Jane Poynter- TED Talk #5

What are your take-aways from this video? What are the speaker's effective speaking techniques? What is his/her personal style? What matters from this video? How does it connect to you personally? To education? To the world?

In this TED Talk, Jane Poynter, one of the scientists involved in the Biosphere 2 project, reflected on her experiences and learnings while preforming this revolutionary experiment. From this video, I learned that by creating and applying new ideas, the world can evolve and progress by learning new information. For example through this experiment, scientists learned that it was possible to create a similar environment to that of Earth. This enabled today's scientist to build off of the results of Biosphere 2 to create new experiments that include plants, agriculture, and the progress of different cultures in the world.
Throughout this video, Poynter maintained an enthusiastic attitude throughout her entire speech. This allowed the audience to become more entertained by the information she was sharing, as well as become more involved in what she was saying. She also shared numerous visuals of her life inside Biosphere 2. This helped Poynter make her statements more clear and easier to understand by providing examples. I believe Poynter's personal style was very layed-back and calm. She was able to share her ideas with clarity and was direct with her ideas in order to refrain from confusion. Instead of using scientific terms that few would understand, she instead applied her ideas to the real world and aspects that her audience could relate to.
I believe that Jane Poynter's numerous messages such as "the small stuff counts," the idea that we affect the world with everything we, as a people, do and her suggestions to return to our roots were the most evident pieces of information in her speech. She urged the idea of simplicity. Through her experiences in the Biosphere 2, such as growing her own food and maintaining an equilibrium inside the small atmosphere, she was able to appreciate the ability to live naturally, without the vast concepts of today's society. She encouraged others to think about how they affect others as well as the environment through their actions. She also explained how new ideas can lead to more inventions, much like the ideas of Daniel Pink in his chapter of Symphony. Through the data collected during the Biosphere 2 experiment, scientists around the world were able to gain more knowledge of how the Earth's environment works, allowing them to create more and build off their previous knowledge to formulate new ideas. Personally, I found interest in this subject because I had recently visited Biosphere 2 during Spring Break. It intrigued me and made me wonder what else could come from this experiment. Through this video, I was able to learn that every aspect of our lives affects the Earth and those around us. Everything is connected. Everything on Earth relies on others to exist, no one can live alone. I think this reflects the ideas of collaboration that Pink shares in his book, A Whole New Mind. It connects his ideas of integrating both the left and right hemispheres of the brain to the idea that everything on the world is connected. In able to progress as a society, we must learn how to incorporate every aspect to create new ideas, technology, and ways of living.

Clay Shirky- TED Talk #4

What are your take-aways from this video?
What are the speaker's effective speaking techniques?
What is his/her presentation style?
What matters from this video?How does it connect to you personally? To education? To the world?


During Clay Shirky's TED Talk, he shared with the audience his views on motivation and creativity. He believed that through internal motivation, society would be able to make both communal and civic creations, which would overall benefit the 21st century. But ultimately, sharing and collaborating internationally, he said, would promote our society to accomplish tasks that are beyond mediocre, but rather exceeding the limits. Through a study of an Islam Pre-School, it was proven that punishment actually discourages the ability to follow the rules because it is not fueled by internal motivation. He believed that by corresponding with others and sharing new ideas, our society could advance with a cognitive surplus.
Throughout Shirky's TED Talk, he used many examples and visuals that helped the audience better understand his ideas. Through his visuals, such as the "wall cats" and the images from "Ushahidi," Shirky was able to support his ideas and promote cognitive thinking. Also, Shirky began his speech by telling a story of how Ushahidi began. According to A Whole New Mind, this strategy provides the audience with the ability to better retain and understand the information that Shirky shared during the talk.
I believe Shirky's personal style was slightly bland and lacked much enthusiasm. Rather than a few hand gestures, Shirky never showed much emotion or passion for the topic he was talking about. The way he conducted and shared his ideas was hard to understand. I feel that he lacked a main topic and jumped around to numerous topics without a definite purpose. The different topics didn't relate and he lacked comprehensible segways that would aid the audience. Overall, I don't believe his presentation style was effective. It didn't inspire me to change the world with cognitive thinking as he was supposedly sharing with the audience. Instead, it accomplished to make me slightly confused about the purpose of his TED Talk.
Shirky's video promotes the ability to communicate and collaborate with others efficiency in order to create a more productive society. He also wished to share that internal motivation and the ability to enjoy a certain activity would aid the world by influencing individuals to stay on task and be productive. Personally, this will create a drive within myself to search for the internal motivation that both Shirky and Daniel Pink promote. I also believe that Shirky's ideas will aid our future and the way students are taught. Instead of being assigned a specific topic, students may be allowed to explore new ideas and study things that they are interested in through internal motivation.

