By Ryan Deal ‘16

A phenomenon has quietly but surely been occurring at Sherwood in the form of TED Talks. TED Talks, a recorded set of fast-paced conferences in which an individual speaks upon a given subject based upon experience and expertise, have caught the interest of many teachers here at Sherwood who find the talks to be educative and informative as it pertains to lessons.

TED Talks are often grounded in the speaker’s own personal experiences, which many teachers believe captivate students more than a regular lesson. “TED Talks offer a unique and personal account that I cannot offer my students,” said social studies teacher Karen Sinclair, who shows around one Talk a month. “You don’t have to be a PHD or a ‘professional’ anything to be an expert in one’s own life experience,” she added.

Sinclair, who saw her first TED Talk six years ago at a class to renew her teaching certification, was excited about the potential that the Talks had of helping students grasp concepts. “I am a firm believer in the belief that we can learn something from everyone that walks this planet. People from all walks of life have something interesting to offer, and by sharing these people’s experiences with my students, they receive a unique perspective,” said Sinclair.

The topics from which a TED Talk can range are extremely expansive. When browsing potential videos the user can choose from an array of topics including how to save rainforests, how to deal with depression, how to travel to the South Pole and even how to turn a trash cart into a piece of beautiful artwork. With such interesting, vibrant and extensive topics, it is not a surprise that many teachers find the lessons to be beneficial for their students.

Health teacher Matt Parsons got hooked on the videos after a friend recommended them. “The people that give the TED Talk presentations are inspiring, interesting and very well prepared,” Parsons said. “They are great speakers, who give great presentations. You won’t find these types of presentations anywhere else.”

The continued use of TED Talks to inform and expose students to the vast events they are learning about will only continue to expand. As TED Talks becoming more and more popular, with many videos having over 10 million views, it would certainly not be a surprise if this internet-based information resource becomes much more prominent in future lessons.