“TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less).” (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization)
A few years ago, 10th grade English teachers at the high school were inspired by the idea of 20% time, which was slowly making waves in various classes throughout the building. The issue of student engagement, personalized learning, and transformative instruction were continually at the forefront of their PLC conversations. In order to engage students in a more personalized project, the Ten Talk was born. The purpose of the assignment was to give students a platform to extend their learning beyond the literature and the classroom. After brainstorming and narrowing topic choices, students begin the research and collaborative phase of their project. Through critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication the students first create a “product” based on a topic of their choosing. Second, in a TED Talk fashion, students explain their research, their process, and their product to a wide, authentic audience.
The projects are introduced early in the semester so students can begin thinking about how they might connect their project to the literature they have read in class. They also are inspired to begin thinking about topics and/or issues that they are passionate about. Halfway through the semester, students propose their ideas to the class. The proposal is just as important as the project itself; it gives students an opportunity to advocate for their passions. The class votes on the top five choices, and students are grouped according to their interest in the broad topics.
Once students are in groups, the classes begin 20% time. Every Thursday during English class, students work with their groups on their projects. Teachers are there for scaffolding, to provide guidance, ask probing questions, and encourage students to set goals. Yes, there is teacher support, but the project is heavily student-driven. Students take their shared ideas and run with them!
The final goal of the project is a ten minute presentation modeled after a typical TED Talk. Students can choose any modality to convey their information: music, video, models, posters, poetry, art work, etc. The beauty of this project is that the final presentation is not graded. Students are graded on the work leading up to the presentation itself, but the final presentation is a result of the message the students want to convey, not the grade they wish to receive. The students intrinsic feelings following the presentation are truly more important than any grades they receive.
An in-school field trip is set-up as a way for students to showcase their work. Students present in two different venues, leaving plenty of choice for the audience. Parents, family members, other staff/students, and other community members are invited to attend. This gives students an audience beyond just their teachers or classmates. Students are eager to view the work of their peers. During this last set of TEN Talks presentations were given on the topics self-love, fashion, the evolution of news, music through the ages, and, gender stereotypes. Each of the projects was somehow connected to the literature from class: The Odyssey, The Alchemist, Night, The Iliad, The Kite Runner, myths, legends, and folktales, and various short stories.
According to the students, when they first heard about the Ten Talks, they were a bit intimidated and nervous. Some thought the project would be a great opportunity. Following the TEN Talks, students reflected that they were proud of what they had accomplished. One student said, “I was happy that the presentation wasn’t graded because it focused more on the learning experience, rather than the results.” Ultimately, this is the mindset we want our students to have whenever they are in the classroom.
Students were also excited to watch the presentations of their peers. Based on the work leading up to the talk, students were extremely reflect in what made good presentation and what types of presentations fell flat. Several students reflected that they were proud of their peers and wish they had an opportunity to view the talks.
by Natasha Monsaas-Daly
