9 Ted Talks to support your Learning Journey
Continued professional development can be hard to fit into your day. Being able to keep up with the new lingo, the new technology and the new ways of effective teaching can be a full time job on its own. Here are 9 TED Talks – all less than 6 minutes and full of fantastic information to help you keep up to date.
1. How exactly does binary code work?
“Imagine trying to use words to describe every scene in a film, every note in a song, or every street in your town. Now imagine trying to do it using only the numbers 1 and 0. Every time you use the Internet to watch a movie, listen to music, or check directions, that's exactly what your device is doing, using the language of binary code.”
2. Can robots be creative?
“People have been grappling with the question of artificial creativity – alongside the question of artificial intelligence – for over 170 years. For instance, could we program machines to create high quality original music? And if we do, is it the machine or the programmer that exhibits creativity? Gil Weinberg investigates this creative conundrum.”
3. The jobs we’ll lose to machines – and the ones we won’t
“Machine learning isn't just for simple tasks like assessing credit risk and sorting mail anymore – today, it's capable of far more complex applications, like grading essays and diagnosing diseases. With these advances comes an uneasy question: Will a robot do your job in the future?”
4. How does the stock market work?
“In the 1600s, the Dutch East India Company employed hundreds of ships to trade goods around the globe. In order to fund their voyages, the company turned to private citizens to invest money to support trips in exchange for a share of the profits. In doing so, they unknowingly invented the world's first stock market. So how do companies and investors use the market today? Oliver Elfenbaum explains.”
5. The secret to giving great feedback
“Humans have been coming up with ways to give constructive criticism for centuries, but somehow we're still pretty terrible at it. Cognitive psychologist LeeAnn Renninger shares a scientifically proven method for giving effective feedback.”
6. What is a coronavirus?
“For almost a decade, scientists chased the source of a deadly new virus through China's tallest mountains and most isolated caverns. They finally found it in the bats of Shitou Cave. The virus in question was a coronavirus that caused an epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in 2003. So what exactly is a coronavirus, and how does it spread? Elizabeth Cox explains.
7. A 12-year-old app developer
Most 12-year-olds love playing videogames – but Thomas Suarez taught himself how to create them. After developing iPhone apps like "Bustin Jeiber," a whack-a-mole game, he is now using his skills to help other kids become developers.”
8. Ideas worth dating
“Being alone takes its toll. Feel like it's time to make a real connection? Third-wheel with Rainn Wilson (star of "The Office") as he dates some of the best ideas on TED.com and discover your perfect "idea mate" along the way.”
9. How do you define yourself?
Now this one is a little longer than 6 minutes – but I love it.
“Born with a rare disorder that prevents her from gaining weight, Lizzie Velasquez has faced more negativity and bullying than most. Over time, she's developed a simple but effective coping mechanism. "Tell me those negative things," she says. "I'm gonna turn them around and use them as a ladder to climb up to my goals." In this funny, personal talk, Lizzie shares her story – and the tools to help people reject hateful perspectives while embracing self-definition.”
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