Daniel Pink- TED Talk #3

What are your take-aways from this video? What are the speaker's effective speaking techniques? What is his/her personal style? What matters from this video? How does it connect to you personally? To education? To the world?


Through this video, I believe Daniel Pink wished to educate the world on the type of motivation that would work best in our progressing nation. This drive would not fall under "if, then rewards" but rather self direction. Pink described self direction as a type of motivation that one wishes to complete a task purely on internal will and engagement. According to Pink, this type of right brained ability will create high productivity rates in today's businesses. Pink believes that incentives and rewards do not promote productivity in our society instead they hinder creation and creativity. To support these ideas, Pink shared numerous studies with the audience. For example, during his presentation, he showed the audience "The Candle Problem." This problem demonstrated the need to think outside the box and promoted the ability to use a different perspective in order to solve the puzzle. This ability can be used in everyday lives as we as a nation can choose whether to see conflicts in a different way. By being internally motivated, our nation can achieve more than any previous time, in which we strived for rewards rather than internal satisfaction.


During the video, Daniel Pink used extreme enthusiasm to share his new ideas and revelations. His enthusiasm made his studies more interesting and entertained the audience, making Pink's speech more enjoyable and intriguing. Pink also offered visual examples to the audience, making the talk more interactive rather than simply being informative. This strategy enabled Pink to gain the interest of the audience, as well as support his findings with previous studies and proofs. Daniel Pink also maintained a clear speaking style, making the information easy to receive and understand. Through his own excitement for the new revelations in science, Pink was able to maintain the audience's attention and receive a genuinely amazed reaction from the audience. Also, throughout the TED Talk, Pink continued his friendly banter by adding a few jokes about his past, as somewhat of an attention getter. I believe that this strategy helped Daniel Pink appear to be more relatable and down to earth, instead of an intimidating, best-selling author. He was able to use his experience's in law school to appeal to the masses through facts, by making a case. This expressed his creativity, as he promoted in his speech, while at the same time demonstrated his intelligence and credibility to the audience.


Through this video, I believe Daniel Pink wished to share that despite prior knowledge, receiving incentives and rewards for doing a job will ultimately hinder productivity rather than promote it. He encouraged our world to put aside greed and materialism and instead reach for something more, something that pleases the individual rather than the boss or corporation. From personal experience, I can relate to and support Pink's theory. Although getting good grades does encourage me to work harder in school, the reward of an 'A' has lost its massive appeal it once had. I still do wish and strive for an 'A' in my classes, but it's my internal drive that motivates me rather than my previous wishes only for a good grade. With this reward, one may feel as though they must complete this task to please others, such as colleges or future teachers, rather than to enjoy and be proud of oneself through their own accomplishments. We grow up being told to get good grades, go to a good college, and get a successful job; but instead students should be encouraged to learn, enjoy oneself, and do what they love. I also believe this theory would promote the will of modern day's students to learn for themselves, just for the sake of learning, rather than receiving a good grade. This advancement in our society would greatly impact our productivity in jobs as well as everyday life. As Pink shared, rewards are for the mechanical aspects in life, and not to be used with skill. Skill is something every human being should value, be proud of, and internally wish to do great in. With this mentality, the world can become more dedicated and creative with our lives.

