Xixi Wang

Every educator has a spark.

Every educator has a classroom insight, a new approach to learning, a deeply held belief about what students need most. But great ideas don’t thrive in isolation. They need space to grow, tools to take shape, and audiences ready to listen. That’s where TED-Ed’s Educator Talks comes in.

Educator Talks is a free professional learning experience that helps K–12 educators identify, develop, and share their most meaningful ideas. It’s built on a simple but powerful belief: educators hold powerful insights with the potential to transform classrooms, schools, and communities when they’re given the right platform to share them.

What is Educator Talks?

Educator Talks supports K-12 teachers, school leaders, and education innovators in turning their lived experience into ideas worth sharing. Whether it’s a new way to support student well-being, a strategy for making learning more inclusive, or a classroom practice that’s quietly changing lives, the program helps educators reflect on their careers, identify an idea that can change education and effectively communicate what they believe and why it matters.

The experience begins with a one-hour Idea Workshop, an interactive virtual session where educators explore what makes ideas memorable, learn storytelling frameworks inspired by TED Talks, and receive guidance on shaping their message. This workshop is purpose-built to help ideas emerge and take form.

What comes next

After the Idea Workshop, educators gain access to a set of flexible, high-impact resources that support continued growth:

1. TED’s Official Public Speaking Course, helping educators build confidence and clarity in how they communicate ideas.
2. A global online community of practice, connecting educators worldwide to share peer feedback on Talks and public speaking.
3. Opportunities to organize or speak at TEDx events, bringing educator ideas to wider audiences and multiplying community impact.

Why it matters

When educators develop the skills to share their ideas publicly, the impact goes far beyond a single talk. These skills show up in classrooms, staff meetings, parent conversations, community events, and leadership spaces. Educator Talks helps educators strengthen their voice not just for a stage, but for every place where ideas shape learning.

At a time when education is facing rapid change, elevating educator perspectives matters more than ever. Educator Talks creates space for educators to reflect, articulate what they’ve learned, and ensure broader conversations about teaching and learning are grounded in real experience.

Get started

Curious to learn more?

— If you work in K-12 education, register for the Idea Workshop to take the first step

— Even if you’re not a K-12 educator, share program information with an educator in your life

— Check out our Educator Talks channel to see Talks from educators worldwide

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Reetika Madaan, an independent educator and Student Talks facilitator for nearly a decade.

Here, she speaks with TED-Ed’s Programs Manager, Sasha Rudenko, about the challenges of building a program from the ground up outside of a school, gaining the trust of parents and the community, and how to support and believe in student voices:

Sasha Rudenko (SR): Tell us a bit about your role and what students you serve.

Reetika Madaan (RM): I’m an independent educator, communication coach, and community builder. I don’t represent any school in Ludhiana. I represent a city which was full of students ready to be heard. In 2016, I started TED-Ed Club Ludhiana — not because I was asked to, but because I saw the gap. Students had ideas, but there was no space for them to express them beyond academics and their annual functions. And when I saw this coming up across the board, I decided to build that space from scratch. There was no school backing, no grants, just a vision to start something with the students. And today, the club is a thriving city-wide platform. We’ve had multiple annual showcases, we’ve trained over 50 speakers from 15 schools across the city, and they’ve even been TEDx speakers.

Students take part in the group’s activities

SR: How did you implement the Student Talks program? How did it fit into what you were already doing in the community?

RM: I do many things alongside the TED-Ed Student Talks group. I’ve represented student youth projects at World Economic Forum, as I’m part of their Global Shapers Community. I have collaborated with state governments for skills and entrepreneurship training. When we started with TED-Ed, parents loved the personalized approach — that it wasn’t just a curriculum, which was not happening in schools. And that’s why I think its reach, credibility, and goodwill has increased every year. Ludhiana is a growing city, with lots of young people. With the popularity of social media, they all want to do things aside from academics day and night. They want playful learning activities. So I feel that I’ve brought a lot of that to Ludhiana through these programs and my passion to start new things.

“I made sure every student left with more than a talk. They left with belief. That’s how you build something lasting.”

SR: There are probably many moments since you began in 2016, but could you share any standout moments from your time leading this program?

RM: It has to be curating TEDxSarabhaNagar. Two of my TED-Ed Club students — Rayaansh Pahwa and Amaya Sahni — took the stage on the big red dot. I didn’t just train them. I stood beside them as they practiced, doubted, rewrote, and, ultimately, soared. Rayaansh challenged the rigidity of education with his talk on travel. Amaya moved the room with lessons she had learned at just age 11. That night, I wasn’t just a facilitator. I was a witness to transformation. Which was the very reason I started all this.

SR: As a facilitator since 2016, you’ve seen a couple iterations of our curriculum over the years. What skills would you say that students improve the most going through the Student Talks activities?

RM: Yes, the curriculum has changed over the years. I remember when I started, the curriculum was just a few pages. Then, slowly and steadily it became a playbook with questions and answers, all beautifully visually described and with lots of ideas on how to engage [with the students]. With every curriculum and with every personalized touch that we gave to our students, they not only became more confident, but became stronger. It was not just on the stage, but in life too. They were given the freedom to talk, and so their thinking has become much more layered, more research-oriented. There was a lot of risk-taking, but the outcomes were beautiful.

Madaan’s Student Talks group

SR: What would you say was the most challenging part of implementing the program, and how did you overcome it?

RM: The hardest part? Being an outsider. Starting with no institutional power. No school bell to ring. Just intent. When I started, it began with sessions of just three children. I documented impact, got parents involved, and eventually had schools reaching out to me. So that starting 3 students built to 25, then to 30, and then to 40. We made sure to get parents involved because one of the challenges was dropping students off at a place outside of school. But when their parents saw them doing the exercises and improving every week, that’s where we got our credibility. Then the parents began speaking about us, how much work we were doing each week, and then the schools started reaching out. I made sure every student left with more than a talk. They left with belief. That’s how you build something lasting.

 ”When they see that you care more about their story than their stage time, that’s when the real growth begins.”

SR: From your vast wealth of experience, what advice would you share with someone who is considering bring Student Talks to their students?

RM: To facilitators, I’d say encourage students to tell us what others don’t know about you. Have tough conversations with your students that allow them to talk about what they love and what they want to explore aside from academics. Help them get over pretending like they don’t need to care about something. Then the framework is there for the students to have those tough conservations with their friends or family. Be patient. Be personal. Be persistent. Your students are watching how you listen. When they see that you care more about their story than their stage time, that’s when the real growth begins. To parents, I’d say give your kids independence, or else they will not be able to have their own thoughts or speak about them. And to not expect kids to be miraculously great public speakers overnight. There is a lot of pressure on these kids already, and building skills takes time.

