Week 6: TED Ed

I hope this post finds you sitting someplace cool!

This week's tool to explore is TED Ed.  Many of us are familiar with (and fans of!) of the popular TED talks online, and now, TED has expanded upon that thinking to bring us the TED Ed platform!  This is a really exciting tool for two reasons: 1. TED is now pairing master teachers with master animators to bring their lessons to life as animated TED talks (great for showing to students or for learning something new!) and 2. TED has developed a tool by which you can make any video on YouTube into an interactive "flipped" lesson.

A "flipped" lesson is one in which the traditional "teaching" or introducing new skills/ideas is done outside the classroom, usually with the help of a teacher-created or recommended video and the "problem-solving" or working through concepts is done during class time.  Many of us tried flipping our lessons last year with great success.  Even if you have never "flipped," I'm sure that you can imagine the way that this method can change the way that students learn and reinvent class time.

With TED Ed's platform, you can take an existing YouTube video, either one that you've recorded and uploaded on your own or one that already exists on YouTube, and add interactivity to it to better engage your students.  The tool is very user-friendly for both students and teachers and ensures that students are engaging with the video you have asked them to watch.

I've made a practice flipped lesson using the TED Ed platform for you to try.  So, pretend that you are all my students in TECHsploration 101 and I've asked you to watch this video for homework.  Then, you should answer the questions and explore the resources provided with the video.  To try the lesson, click here.  The video is a TED talk given by an AP Biology teacher who turns his class into a video game.  Inspiring!

One note:  you will need to create an account on TED Ed in order to complete my lesson and/or make one of your own.  

After you complete my lesson, try making one of your own.  Then, tweet us the link so we can try it! If you aren't feeling that adventurous, you can try your hand at some of the existing TED Ed lessons--I'm sure you'll learn something new.

As always, have fun and keep TECHsploring!

Don't forget to check in on Edmodo to see what's new with your summer reading group.  There's an #isedchat on Twitter this Thursday at 9pm on Now You See It.  You should stop in if you can!