Meet TED's Ed!

These days TED talks are my adult version of a bedtime story. I set up my iPad, pick something cool, press play, and rest my head on my pillow. For this reason I was happy to see what else TED had to offer. I shook up my usual consumerism routine and spent some time exploring what TED Ed had to offer as a producer.

EXPLORE TED Ed here     

What is TED Ed?

It is a platform designed for teachers and students to create lessons or view lessons using the TED talk videos or YouTube videos.

How can I use it?

Ted Ed is FREE! Part of its mission is to expand and teach/reach as many people as possible. They are working furiously to continue to grow this tool.

What was my process creating a lesson?

1. I created an account (very simple! took only 2 minutes!)

• Username

• Password

• Teacher or student

• Verify through email notification

   

1. Follow the 4 category template/steps TedEd offers

    

• Watch

  choose a video from TED's complete video library or YouTube that becomes the basis of your lesson (there is a text bar if you choose to title your lesson or provide context; it allows up to 500 characters).

• Think

  there is a blank text box where you can write up to 15 questions

• Dig Deeper

  this is another text box with space for links to other resources, more questions, pictures, attachments, font options, etc…

• And Finally...

  another text box to leave your students with some "final thoughts" about the lesson; it also allows for links, attachments, font options

   

1. Play with the 3 options

• Edit – I did this several times while writing questions. It worked well and saves automatically!

• Publish – I did not do this b/c I am not ready for it!

• Preview – I tried this several times, but nothing happens…L

   

Feel free to check out my lesson   here…

What else does TED Ed offer?

• Access to 127, 874 other teacher created lessons.

• A discussion section where people can "discuss" your lesson in the form of posted comments.

• Hope for more from Ted Ed.

How would / could I use this tool?  

• mini – lessons to provide overview or context to a concept or idea

• to ask students to "talk" and respond to each other about a an idea presented in the video

• share it as a resource for students to access if they are not at school but would like clarification on a topic/concept – there may be answers/lessons on the site

How was it creating the lesson?

Simple!  It was very easy and user friendly!  It is hard to say exactly how it would play out in a classroom until I try it, but there is a place for handouts (attached to the text boxes), and big ideas could be presented for students to indulge in.

What are the shortcomings of using this?

It might be difficult to include or plan for smaller activities within the current template framework – although it could be done if space is used judiciously in the text boxes.

For those teachers expected to follow the Gradual Release model or a scripted curriculum, it might not be worth the time to fit that model into the space provided in TED Ed.

This forum is great for students with access to technology so they can explore the links and what the site has to offer.