Participants in the Student Talks program

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here.

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Priyanka Behl, an educator at the Empower Kids Personality School.

Here, she speaks with TED-Ed’s Programs Manager, Sasha Rudenko, about integrating Student Talks into their after-school programs, the impact the program has had on their community, and how they used TEDx to host their speaker events to reach wider online audiences:

Sasha Rudenko (SR): Tell us about your school, your role, and your students.    

Priyanka Behl (PB): Empower Kids Personality School is a community school that brings together children from across 36 schools to work together in after-school programs. We also support NGO schools with the Each One Teach One program, where our students spend one weekend educating those who don’t have formal school education and are studying as part of an NGO. The whole idea is to bring resourcefulness to the resourceless, and that’s how Empower Kids has been working — more like a community initiative. TED-Ed has helped us bring this community even closer.

SR: How did you implement the Student Talks program into your school? How did it fit into what you were already doing there?

PB: We use TED-Ed as part of our skill-building after-school program. We have volunteers who help the underprivileged children who don’t have access to formal education and therefore will lack opportunities later in life, such as getting better jobs. We try to help them hone their communication skills, and I try to help them bridge the education gap so they are more employable and can potentially be pulled above the poverty line. While working with the Student Talks program, we realized that beyond communication skills, there were other gaps and things missing in their education. Gender inclusivity was missing; we realized how the younger children were vulnerable and unsure of who to talk to. We saw there were also gaps in knowledge about caste issues, socialism, racism and bias, which we had never talked about. We started with just a small group, and it was a great forum to listen, share their voices, and create an impact in the community by talking about these issues.

“It’s about you finding the voice that can change the narrative. It’s finding ideas that can create impact in your local community.”

SR: If you were to pick one standout moment from your time leading Student Talks, what would you highlight?

PB: We had birthday parties which had a lot of balloons, party poppers,  plastic plates, and all those kinds of things being used. Then, one of the students shared a talk about how unsustainable this is and the impact it has. So, we started using wheat cutlery instead of plastic. And this was largely implemented in all of the students’ 36 schools. Imagine the impact of that! They stopped using plastic cutlery and plates, and replaced it with wheat cutlery. At our events, as well, we use wheat cutlery every time. Outside of school, a big impact of this was in the landfills. Cows in India were dying because they would eat all the plastic out of the landfill that had leftover food on it. But with it being made from wheat, it was harmless for them to eat. And in our community, the cow is a holy animal, and we were able to impact the health of cows through one talk shared. I felt this was truly remarkable.

A student speaks at the TEDx event

SR: What skills have you observed improving the most as your students go through the Student Talks activities?

PB: The number one skill that they learned was leadership. Not only were they willing to be adaptable themselves, but they stepped up and helped others in the group and in the community. The number two skill would be research. When they started researching their topics, we started to see the understanding of how important it was across the board. It gave them a lot of experience finding studies, documents, and research papers, and really helped broaden their horizons for finding information. And the number three skill would have to be communication. They learned great oratory, presentation, and self-expression skills. And the workbook journal helped teach how to give better feedback and constructive feedback that really helped them improve their communication.

SR: As a facilitator, what has been the most challenging part about implementing Student Talks? And how did you overcome it?

PB: Our first challenge was to plan the first event. When you have an event, you have to think of everything from the technical list like cameras and soundproofing, and then logistically how do we get the funds to host the [TEDxYouth] event. I found it challenging for the first event to deal with the cost, and not knowing how to sell tickets or who to reach out to for a guest list. We didn’t know how to bring the right resources to the right place. But then we got a lot of great support from the TED team, and after that our second event ran much more smoothly. And we continue to learn with each event; everyone involved can teach you so much and help you evolve as a person. I’ve seen a transition in myself through building these events, and it’s related to accountability. It feels like you have been given something with a lot of trust, and you are accountable to bring forth these young voices who don’t usually have a platform to share. So I’ve evolved as a person as well.

[Editor’s note: Priyanka holds a TEDx license to host her school events. TED-Ed Student Showcases do not require tickets or funding].

A student speaks at the TEDx event

SR: So, hosting an event was your goal and something you wanted to do for your community, and you even applied for a TEDx license to host it. How did you find that it helped your mission to focus on hosting a culminating speaker event?

PB: Given that our event would be just for young people— the students— we were thinking of the potential audience for them. We wanted their talks to be seen by the change-makers, the decision-makers, and these young voices would not reach those people unless their videos were put out on a bigger forum. The TED-Ed Student Talk video selection process can take a long time, and so with hosting a TEDx event, the YouTube video links come faster. So their videos would reach more people sooner. We were thinking not only of the physical audience at the event but those online who can just listen and connect with it. I felt that TEDx gave us more access to reach a larger audience, and much sooner after the event.

“[Student Talks] is for anyone who is willing to help young voices who feel they have no forum, feel small, or that they have no impact. TED-Ed can lend you that.”

SR: What words of wisdom would you share with somebody who is thinking of becoming a Student Talks facilitator?

PB: This journey can be overwhelming, [but] if you are passionate about ideas, I think this is for you. I’ve been watching TED videos for years, and they turned out to be a perspective-shifter. So I’ve had that passion for ideas from the beginning. If you have that passion, and you want to bring ideas forward and create impact, I think this is a great forum for you. It’s not about you being a hero, it’s about you finding the voice that can change the narrative. It’s finding ideas that can create impact in your local community. It’s for anyone who is willing to help young voices who feel they have no forum, feel small, or that they have no impact, TED-Ed can lend you that. It’s a whole exploration of self-realization that comes with the idea journey. The self-exploration of why their idea matters, what impact is it going to create, how can it change the narrative— it’s something that connects and bridges the gap.

SR: Are there any tips you have after working with your students through the activities about helping them find their idea, their writing, or their research?

PB: I think the best thing that I find is giving them the space to explore. The first task we give them is to create a list of the things that they love. And on the other side, a list of things that they hate. Then we start with talking about one of the things that they hate and why. From there, they usually pick a topic from their “things they hate” list, because if you don’t like something that is happening in your community or life, then you want to talk about it and how to change it. That’s how our idea exploration begins. And it starts with a small group who don’t know each other, but eventually come to be helping each other explore their ideas, and sharing their thoughts. I think it helps them build a little community where they can be more vocal about how they truly feel. As a facilitator, seeing how much they have to share makes me feel like a student again. The ideas sometimes just blow my mind. They have such new perspectives to share, and while we think we’re facilitating, we’re actually learning in that process too.

TEDxYouth event

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Archana Mohan, co-founder of Bookosmia, India’s largest free and open digital platform for children.

