TED talk #8

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, begins by telling us a story about what she would write about as a child. She speaks less in a lecture style but coming off more like shes only there to tell a story. She would write stories that were similar to the foreign stories she would read which contained white skinned children with blue eyes, nothing like her. Until she found African stories is when she realized that people like her could be in stories. If we hear or read stories about a part of the world we tend to perceive that part of the world as the stories describe those places. Those stories we receive make us feel certain emotions, emotions like pity, towards the people that live in those places. The consequence of the single story about a person, place, or issue. A single story also robs people of dignity and emphasizes how different people are. By engaging with all the stories of a person, place, or issue, the trap of a single story can be avoided. I agree that the single story makes the differences in people stand out and the single story is an incomplete description. People around the whole need to learn to see past the single story, or first impression, or what they hear about someone or something keeping an open mind. To not pass judgement to people in the professional world or in school; either way to not put one above another based on a single story.

TED talk #7

José Antonio Abreu, the founder of Venezuela’s El Sistema, the country’s high touted national music education program, gave a talk and TED prize acceptance speech in one. Abreu spoke of how El Sistema is at its heart a program of social rescue for lower income children and their families. The TED talk was not a conventional TED lecture, first it was a video, that was the lecture spoken in Spanish, with video of the musicians in background to enhance his talk. Being a musician this video spoke to me in that I am very lucky to have had the opportunities to learn to play that I do. Many people around the world are not as fortunate as I, Jose says in his talk that hardest part of poverty is not the lack of bread or of housing its the lack of being someone, the identity of being no one and music gives this kids an identity. In his prize acceptance speech his "TED wish" is that programs like El Sistema would grow in other countries. Educators should focus on giving kids a greater chance at music, or just arts in general, or whatever gives them the feelings of accomplishment. I think that many times programs to promote artistic or outstanding ability are lost in many schools. Giving kids, around the world the opportunity to learn the power of music could enhance their quality of life.

TED talk #6 "Once Upon a School"

In Dave Eggers TED talk "Once Upon a School", he tells us about his development of unconventional study centers. Dave isn't a perfect speaker, you can tell that he is nervous in his manners, wringing his hands stuttering; it does not take away from his performance, it enhanced it in a way. He was telling a story, it was personal and awkwardly charming. When he speaks he uses pictures of the Superhero and Pirate Supply Store tutoring centers. As a teacher, in a sense, I teach small children how to swim I truly believe in his belief of one on one tutoring or teaching. Children need one on one attention, giving a private lessons I see children grow substantially. The same goes for teachers, if informal, fun, tutoring centers like the ones developed by Dave, were more readily available more kids would want to get help. Just like in the world if things are more readily avalible, that aren't intimitating people are more likely to be open to them.