iPad Activity: Host your own Classroom TEDTalk

A TED talk you say, what is this and who is TED? 

This conference first appeared in 1984, in attempts to bridge three worlds together: Technology, Entertainment and Design. The theme revolves around, 'Ideas Worth Sharing,' demonstrates the influence of how ideas change attitudes, lives and ultimately make impact the world. TEDTalks have evolved into being a global community fueled to seek a greater understanding of the world around us. 

So, how can you do this in your classroom? After recently attending the local sponsored TEDx Hickory, the idea hit me; why not inspire students to think globally, use 21st Century skills and to think 'outside the box' in the same manner? Each student possess unique talents I, even as their teacher, am unaware and may never see unless they are provided with the opportunity to share them. 

Classroom Outline for Lesson using iPads:

• Pre-Activities
• Watch a TED Talk, discuss revolutionizing idea and its level of impact on society.
• Students were assigned a specific general topic and asked to research links between any TEDTalk given and current research being done to associate and identify the level of impact locally, state and globally. Students used the iMovie trailer app to present their findings.  
• TEDTalk Activity
• As a review for AP Biology approaching College Board Exam, I assigned students a specific unit/topic. 
• Students used Google Drive app in their student work folder to plan and outline their presentation. 
• Students were asked to blog on Blogger (private only to classroom), about their topic and after the classroom hosted talk were required to make a minimum of 5 blog postings. 
• Using the auditorium and whatever props they needed, students had a maximum of 18 minutes (TEDTalk requirement) to present. Recorded each student using iMovie.
• During the talk, students used iPads to follow on Twitter posting.