Here, she speaks with TED-Ed’s Senior Community Manager, Peter Maccario, about how the Student Talks program aligned with her platform’s goal to give children a space to share their voices, and how they were able to adapt the activities to the unique needs of their students and the online setting:

Peter Maccario (PM): Tell us about Bookosmia, your role, and the students you’re serving there.

Archana Mohan (AM): I co-founded Bookosmia with Nidhi Mishra. We’ve both always been interested in the intersection of children, literature, education, and young voices. As we became parents ourselves, we thought that there should be a place where our children’s thoughts could also have space. And that’s Bookosmia: a free, open website for all children to submit their stories, poems, essays, artwork, any kind of expression. It’s a digital publishing platform that gives a certificate to every child who writes to us.

PM: How did Bookosmia get involved with the Student Talks program? 

AM: We saw the wonderful work that TED-Ed was doing with the exact same motive of having young people speak out, helping give them the voice and the structure to do so. We loved the idea and applied to be facilitators. I think it’s our third year now. And the most striking fact for us has been how unifying TED-Ed has been, how universal its ideas are, and the Idea Journal remains everybody’s favorite. They’re always talking about it!

“TED-Ed is not just about public speaking — it’s where you learn new things about new people.”

PM: How did you implement Student Talks into Bookosmia, and how did it fit into what you were already doing as a digital platform?

AM: At the beginning, we had these wonderful meetings that TED-Ed set up with other facilitators who were just starting out, where we could talk to the previous educators and ask questions. I was a bit worried because for most people, the [Student Talks groups] were being done in one place, like a school or a community center. They actually meet the [students] in person and that’s how these programs run. But I knew that for us that wouldn’t work. We knew we wanted to have our young friends from tier three schools and cities also join us. Limiting it to a physical space would automatically cut out all those children, which we thought wasn’t fair because they were already interacting with us. We wanted to do this online, so the first thing we did was assess how we could integrate this best with an online structure. The best part was all of the Student Talks activities were so flexible with what you could do in a classroom, whether online or offline. Doing the group online brought in so many diverse perspectives that I think would have been lost if we had only done it in one community center where all children go to similar schools, or come from similar income groups, or have similar backgrounds. Because we were talking to children from various parts of the country from different backgrounds, the richness of the conversation was definitely improved.

Students participate in the online Student Talks activities

PM: How were you able to start getting the students invested in the program?

AM: There’s a great activity [in the Student Talks curriculum] called “What is in your water?” which asks students to think about what they’re passionate about. What I love about that activity is no one has ever asked these children what they’re passionate about. Most people don’t think to ask children that. They ask “what are your hobbies?” Or, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Those are two common things that children get asked, but they’re never asked what they’re really passionate about, or what makes them happy. That’s what we were focusing on when we started out: getting the children to understand themselves better, then helping them understand their classmates who were all from different places. We break the ice through a lot of activities, and each of our sessions starts with something fun. I think a lot of our program takes off from where TED-Ed starts, but then we use a localized approach which children are more familiar with.

PM: What other adjustments have you made to adapt the program to your students’ needs?

AM: There is a notion that TED-Ed is an exclusive club, and I loved how we broke that down. When you tell people you’re a TED speaker, there’s value in it. But it can be a bit intimidating — the students think, “am I good enough?” From the beginning we wanted to ensure that that thought doesn’t creep into their heads. The activities at the start of the program, where students talk about their strengths, draw themselves, and write about how they’re feeling before giving a talk, we loved those and we spoke about them together. So many children said to us, “I have never given a speech in public. I’m nervous to talk and I’m an introvert.” And we realized that those were just labels that these children had heard from other people that unfortunately they had now co-opted with their personalities. And to remove these barriers for them, we showed them examples of other TED-Ed speakers. One talk we always show is from a young girl, Molly Wright. She  talks about the power of connection, and shows them that anyone can be a speaker; whatever age you are, whoever you are, you’re able to do that.

Another thing that we did if people were not comfortable on video was suggest podcasting. They went through the same process, developing a throughline, listening to talks, making outlines and everything, but they did their final talk as a podcast. It was just audio, they focused on the delivery of the speech and this allowed them to be in a comfortable space without anyone watching. Once they were comfortable in that setting, they realized they knew their talk, and the video portion just became an extension of that.

Prabhgeet giving her talk about embracing grief

PM: If you were to pick one standout moment from your time leading TED-ED Student Talks with your students, what would you highlight and why?

AM: First, I love watching them let go of their inhibitions. Second, shedding the labels that have been associated with them, either by other people or by themselves. Third, watching them learn that they and their classmates have so many unrealized skills. TED-Ed is not just about public speaking — it’s where you learn new things about new people. For example, we watched the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie TED Talk about the danger of a single story. I can’t tell you how many young people come back and say that whenever they see someone who’s different from them, or they have a prejudiced thought about them, this talk immediately comes to mind. I love how they’re able to associate those talks and use it in real life. In school, they’ve had to write essays for their classes and they’ll tell us about them saying, “in my throughline, I did this.” So they’re using the process in their schoolwork, and I think that’s only possible with a program like TED-Ed that lays out the whole process clearly. By the end of the program, the students know exactly where they need humor, where they need the hook, what they want to convey, and how to conclude.

“Anyone can be a speaker; whatever age you are, whoever you are, you’re able to do that.”

PM: You’ve spoken about a sense of confidence and building new perspectives, are there other skills you’ve seen improved by the program?

AM: Confidence has been the number one change. The second is language. English is not their first language, so while they are able to communicate quite well in English, there is also the question of “what words should I use?” One great learning has been that the simpler the language, the more it reaches people. Also, authenticity and agency are things that they have gotten introduced to. They understand that they are citizens, they have rights, and can speak up and their opinion counts. When children are taught these values, they automatically feel like they are heard and they feel valued. I think it dramatically improves how they look at things. All of this is linked to the program.

PM: What has been the most challenging part of implementing Student Talks online, and how did you overcome it?

AM: Having everybody on the same page when you’re online can be difficult. We can’t all talk at the same time, it’s too noisy. So, you have to mute people and then let each person speak. Luckily, young people are very mindful of how they conduct their online lessons, and so they understand.

Mitali giving her talk about unconscious gender bias

PM: What words of wisdom would you share with someone considering Student Talks for their students or classrooms?

AM: Keep it light and have activities that speak to the children, things that they identify with. Always start with a fun activity. One of the most fun activities we do is create your own meme. We take standard meme templates, and have them write in their own memes and they love it. We also take video of people talking, mute the audio, and ask the students to come up with their own script. What this does is make the whole atmosphere unserious, which you really need to do when you’re talking to young people. Get them invested in the activity, and then make them think.

For anyone considering the program, I would say absolutely go for it. There’s a lot to learn — not just for these young people, but also for the instructors. I think everyone benefits from listening to these young people and their fresh ideas. It’s a win for everyone.

