 23 2012: Yeah, exactly. I also see teachers existing more to nurture the curiosity and motivation for students inside the classroom. This is because because they would have a lot more time to have fun and promote learning with students instead of boring them with one size fits all lectures.
  
  I also agree that the entire system needs reform. I see the idea of a flipped classroom as a great start in that direction. What else can we change to improve the system?

• A reply on Conversation: How can the idea of a flipped classroom be used on a massive scale? Also, how can it be improved?

  Feb 23 2012: Essentially, yes. The face to face is also there more to apply the learned knowledge to relevant problems or to promote creative thinking and discussions for students.
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  A comment on Conversation: 'TEDfriend/colleague finder' - Your opinion required.

  Feb 20 2012: Maybe you just need to encourage more TED members to check the box on their profile page to allow other users to contact them. It really is not that hard to find people with similar interests on the site if you just look around a little and read for questions and comments by users who obviously share a similar cause with you. Also, just adding a location or group feature to TED would help people meet up in the real world, as Jimmy Strobl suggested.

• A reply on Conversation: What should the 21st century classroom look like? Could interactive technology provide solutions to the current system of education?

  Feb 20 2012: Hey Susan,
  Speaking as a high school student in an advanced chemistry course, I have participated in both real life labs and labs on the computer. Honestly, I learned so much more information from the the real labs than the simulated ones because I felt like the technology was giving me distance from the actual lab. Virtual reality is never as exciting as actual reality, and only excitement engages students in the modern day.

• A comment on Conversation: What should the 21st century classroom look like? Could interactive technology provide solutions to the current system of education?

  Feb 20 2012: I personally believe in the idea of a "flipped" classroom (see Salman Khan's TED Talk) so that teachers actually have time during the day to interest students with fun things that apply the learning to real life. This interest could most certainly be sparked by technology or really anything that students find interesting.
  
  I believe that teachers should be there to just excite students about learning. Only this allows students to realize their potential instead of just going through the motions that the modern educational system creates. I am personally more inspired by a 20 minute TED Talk than six hours of teacher instruction a day at my high school, and I personally think that this is a sad reality. So many students get turned off by learning because it's frankly just boring, and they think that all learning is like this. Teachers need to be there to show that this is simply not the case.
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  A comment on Conversation: Does human social evolution originate more from established governments and special interest groups or from grassroots movements?

  Feb 13 2012: I would have to say that social evolution happens a lot more at the grassroots level. Grassroots movements, after all, are intended to challenge the current social status quo. Without these movements, and the change that comes along with them, there would be no social evolution.

• A reply on Conversation: 'TEDfriend/colleague finder' - Your opinion required.

  Feb 13 2012: Hey Russell,
  I am also interested in electoral reform. What is your facebook group called? I might check it out.
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  A comment on Conversation: 'TEDfriend/colleague finder' - Your opinion required.

  Feb 13 2012: I would appreciate something like this. So many good ideas in this world never happen in real life because the idea holder never comes in contact with others with a similar cause.

• A reply on Conversation: How can the idea of a flipped classroom be used on a massive scale? Also, how can it be improved?

  Feb 12 2012: Hey Stuart,
  I see the flipped classroom as more of learning the curriculum required material at home by the use of video lectures (such as Salman Khan's). In this setting, the teacher frees up a lot more time during the day for creative discussions and applying the topics to relevant problems. I feel that, in this way, the teacher can actually make more of an impact on students by showing them ideas rather than concepts.
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  A comment on Conversation: Which video game has challenged your perspective on the way you live your life and how?

  Feb 10 2012: Portal/Portal 2 taught me to appreciate the humor found in all areas of life.