A great book unpacking the power of TED in your talks

So, if you read my last CBR post, you’ll remember that I’ve been on a nonfiction kick (unusual for me, but I’m looking for good pedagogical techniques and other skills). My friend A had also recommended Carmine Gallo’s Talk Like TED, so I thought that it might be worth a try. Plus, I also teach a multi-modal oral literacy unit in my Composition II course in the spring, so I thought that having tips designed on TED Talks would be helpful.

At first, I thought that Gallo’s technique was a little gimmicky, but then I really began to enjoy the tips. I liked how he broke down the components of a successful TED Talk and used several real-life examples to illustrate what he meant. I think the most inspiration tip was making something novel or bringing something new and shocking. One of my favorite TED Talks comes from Jae-Rhim Lee, who discusses her idea of a mushroom burial suit. I’ve used it for years to talk about the ways we rethink food. My students are horrified and fascinated at the same time. It’s a new idea with lots of pictures and process. It’s made me rethink the way I want to convey information and ideas to my own students.

Thanks to Gallo’s engaging and informative book, I’ve already begun thinking about how I want to approach the few lectures I have planned for my students. I’m especially guilty of front-loading PowerPoint slides with boring information, and it’s time to break into something new. I believe a role-playing game may be one of the things we can do to make the lecture come to life. I’ll keep you all posted.