TED Community » Brenna McNeil
About Me
I enjoy learning by challenging myself ----- I am currently learning about early childhood education as a Kindergarten teacher------ I would like to learn more about the world's religions ----- I love traveling and eating ----- live music makes me very, very happy!------ I believe my primary role as an educator is to empower my students to dream big, and follow those dreams.
- Location:
- Japan, Kyoto
- Current organization:
- Kyoto International School
- Current role:
- Educator/curriculum leader
- Gender:
- Female
- Areas of expertise:
- health and social education , critical pedagogy, gender issues in education, curriculum development, IB's Primary Years Program
- I am:
- Care taker, Change Agent, Connector, Educator/Teacher, Idea generator, Student, World traveler
- Universities:
- B.Ed (physical and health education) @ University of Wollongong, Australia, M.Ed (curriculum and pedagogy) @ University of Southern Queensland, Australia, B.Ed (primary) @ Curtin University, Australia
More About Me
I'm passionate about
Health and social education ----- recognising everyone's unique ability, potential and value----- developing curriculum for every learner----- traveling the world.
An idea worth spreading
The children and youth of the world are capable of amazing things- they just need the opportunity to show us.
My TED Story
I've been an avid TED and TEDx fan for years, and constantly fill up people's emails and Facebook walls with TED and TEDx links! With the help of my friend and colleague, Tosca Killoran, I planned my first event, TEDxYouth@BIS, in 2011. Since then, I have attended many TEDx events as an audience member. I am currently working on building a team for a TEDxYouth event in Kyoto, Japan for TEDxYouth Day in 2013.
Comments
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A comment on Talk: Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career
I *did* take the job, and am staying on one more year! My relationship is still going strong, I am learning everyday, and I am enjoying the challenges of my new role.
I just shared this video with a good friend who is trying to make a big 'life decision' at the moment. I hope it helps him as much as it helped me.
Funny, I was drawn back to this video exactly one year after I first viewed and commented on it...... :o)
A comment on Conversation: How do you promote, model and scaffold sustainable action within your classroom?
In this context, I believe action is doing something that aims to result in a change to the benefit of the individual and/or a group. I like to help my students understand action as stopping doing something, starting to do something, or changing the way you do something. It might be as simple as starting to recycle at home, or walking to school instead of driving (both of these actions benefitting the Earth and, thus, people).
I believe asking students, "What can you do for someone else this week?" would come under the umbrella of service.
Perhaps this conversation needs to first define what action is, and what it isn't.
Any suggestions, people??
:o)
A comment on Conversation: How do you promote, model and scaffold sustainable action within your classroom?
Before expecting students to take sustainable action, the curriculum must be geared towards the students and their lives, it must be made personal and relevant to them.
I think the best way to start is to encourage action that students will see immediate benefits from- affecting change at home, or at school via student council activities, or having a role in decision-making- will allow students to see how their actions can result in real change. Then, allow students to explore bigger ways of taking action, perhaps in their local community, or with causes they are especially interested in and passionate about. Ideally, this would nurture an attitude of service, activism, and positive power that students will carry with them for the rest of their lives without the need to mandate action and service in the curriculum.
I do not believe action is entirely 'assessable', as the one doing the assessing- educators, mostly- may not ever see the action that students take. It may happen when a student doesn't even realise they're doing it, it may happen after the perceived period of taking action has taken place, it may not even be recognisable to the educators charged with assessing it. This is not to say that action is not recordable or observable. How would it be assessed, anyway? What would *that* rubric look like? We don't want students to feel discouraged if the action they take is not 'good enough' according to standards that come from.... where?!?
To help students take poster-making and fund-raising further, educators should provide opportunities for personal action, support students when they wish to take action, and explore un/successful action.
A comment on Talk: Larry Smith: Why you will fail to have a great career
I've been agonising over this decision for a week. I am not scared of failing, I am scared of distance killing my relationship, which I treasure beyond words.
This video brought tears to my eyes. It has made me realise I will be a better person, for myself and my partner, if I follow my passion. I am confident my relationship is strong, so I have decided to take the job!
I am an educator, and I want to be a person who can say to my students, with authority, follow your dreams.
Thank you so much, Professor Smith.