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here, here, here, here, and here.

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Cynthia Dagmara Payes, Regina Blanco, and Violeta Morales, educators from the Instituto Guatemalteco Americano (IGA) School, a bicultural institute in Guatemala.

Here, they speak with TED-Ed’s Programs Manager, Sasha Rudenko, about integrating the program into the school’s curriculum and how it helped their students develop community, motivation, and responsibility:

Sasha Rudenko (SR): Tell us about the IGA School, your role, and your students.

Cinthya Dagmara Payes (CDP): The Instituto Guatemalteco Americano (IGA) is a bicultural institute joining the best of two cultures. We have an American culture program and we also have the curriculum from Guatemala. This is a private school where students who want to grow, learn a little bit more, and go further with the English language.

SR: How did you implement TED-Ed Student Talks into IGA? How did the program fit into what you were already doing?

CDP: We had a public speaking course here at IGA because we wanted students to develop oral skills and have them share their ideas to an audience. Then [I came across] the program on the internet, I subscribed and received a newsletter every week and it said “do you want to join the TED-Ed community?” and I was very excited to do that. So, I applied and when we got confirmed, had access to the materials and were welcomed to the community, we were very, very excited. Regina was the first teacher who helped me with reading, getting engaged with the materials, the worksheets, and working with the first group of students.

Regina Blanco (RB): Our role is to be coaches to the students and [this year] we worked with seniors to prepare their talks. We divided the Student Talks manual among the four units we have at the school, and at the end of each unit they have an oral exam based on the Talks curriculum. So within their courses, they have TED-Ed — they have philosophy, they have seminar, they have math, and within those courses we use TED-Ed. We had it as an extracurricular, but now that we also have it within the curriculum, they’re excited to work on it and have new class content.

Students participate in the Student Talks activities

SR: If you were to pick one standout moment from your time leading TED-Ed Student Talks, what would you highlight?

RB: Something that I really love is when we see our students standing up in the theater and projecting and sharing their life experiences. That is rewarding for us because this is a challenge for them. When they are able to share, are secure, and don’t have problems with the English presentation. Our students have a high level of English, but the critical thinking that they develop in the English language is incredible. When they share that, their peers in the theater think, “my god I want to be like them!”

Another thing that we really admire is that they develop the responsibility to attend and participate in the extracurricular. They have to be on time, and complete the tasks [after finishing a full school day], and sometimes they are tired and might not want to attend. But they develop the responsibility because it’s worth it to them. They develop that consciousness about the importance of attending every single class, and that is something remarkable. They start on the very first day, attend the whole year, and then they present the talk— and behind all of that is responsibility.

Violeta Morales (VM): It was really nice to see them present their ideas, talk about their experiences, and see that they were very proud after their presentation. They felt very happy and I was very pleased to see middle school students participating for the first time in this event getting so excited.

CDP: I would say that something remarkable for me is to see them empowered and overcoming the fear of standing in front of a big audience. We had 300 students in the theater. It’s not easy to just stand in front of 300 students and share your life experiences. So seeing each of them sharing a special story, their own story, that they wanted to present and that they wanted to motivate others with was really special. And celebrating ideas in the theater with the whole community. We closed the year with a very sweet taste [knowing] that we did a good job with them and that they learned a lot.

“Our students realized that to overcome their fear of speaking and sharing personal experiences, they had to practice, practice, practice. And now they feel more confident and excited to present.”

SR: We’ve talked about confidence, empowerment, and that important moment of being on stage. What other skills have you seen students improve the most going through the activities?

CDP: I would say empathy. Once they hear someone else’s story, they generate that link with the person. Many of them identify with each other’s stories because they have been through similar things, and then they feel they are not alone. They feel like they’ve been there, it also happened to them, and there is a way to overcome it. And I think this is one of the things the TED-Ed program provides, not just for the students but for the community. Because when we celebrate their stories [at the end of the year event], the whole community is paying attention, is engaged, is happy to see them, and many of them identify with the ideas and the experiences.

A student performs her final talk at the end of year event

SR: For you as facilitators, what has been the most challenging part about implementing Student Talks? And how did you overcome that challenge?

RB: When we start and during the process, the students have to learn how to stop and remember their past life experiences. And sometimes it’s not easy because they don’t want to go back to certain situations, but they have to take that time to look inside of themselves. At the end, they realize it is a worthy part of the process. Because through those experiences, positive or negative, they are better people. So, we have to work with them during those activities and help them see that they don’t have to be shy or nervous.

VM: I agree. Also motivating them, because some of them come to class and they are shy. We have to motivate them to continue speaking, and to share their experiences with other students. So we try to do that during the year and do activities for them to feel comfortable and happy to be in the program.

“Be passionate about the program. If you are passionate about the program [it] motivates the students, because you are motivated.”

SR: For somebody who is thinking about bringing the Student Talks program to their students, what tips would you share about how to approach it and set it up?

RB: It is important to highlight community. We work within communities and when they develop that sense of belonging, it becomes their safe place. And it’s easier to develop and form their skills. So that is something that is very, very important to visualize: the community that they might have. Making a safe place and a friendly place where they can be relaxed, they can share, and nobody is going to question them.

CDP: As a facilitator, it’s important to read all the materials to get engaged, but also to be passionate about the program. If you are passionate about the program then you’ll take the energy to the next level. And taking it to the next level motivates the students, because you are motivated and they see you being engaged with it. Something else we did was we gave them a pin, and having this pin is very important for them. They know that not everybody has one of these, and that they are special because they took on the challenge of being in the program. If they get one of these, they are brave for taking on the challenge of sharing, of learning, of growing. We gave them a pin and some t-shirts, and that gave them an identity with the community, with the program, with the institution. They feel they are a part of a whole and it makes them feel special, which is also key for this process.

VM: Adding to what you said, giving them pins and t-shirts after their presentation made them feel very proud. I think that helped a lot for this year’s students because many have asked me when the program is going to start because they want to participate. They really got motivated by seeing the other students and they want to be part of the same club.

CDP: A pencil, a pin, a t-shirt. As little as it seems, it’s something special for them. It makes them feel special. That’s a good thing.

IGA Students who presented their talks in November 2024

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here, here, here, and here.

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Mahrukh Bashir, a TED-Ed Innovative Educator, longtime Student Talks facilitator, and director of Millennia World School in Indonesia.

Here, she speaks with TED-Ed’s Senior Community Manager, Peter Maccario, about how she seamlessly integrated the Student Talks program into her school’s curriculum, created a collaborative, safe environment for the students to flourish and build their perspective and confidence, and shares some hard-won wisdom on bringing the program into other schools:

Peter Maccario (PM): Tell me about Millennia World School, your role, and the type of students that you service within your school.