David Blaine- TED Talk #2

What are your take-aways from this video? What are the speakers effective speaking techniques? What is his/her presentation style? What matters from this video? How does it connect to you personally? To education? To the world? David Blaine, a world record holder for the longest amount of time spent underwater while holding one's breathe, shared his views on the world and how to accomplish your goals through determination and will. After many long months of training, Blaine was able to set the record of 17 minutes and 4 seconds while holding his breath underwater. But in order to accomplish this goal, Blaine shared with the audience his strategies while attempting this feat. For example, Blaine shared that he had to preform major studies, research, and obtain much doctor input in order to fully understand his body and the risks he would be taking if he attempted this record. He challenged himself mentally and physically by training and testing his body, by which he accomplished through great determination. I believe Blaine's main message he wished to spread to the world was to never give up on your dreams. Although they may be difficult, one must push through those obstacles and fulfill what they truly believe in. Besides constant critiques and a lack of media support, Blaine continued to push through and eventually accomplish his goal. I think he wished to tell the world that you must push yourself to be truly successful in one's passion. Throughout David Blaine's TED Talk, he continued to maintain the audience's attention by telling jokes and stories. He also engrossed the audience with interesting past experiences as well as his many failed attempts at this goal. He shared every failure, lack of confidence, and problem he faced, which I believe made him a more relatable figure in the eyes of the world. By admitting that he had mistakes, Blaine was able to glorify his success. Though he may have seemed to be exaggerating a few aspects of his stories, overall Blaine was able to gain respect for his accomplishments by being down to earth, confident, and friendly while speaking to the audience. Although David Blaine's TED Talk contained interesting stories and cliff hanger tales, his speech was a bit bland. He usually talked in a monotone voice, with lack of enthusiasm or much emotion. The only time excitement was showed was when he talked about completing his goal or attempted to tell a joke, which usually wasn't clear to the audience and led to awkward laughs among the crowd. He also stood in the same place throughout the entire twenty minutes, making the information he shared less interesting and capturing than it would have been if he had used gestures and movement. I think motion appeals to the human eye, whereas a stagment figure becomes less appealing. This strategy may have led to less interest in Blaine's story whereas with enthusiastic behavior, Blaine would have recieved more reception from his audience. I believe Blaine's message of how pushing past barriers, having will and determination, and preparing oneself for the future will ultimately benefit oneself was an important message shared in this video. His accomplishments have contributed to scientific studies, of which have examined the limits of the human body. This contribution will aid education greatly in schools around the world, as well as provide evidence for future studies on the subject. Blaine's accomplishments have shown the world that virtually anything is possible if we have the right tools, capability, and will to make it happen. It has opened new doors to scientific studies and curiousity about the human body. Blaine's ability to risk everything, even his life, has led the world into a new way of thinking. Instead of aiming for the bare minimun, or what we know is possible, people around the world, encouraged by Blaine's actions, have begun reaching for the once thought to be impossible ideas of our world today. Personally, I am at awe by what Blaine has done. His actions inspire me to reach for more than average. It has encouraged me to seek out new adventures and possibilites in our world and work for something greater. As Blaine said, "If it could be done by one, it can be done by others." I think what Blaine was trying to say is that we, as a modern society, should not be intimidated by the possibilites of our world, but rather reach out to find them, find the magic in our world. With these new ideas, our society can grow scientifically, physically, and mentally to instill a progressive world.

Sir Ken Robinson-TED Talk #1

Through this video, I believe Sir Ken Robinson wishes to convey the message that schools need a more diverse and creative environment in able to allow students to grow as either logical or creative thinkers, and be encouraged to pursue whatever future where their interests lie. He wishes to promote creative classes in schools such as dance and art and not discourage students who may wish to use their imagination more than others. He wants the world to be full of artists, musicians, and others who wish to pursue a creative career. He tells the audience that today's society is in a revolution. Colleges no longer seclude grades as their only expectations, but rather extracurriculars and other activities that may not include the traditional form of intelligence. Robinson makes his ideas clear that the world needs to be accepting of all learners and futures. Throughout Sir Ken Robinson's speech, he constantly told jokes which made his TED talk a lot more enjoyable and interesting to watch, which actually supported his ideas of creativity and imagination. He also told many stories to support his ideas which I think was useful in keeping the audience intrigued and entertained. Another prominent technique he used was hand gestures, which he used to explain and convey his ideas. His presentation style was very laid back and casual, making it interesting to listen to. He was able to joke and respond to the audience's reactions, rather than just following a script, which I believe made Robinson much more relatable and down to earth compared to some one who is robotic and lacks charm. I believe the message Sir Ken Robinson wished to share to the world is very relevant to modern day's society. He was able to make it noticed that as a society we need to encourage all types of careers and learning, not only the subjects that will lead to "stable" and presumably "white collared" jobs, which our society views as the successful future, that all children must aim for. His words support those of Daniel Pink from A Whole New Mind, in which he describes the need for more right-directed brains and jobs in our world; this new goal would make for a more diverse and successful future. Both Robinson and Pink describe how our world declares artistic work to be 'childish' and not acceptable for a mature and successful citizen, whereas what we should be doing is encouraging this type of behavior. Personally, I agree with Robinson's views. Modern day's technology provides more opportunities for the right-brains of our world to strive for excellence and grow. As a child, I grew up thinking that as I graduated from each grade I had to mature and be less of a child, which included drawing and using one's imagination. Instead we were and still are instructed to follow a format for optimal writing skills, and taught to be efficient in our math classes. These type of teaching skills do mainly pertain to the left-directed thinkers, rather than the more creative, right-directed thinkers. With this new revolution in education, I believe that it would benefit our society, as Robinson stated. Overall, I believe that Robinson's ideas should be taken in serious consideration in order for progress to be made in modern day's society.