Tuesday, January 20, 2015

TED Talk Tuesday

I have been a classroom music teacher for six years. This seventh year of teaching marked a big change in my routine....the addition of 10th grade English. It's been a challenge.....writing lesson plans, catering to the various levels and individual needs of my students, finding time to tutor students, the HOURS of grading, and the amount of sleep and sanity sacrificed in the name of learning how to teach a brand new subject.

Hardships aside, I have enjoyed many aspects of teaching English. I've gotten to know an entire grade level, not just the musically talented. I get to read and listen to their stories and I must say, I have some pretty incredible kids! However, these interactions have brought up some concerns. I am troubled by a generation that is so caught up in social media that they forget to think for themselves. I am troubled by a generation that is loosing their ability to write. So I'm fighting it. Every Tuesday. With TED.

Every Tuesday we begin class with a TED Talk, short lectures on a variety of subjects. I pick a variety of subjects because I want my students comfortable with writing summaries and responses on any topic. Here are all the TED Talks we watched first semester-Fall 2014. Click on the link to be redirected to the video. The kids' favorites: Shaka Senghor & Clint Smith. My favorites: Ken Robinson and Kevin Briggs. Enjoy!

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