Mahrukh Bashir (MB): I am the director of Millennia World School, with a team under me of principals, operations, research and development, and technology. At Millennia, we believe in empowering students to discover their best selves. Rather than focusing solely on academic achievement, we encourage children to pursue their passions and find joy in their learning journey. Our mission is to cultivate change-makers who are genuinely enthusiastic about making a positive impact in the world. We cater from kindergarten up to grade nine. The children are mostly Indonesians, locals, mixed races, mixed religions — it’s a school for everyone basically.

PM: You’ve been doing this for a very long time with your school, which is incredible. How did you implement TED-Ed Student Talks into Millennia and how does it fit into what you already do at the school?

MB: I have been using TED-Ed Student Talks since it started. I started TED-Ed as a club, but I wanted it to be more than a club, I wanted it to be part of our curriculum. When TED-Ed Clubs changed to TED-Ed Student Talks— when the first TED-Ed curriculum book was changed— it was a good opportunity for me to put it in the curriculum, and not to teach it as an extracurricular or as a club anymore. So then we started doing TED-Ed as part of student development; as a class which focuses on public speaking using the TED-Ed curriculum. It kind of fit in perfectly because kids liked it— it was public speaking but it was fun, and it wasn’t as structured as other subjects they had to do.

Mahrukh Bashir and students working on Student Talks activities

PM: What is the atmosphere of the class? And why do you think students like it so much? 

MB: I have asked my students “why do you like it? If we made it optional, would you still want to do it?” Most of my students said yes they would still want to participate in it. And I asked why. They said that it helps them look at things in a different perspective. When we start the [class], I tell my students that when you are going to speak, when you are going to choose a topic or subject for the talk, it [should] be something which is meaningful; an idea which is beneficial for other people. So they feel that they are able to contribute to the world in some way. And it aligns completely with Millennia’s philosophy since we focus a lot on social responsibility.

“Judgment-free expression has shown me how creating safe spaces for students can unlock their potential in unexpected ways.”

With [Student Talks] they feel like they are contributing to a broader audience because once their talks are on YouTube there’s a wider audience that sees it. I had a student who was facing body shaming from her own family, and it was very difficult for her. When she was thinking about her topic, this was not something that she really wanted to talk about. But then later she realized that there are a lot of kids who could be feeling the same thing, and would benefit from it. It was sharing something with others which made it feel that it could be more meaningful. I feel that when kids feel comfortable in that way, they want to do it. They are willing to put themselves out there even though I know that they are nervous.

Mahrukh Bashir with Millennia School’s Student Talks participants

PM: Is there one moment that really sticks in your mind as being the reason why you do this?

MB: There are multiple! One highlight is that I had this student who was absolutely scared to talk in public. She would do everything to stay away. Extremely smart girl but very scared even to be seen in public. So when she came to my class we started talking about it, and she asked if she had to do the talk. I told her that it’s completely up to her, we will work on it, we’ll go through the process, she’ll write the talk, and in the end if she doesn’t want to perform it, it’s okay. We can just publish her work as she’s written it. No pressure. And then she was okay. She worked really hard on it, we practiced speaking, and she did her research.

Then, finally it was one week before they had to do their talk. She came up to me, and said “I think I want to do it; but will you be disappointed in me if I back out at the last minute?” I responded, “I can never be disappointed, you have done amazing, and saying that you want to do it is a proud moment for me.” Then, on the day [of the talks], she comes and tells me she wants to be the first one to do the talk. So, I was like, “okay, let’s go!”

And she did it; she did it so beautifully. Her parents were in the audience and they started crying after her talk finished. She overcame her fear of speaking in public. This really gives me goosebumps every time I think about it. There was no pressure for her if she didn’t want to do it, and I left it to her. And that is one of the moments that I think really changed her, and she was able to overcome that fear.

“It gives them a lot of confidence. It tells them that they are capable of sharing something meaningful with the world.”

PM: What skills have you seen your students improve the most by going through these activities and the program?

MB: One of the skills I’ve seen developing in my students is confidence. Skills like research, collaboration, and feedback they also get from other subjects we are teaching them. But the confidence of coming up with the idea and then sticking to the idea, saying this is what I want to share, it’s my story, and my perspective. And then actually being brave enough to come up in front of an audience and speaking. So, for me, that is the skill which is developed most in the kids: being brave and having confidence.

Millennia World School’s Student Talk event

PM: What tips or words of wisdom would you share with a teacher, a director, or someone who is considering bringing TED-Ed Student Talks to their students?

MB: First, if you have not started TED-Ed Student Talks, what are you waiting for? You need to start as soon as possible.

Second, I would say don’t rush the kids. Let them go through the process of trying to understand what they want to talk about. Don’t push ideas or your own agenda. Let the topics or ideas come from the kids. It cannot be from the adults and I spend a lot of time with children on helping them come up with ideas. Let them marinate in their own process of generating the ideas.

Third, give children voice and choice. I feel that TED-Ed Student Talks is a platform which has been created to help children look at different perspectives and help them share their experiences with the world.

Lastly, let this be run by kids. You just facilitate and nothing else. Let the students do it.

I think that’s it. If you have not started it, please do start it. It’s one of the best things for children, because it gives them a lot of confidence. It tells them that they are capable of sharing something meaningful with the world.

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here, here, and here.

Xixi Wang

Since 2014, thousands of student groups across the globe have been developing and sharing their ideas using our free TED-Ed Student Talks resources. To celebrate 10 years of TED-Ed Student Talks, we have been collecting stories of impact from the program’s facilitators as part of our “10 for 10 years” series.

For this installment of the series, we are highlighting Fernando Oringo, an educator with over a decade of experience in diverse learning environments, who has led Student Talks programs in Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Here, he speaks with TED-Ed’s Programs Manager Sasha Rudenko about his thoughts on the program, its successes, growing pains, and how it impacted his students, fellow educators, parents, and the community at large:

Sasha Rudenko (SR): Tell us a little about IGC School, what this organization is, and about your role in particular.

Fernando Oringo (FO): IGC stands for Institute for Global Citizens and it is a group of schools around Vietnam. As of today we have more than 25,000 students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. Regarding my role, I am in charge of extracurricular programs, specifically in the international programs of IGC group. I am also in charge of partnering with our sister schools from Thailand and Cambodia when it comes to these programs that we’re implementing as one big institution.

SR: If you were to think about what kind of students you serve in your role, how would you describe them?

FO: Being a Filipino teacher here in Vietnam, it’s a totally different culture. Vietnam, in general, they’re slowly trying to open up to other countries; opening up their culture and in such a way that they’re also opening up the concept of globalization and internationalization. I think that my students should also be open about these kinds of opportunities. So, I would describe my students as eager to learn, open for opportunities, and open-minded. There are so many small voices that I appreciate that it is really worth sharing not only in their own country but [their ideas] around the world, and that is one thing that really ignited my motivation to initiate this kind of program.

