This Tip discusses TED-Ed animated lessons, which is a terrific training resource subtitled Lessons Worth Sharing for teachers and students.
“Animation offers a medium of story telling and visual entertainment. It can bring pleasure and information to people of all ages everywhere in the world.” Walt Disney
TED-Ed Animated Lessons
I have just learned about a terrific training resource: TED-Ed, subtitled Lessons Worth Sharing. According to its website:
“TED-Ed is TED’s youth and education initiative. TED-Ed’s mission is to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Everything we do supports learning. From:
- producing a growing library of original animated videos ,
- to providing an international platform for teachers to create their own interactive lessons,
- to helping curious students around the globe bring TED to their schools and gain presentation literacy skills,
- to celebrating innovative leadership within TED-Ed’s global network of over 250,000 teachers.
TED-Ed has grown from an idea worth spreading into an award-winning education platform. It serves millions of teachers and students around the world every week.”
Categories of Animations
If you’re good with animation, you can create a lesson on the site. If, like me, you’re better off using what others have created, there is a plethora from which to choose.
The categories include:
- The Arts,
- Business & Economics;
- Design, Engineering & Technology;
- Health;
- Literature & Language;
- Mathematics;
- Philosophy & Religion;
- Psychology;
- Science & Technology;
- Social Studies;
- Teaching & Education; and
- Thinking & Learning.
There are subcategories under each category.
For example, under Thinking & Learning, you will find:
- Attention and Engagement;
- Memory;
- Critical Thinking;
- Problem Solving;
- Creativity;
- Collaboration;
- Information Literacy; and
- Organization and Time Management.
Student Level and Video Duration
You can select the student level you want, including:
- Elementary/Primary;
- Middle School/Lower Secondary;
- High School/Upper Secondary;
- College/University; and
- Other.
You can also choose the duration of a video, ranging from under 3 minutes to over 18 minutes, as well as the language for the subtitles.
Examples: Psychology Category, Cognition and Learning
For fun, I chose the Psychology category and the Cognition and Learning subcategory to see the videos available. Some of the videos focused on “The Way We Think”:
- “Ideasthesia: How do ideas feel;”
- “Why we love repetition in music;” and
- “How art can help you analyze.”
Other videos focused on “Mind Matters”:
- “The benefits of a bilingual brain;”
- “How spontaneous brain activity keeps you alive;” and
- “The world needs all kinds of minds.”
Examples: Psychology Category, Motivation and Emotion
Under the Motivation and Emotion subcategory, videos that focus on “The Way We Think” include:
“How people rationalize fraud;” and
“The surprising truth about what motivates us.”
Under the Social Psychology subcategory, videos that focus on “How Things Work” include: “What causes economic bubbles?” and “Networking for the networking averse.” Videos that focus on “The Way We Think” include: “Should you trust unanimous decisions;” “How do you know whom to trust;” and “Rethinking thinking.”
By the way, along with the animations you will also find TED Talks.
This is a wonderfully rich resource and I definitely plan to make use of it!
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