IGC students

SR: If you were to pick one standout moment from your time leading the TED-Ed Student talks, what would you highlight? 

FO: In terms of the activities, the Connect Calls is one of the most interesting parts because most of my students never had an opportunity to meet students from other countries. They have been so eager to get connected to people of different ages. It was just so magical that instantly our students got connected to the others [across age groups and cultures].

[Editor's note: Connect Calls are opportunities for a TED-Ed Student Talks group from any country to connect with other groups online made possible through the exclusive TED-Ed Community — a platform for all program facilitators.]

Another highlight that is very special to this journey is seeing my students go from not being able to talk in English in a complete sentence at all to creating their own speeches, and [delivering them] on stage, while being supported by the community, the parents, the foreign teachers, and our staff from the school.

“This program has not only developed communication skills but also instilled confidence and a love of learning in my students.”

They really created a community where they wanted to give every student the opportunity to share— even the stories that are so simple about toys, about the food that they love eating— and eventually [Student Talks] spread throughout our school system. Everyone is eager to have it.

One thing that scared me the most when I implemented it is would the program be successful? Will they feel bored? Will the teachers understand the essence of this program? [The response] has been really overwhelming: teachers are volunteering, students are asking before the school year starts, parents are involving themselves in supporting the program.

Students and faculty at IGC

Right now we are implementing it as a curricular program wherein we’re trying to extend it from grades 1 to 12.  And every teacher is now being informed about this program and given the opportunity to apply to learn and to explore what this kind of program offers. And checking the feedback from the teachers in our school, they have emphasized that this program promotes diversity and inclusion. Diversity as the program is set for everyone to adopt and also allows for you to make changes wherever it is appropriate within the context of the students. It is inclusive because it chooses no specific grade level.

“It’s been an incredible journey of growth and empowerment for all of us.”

SR: What are the top three skills that you’ve seen your students improve the most by going through the TED-Ed Student Talks activities and program?

FO: Firstly, it’s collaboration and communication. This is the top skill because every time we implement our program, we see students not only focusing on their own ideas and speeches, but they open themselves up, and allow themselves to be vulnerable when it comes to asking for feedback. They try to see if there’s any connections regarding the ideas that they have among the different members of the club.

Secondly, it has [helped them] develop a very strong sense of intercultural understanding. I was worried that there might be a lot of questions. If I’m going to expose my students to different cultures, to different concepts, or even videos from TEDx or TED, will they be able to get the idea behind it? And surprisingly, most of our students are getting more excited about it because they really feel connected and they are so amazed that there’s a bigger world for them to explore.

An IGC student working on their activities

And thirdly, this program is not just improving their English proficiency— it’s improving their public speaking skills. Public speaking skills that inspire, public speaking skills that motivate people to be better, and public speaking skills that allow students to really showcase their true identity. Not only as Vietnamese people, but as people who can connect to the different issues of the world and primary students as they are. They have so many things to say about what they see and what they feel about world news right now, and the platform of TED-Ed Student Talks is giving that opportunity.

SR: Let’s think about somebody who is interested in applying like you were. What has been the most challenging part about implementing something like this at IGC and how did you overcome it?

FO: Time management. Although the program is very flexible, sometimes it can be overwhelming when you want to do everything. Along the way, you will  see what is the proper pace for you to implement the program. One of the things that we learned when it comes to dealing with this problem is not seeing it as something that is mandatory. But rather seeing it as an opportunity for both students and teachers to learn and explore. And at the same time having proper communication with your administration is very essential because the success of this program is not only determined by the teachers and students, but by how the community accepts it.

It taught us a good lesson in ensuring that everyone involved in the implementation should have a common understanding [of the program]. At the same time, they should focus on the main purpose and not on the immediate impacts of the program. Time management can be a struggle but try to ensure that stakeholders are properly involved— including the parents— and everything will go smoothly.

“The excitement and pride in [parents'] eyes as their children transformed from shy individuals to articulate speakers was truly heartwarming.”

SR: Do you have any tips or words of wisdom you would share with somebody considering TED-Ed Student Talks activities for their students or classroom?

FO: For those who are interested in this program, there’s one thing that you really have to think about carefully: it’s not how it fits into the school system, but rather, will this opportunity benefit the students? Always remember that joining TED-Ed Student Talks as a facilitator and as a mentor is not for your own personal gain, but for helping them inspire [themselves] and others. And that is indeed worth sharing— not only to your classroom, not only to the smaller community, but to a bigger community: the world.

The IGC community

Interested in learning more about TED-Ed Student Talks? Check out our Student Talks page here to find out how the program works and how you can get involved.

Check out the other pieces in the 10 for 10 years series here.

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If you’ve ever had a conversation with an impassioned educator, you know that they are overflowing with brilliant, resourceful, innovative, and – in all likelihood – extremely under-circulated ideas.

We celebrate and elevate educator ideas for the sake of improving the experience of students and educators around the world. Over the course of the past year, participating educators hone in on their most important idea in education and develop it into a TED-style talk.

Below, four educators share their big ideas, covering topics from simple apps that promote classroom equity to an impassioned plea for more teacher collaboration in the classroom.

STACEY ROSHAN

How to use simple tech apps to support ALL learners

When Stacey Roshan was in high school, she feared the moment she might be called on in class. A self-described introvert and perfectionist, she needed time to process and formulate a response before she was ready to share. Now, as a math teacher, Stacey leverages technology to create more equitable and empowering forums for discussion in the classroom—shifting away from a culture that praises the first person to raise their hand to one where every individual has a platform to make their ideas seen and heard.

LISA WINER (TED-Ed Innovative Educator)

How to create lessons that showcase students’ diverse cultures

For so long, the norm in teaching has been to assimilate students: instructing each individual in the same way, regardless of their cultural background. Culturally sustaining pedagogy challenges that narrative, arguing that preserving student backgrounds and embracing diversity causes students to feel more comfortable, relaxed, and willing to learn. In this talk, Lisa Winer shares several lessons she uses in her math classroom that combine the principles of culturally sustaining pedagogy with self-determination theory to engage and energize her diverse group of students.

TAKERU NAGAYOSHI

Why teachers are just like YouTubers

In a 2019 survey of US kids aged 8-12, one third cited being a blogger or YouTuber as their top dream job. In another survey of high school students, only 5% indicated that they wanted to become a teacher. But 2020 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Takeru Nagayoshi believes that great teachers and great YouTubers are cut from the same cloth, and the more we treat educators with the same respect and prestige that we show to YouTubers, the better chance we have of attracting new talent to the profession.

KIM PRESHOFF (TED-Ed Innovative Educator)

How teacher collaboration strengthens the classroom

When COVID-19 hit schools, many parents and educators worried about the isolating effects of quarantine on students. But longtime educator Kim Preshoff notes that, for decades, teachers have been isolating themselves in their classrooms—often creating lessons, refining skills, and thinking in silos. In this talk, Kim draws on her background as an AP environmental teacher to make the case that the health of an ecosystem is its diversity—and that collaboration between educators in the classroom strengthens outcomes for teachers and students alike.

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Each educator featured here participated in TED Masterclass — a professional learning program that helps people identify, develop and share their ideas with each other … and the world.

Want to bring the TED Masterclass program to your school, district or organization? Learn more here: http://bit.ly/tedmasterclass

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This is part 2 in a series focusing on what educators are building through the TED-Ed Innovative Educator Alumni Innovation Projects. Read part 1 here. 

The TED-Ed Innovative Educator Alumni Innovation Projects launched as a way to solve some of the most pressing issues in education by combining the strengths of inspiring educators who have completed the TED-Ed Innovative Educators (TIE) program. TIEs started the process by developing four Opportunity Statements based on problems they wanted to address in education right now. Those are:

1. Redesign instruction: Reimagine how instruction can comprehensively meet the needs of all students.

2. Redesign how we address inequities: Reimagine how to empower teachers and communities to address race, equity, inclusion, and justice issues.

3. Assess innovations from the COVID-19 pandemic: Assess how to carry forward the innovations created during the pandemic into full-time in-school instruction (and continue to build a culture of school/district innovation).

4. Reinvest in educators’ well-being: Reinvest in how best to support our teachers and admin, professionally, and personally.

Below we highlight some key takeaways from projects that were completed around two Opportunity Statements: assessing innovations from the COVID-19 pandemic and reinvesting in educators’ well-being.

Assessing innovations from the COVID-19 pandemic

Dylan Ferniany, Chief Academic Officer, K-5 (Alabama, USA)

“The COVID-19 pandemic upended the education system overnight. As we re-enter our new normal, we may want to jump right back into the way things were. We have an opportunity to do things differently. This project is a reflection on our pre-pandemic and post-pandemic practices.”

Through the development of her project, Dylan explains that virtual and in-person learning are not mutually exclusive. After conducting a survey, she found that not only have channels of communication between teachers and families become more fluid, but educational practices have also become more transparent – revealing a spectrum of learning options for both children and adults. Dylan suggests that reflecting on and integrating the practices that were introduced during the pandemic is invaluable to education today. These practices can help teachers and school administrators better serve their students across various modes of instruction.

Eric Johnson, 6th Grade Self-Contained Teacher (Indiana, USA)

“We were witnesses to and participants in a real paradigm upheaval, unprecedented uncertainty, and almost constantly changing direction from a lot of different input points. I wanted to capture the focus of changes in instructional practices.”

By speaking with a number of educators and leading external surveys, Eric brought to light the positives that arose from remote learning. His findings indicated that many respondents found their teacher-student relationships to be strong or stronger in virtual classrooms. Eric emphasizes that relationships and empathy are crucial during these times as teachers achieve a greater understanding of students and their environments through literally having windows into each others’ lives.

Lisa Winer, Math Teacher, Doctoral Student in Teaching and Learning (Florida, USA)

“My goal is to share educational findings during the time of COVID-19 on how to best foster student engagement and conversations about math, deepen learning, and lessen anxiety through educational technology and flipped learning.”

Lisa collected data through surveys and a focus group of students to gain a better understanding of how to innovate the teaching of mathematics in the 21st century classroom. She found that– from a student perspective– hybrid models, Google forms for questions, and devices in the classroom (such as a Wacom or an iPad) facilitate effective flipped learning. Lisa suggests implementing traditional teaching methods for new material and flipped learning for less complex material. Additionally, she recommends that educators create videos of their lessons for review so that all students are supported and can grow confidence in their learning.

Maggie Muuk, High School Language Teacher, English and Technology (Kching, Malaysia)

“Many students do not have sufficient access to gadgets or the internet to enable them to stay aligned with lessons and teachers do not have enough exposure [to these tools]. I integrated TED-Ed and I guided them through the ‘how’ and the ‘why.’”

Maggie created a supplementary program at her school using TED-Ed materials to foster students’ critical thinking, deepen their language learning, and develop their discussion skills. By working closely with teachers to promote exposure to a variety of learning tools, Maggie found that many students improved their reading and writing skills while also learning how to construct ideas.

Małgorzata Guzicka, High School Teacher (Legnica, Poland)

“I remember how surprised I was when I started sharing problems with other teachers and other TIEs and seeing how common these problems were. I thought students could have a similar platform where they could connect and share insights.”

After taking inspiration from the TIE program and similar spaces, Małgorzata intends to create an online space where students can learn from each other on an international scale. On this platform, students would be able to meet, learn how to express their opinions, learn about different cultures, improve their language skills, and receive emotional support– all while acknowledging their shared experiences. She was able to lead a call with multiple students and a fellow TIE, Maggie Muuk, and found that her students thoroughly enjoyed participating in the space. With her project, Małgorzata emphasizes the value of connection and collaboration in educational communities, especially during challenging times.

Mitzi Stover Former HS English and Speech Teacher, Current Community College English Teacher (California, USA)

“This is an opportunity to build a better educational system for all students. We should not be looking to ‘return to normal.’ What have we learned in the last sixteen months that we can bring back to our face-to-face classrooms? How can we make education even better?”

Mitzi’s project honed in on the implementation of hard and soft deadlines in the classroom. After identifying improved practices that resulted from virtual learning, Mitzi advocates for flexible deadlines as a way to promote student agency and overall equity. Benefits of hard and soft deadlines include the practice of time management for students and, for teachers, less daunting inboxes and more autonomous students.

Timothy Couillard, High School Physics and Ethics Teacher (Virginia, USA)

“How do we prevent the teacher from being the bottleneck and gatekeeper that stunts what the learning experience could be? How do we encourage authentic collective learning in students that is more than transactional?”

Timothy’s innovation hones in on the value of collective learning and collaborative adventure. For his project, Timothy proposed the creation of a system based on “open world” role-playing game mechanics whereby students have permission to guide their own learning experiences and iterate on each other’s work. Educators can create shared work spaces with an open media component for their students with simple tools like Google Sheets, for example. This framework can then be implemented in more structured core classes that often lack flexibility.

TED-Ed Innovative Educator Alumni

Reinvesting in educators’ well-being

Sarah Harkin, Student and Educator (Shanghai, China)

“I wanted to learn more about the systemic factors that contribute to and hinder teacher well-being. I hope to find real ways to help build teacher capacity and systemic support within schools in order to better prioritize teacher well-being, specifically mental health and work-life balance.”

From research collected from an educator well-being and wellness survey and prior literature, Sarah recognized that there seemed to be three categories of obstacles teachers collectively face: environmental (e.g. the systems they are a part of), personal (e.g. being a caregiver), and career-related (e.g. job requirements, mentorship). She advocates for solutions such as mental health days, restrictions on meetings per week, mental health resources, mentoring, and better training programs for teachers.

Sharon Hadar, Geography Teacher (Raanana, Israel)

“Teachers like nurses, doctors, and other professionals are the base of a community because we teach future generations. What do we need? Is it up to us to deal with our well-being?”

Sharon worked closely with other TIEs to create and distribute a survey regarding educator well-being. She stresses the importance of having a platform to monitor and collect data regarding the individual and collective teacher experience. With this data, members of educational institutions gain incredible insight about how to better serve teachers, students, and families overall.

Check out Part 1, which highlights TIE Innovation Projects addressing inequities in the classroom as well as approaches to redesigning instruction! Many of the TIEs are continuing their alumni engagement and are developing talks on their ideas of how to better education. Updates on TIE talks will be shared in the coming months. And check out our Educator Talks channel, which is dedicated to celebrating and elevating the ideas of educators working in classrooms and schools throughout the world.

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Earlier this year, alumni of the TED-Ed Innovative Educator (TIE) program embarked on their respective Innovation Project journeys – uniting their myriad gifts and experiences to tackle global issues in education. TIEs started the process by developing four Opportunity Statements based on problems they wanted to address in education right now. Those are:

1. Redesign instruction: Reimagine how instruction can comprehensively meet the needs of all students.

2. Redesign how we address inequities: Reimagine how to empower teachers and communities to address race, equity, inclusion, and justice issues.

3. Assess innovations from the COVID-19 pandemic: Assess how to carry forward the innovations created during the pandemic into full-time in-school instruction (and continue to build a culture of school/district innovation).

4. Reinvest in educators’ well-being: Reinvest in how best to support our teachers and admin, professionally, and personally.

Each TIE picked an Opportunity Statement, went through design-thinking exercises to determine their project focus, and went out to test their potential solutions in their communities. Over six months, they met on a call every two weeks, provided updates on their projects, and gave feedback on each other’s progress. Their final learnings were then shared among the group with presentations. Below we highlight some key takeaways from projects that were completed around two Opportunity Statements: redesigning instruction and redesigning how we address inequities.

Explore innovation projects about assessing innovations from the COVID-19 pandemic and reinvesting in educators’ well-being in part 2 of this series.

Redesigning instruction

Georgios Villias, Biology Teacher (Athens, Greece)

“Nourishing student curiosity, offering outdoor opportunities for observation, making inquiry and project-based learning a routine, offering more autonomy that is the recipe for a successful rise in student awareness and empowerment.”

For Georgios, identifying approaches that actively engage students and further their development of knowledge and skill is paramount to education. Being a biology teacher, Georgios surveyed a few of the National Geographic Certified Educators to spotlight successful practices within the National Geographic Learning framework that encourage student engagement and motivation. To effectively implement these practices, he suggests educators must be willing to exit their comfort zones and make necessary adjustments in curriculum, training, and/or policy.

Mahrukh Bashir, Director/Teacher (Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia)

“Education is all about providing rich learning experiences customized to a child’s learning needs, talents, and dispositions. We want an environment that is rich, encouraging, and engaging.”

Mahrukh designed a heutagogical framework where students receive personalized, structured learning based on their interests, capabilities, and talents. With continuous feedback from parents, teachers, and students themselves, Mahrukh was able to successfully implement this framework into her school. As a result, students were able to hone in on their respective passions while also developing their own autonomy in their educational spaces.

TED-Ed Innovative Educator Alumni

Redesigning how we address inequities

Aletha Williams, Lead Teacher (Houston, Texas)

“I chose to participate in the Innovation Project because it gave me the opportunity to speak about the racial inequalities that are happening in schools and because of the things that I was seeing in my own district.”

Aletha’s project aimed to create a framework that allows teachers, students, and parents to address school board members at town halls regarding inequalities occurring in the district. After a successful test run of her town hall meetings concept, the district is now changing the student code of conduct to be more inclusive. Additionally, they are looking into hiring more teachers of color and including a Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to serve the district.

Tim Leistikow, High School Teacher (Minnesota, USA)

“Empowering starts with radical truth-telling. I was humbled by the vulnerability that my colleagues showed while sharing with one another about what it means to be white educators and how whiteness shows up in ways that can negatively impact the learning environment.”

Tim centered his project on discussions about racial and social justice issues in the classroom and leaning into the discomfort that can arise during them. He was inspired by TIEs of color who worked on uplifting marginalized voices and navigating inequity in their communities. He realized that understanding his role as a white, male educator would allow him to show up more authentically for his students. During the past spring, he met with other white educators to unpack their racial identities and explore ways to better learning environments for all students.

Tobye Ertelt, Digital Teacher Librarian (Colorado, USA)

“I want to be able to help students find ways to use their voices without fear. There are too many people within the system right now that are unwilling to change. We have to shift the power source to those who want to see the change and enact the change.”

Tobeye’s innovation consists of creating both an equity center that would serve as a safe-space for students to seek support of all kinds. With these platforms in place, students will learn how to become advocates, find resources to support themselves in various arenas, seek mental support, embrace diversity, and become allies. During the project Tobye was able to start a pilot for the “Virtual Equity Center,” with plans to move it into a physical space down the road.

Wiputra Cendana, Educational Technology Coordinator/Academic Lecturer (Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia)

“This project is to [provide] a new learning model as I synthesize from a particular current teaching experience. I am finding that in lecture we have really high standards and want the students to go up to that standard, but we need to meet the students where they are. We are trying to find a win-win solution and bring them up together.”

Wiputra and his colleagues conducted a research study that tested a framework for approaching inequities in a college classroom, specifically in the context of varying learning speeds. The study demonstrated that modifying the curriculum and providing additional teaching materials enabled slower learners to pass their Computer and Learning Media course. To implement these findings in broader contexts, it is imperative that instructors maintain high flexibility and a design process for each step of learning (before, during, and after lessons).

Check out Part 2, which highlights projects focused on assessing innovation during the pandemic and reinvesting in teacher well-being. Our TIEs are continuing their alumni engagement and are developing Talks sharing their ideas on how to better education. Keep an eye out for updates on TIE Talks in the coming months! And check out our Educator Talks channel, which is dedicated to celebrating and elevating the ideas of educators working in classrooms and schools throughout the world.