Nola-rae Cronan is the Dean of Students at the Cranbrook Kingswood Middle School for Girls in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. When she’s not teaching science and health at Cranbrook, she curates the school’s TEDxWomen events. Her idea worth spreading? “Unless we, individually, are actively working to combat sexism and racism, we are part of the problem.” At TEDActive 2015, she took a break to share 3 tips for teaching science and health using TED-Ed.

Assign TED-Ed lessons on days when school is closed for weather reasons.
“On snow days, TED-Ed is really great because it allows us not to lose that classroom content time. So, on snow days we require students to check our Intranet for assignments. Then we assign TED-Ed videos for them to watch and ask them to answer the questions or post to a private student blog.

Check out the TED-Ed Animation on smallpox.
“I teach infectious diseases, noninfectious diseases, and reproductive health — and my favorite animated video from TED-Ed is the one on smallpox. I love it because it allows kids to learn about trial and error, and to see that developing something new can come from an obscure place. I also like the fact that women were highly involved. At a girls school, that’s always a bonus.”

Show videos that inspire students — especially girls — to take risks.
“In the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, math — STEAM, the whole idea — sometimes girls feel like that isn’t accessible to them. And it can be,” says Cronan. To inspire her class, she likes to highlight Jack Andraka’s TED Talk: A promising test for pancreatic cancer…from a teenager. “Here’s this young guy who had an idea and was able to push forth his own research. Being rejected, trying really hard, the fact that he joked about using Wikipedia as a research tool — these are all things that I hope my students will see and say, ‘I have ideas, I have things I like to do, and if this cool kid did it, maybe I can too.’ The more we encourage students to take risks, the more they can find success,” she adds.

What are your favorite tips for teaching science using TED-Ed? Let us know in the comments.

One major theme emerging at TED2015 is the power of connection to create a true and daring future. Whether it’s the link between Mars exploration and microbes, or the launch of a new StoryCorps app (illustrated by TED-Ed animators), this year’s TED conference highlights the many ways that human beings can inspire one another to greater feats — just by talking. While at TED2015, AIDS Ride founder Dan Pallotta (TED Talk: The way we think about charity is dead wrong) talked with students in the UCLA TOMS club during one of several Skype in the Classroom conversations worth sharing. [Click here to watch the TED2015 Skype in the Classroom conversations.] Pallotta connected with the next generation of philanthropists to discuss inspiration, ideas — and why it’s important to take one day at a time. Below, read his life advice to students.

Here’s the thing: You can’t plan your life in a vacuum.

“We put so much stress on young people when we ask, ‘What are you going to do with your life?’” says Pallotta. “When I was 15 years old and trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life, there’s no way I could have known that the AIDS epidemic was going to come along and that I was going to lose all these friends.”

The tragedy of the AIDS epidemic inspired Pallotta to do something he never could have anticipated: create the AIDS Ride — and then go on to transform charity in other ways.

Pallotta’s advice to students?

Figure out what it is that you’re really passionate about and what it is that you’re good at — and then find the intersection of those two things. Also crucial: work hard, stay passionate — and don’t be too hard on yourself. “We all have these voices in our heads that are by far our worst enemy,” says Pallotta. To deal with them, he looks first to his heroes and icons for inspiration. But if all else fails? “Sometimes, you just gotta go get an ice cream.”

For 2nd year UCLA student Miranda Lopez, the most meaningful part of her club’s Skype conversation with Pallotta was his advice on how to create more awareness on campus around social good. “First I watched his talk,” says Lopez. “To be able to then ask him followup questions about some of his ideas — that was really inspiring to me.”

Inspired to learn more? Sign up here to have a speaker connect with your students via Skype in the Classroom.

TED-Ed is TED’s education initiative. Our mission is to amplify the voices and ideas of teachers and students. One way we do that is by exploring new ideas with teachers at the annual TED-Ed workshop at TEDActive.

At TEDActive 2015, the TED-Ed workshop brought together 20 educators and translators from around the world.

Everyone brainstormed new TED-Ed Animations and learned more about the phenomenal growth of TED-Ed Clubs since last year’s launch.

Educators and translators also workshopped new ideas about how to train and connect the global teacher community.

The best part for me about this year’s TED-Ed workshop? To meet and be inspired by all of the TED-Ed workshop attendees — and to know that all of us at TED-Ed are dedicated to amplifying the voices and ideas of teachers and students long after this week.

This post also appears on the TEDActive 2015 blog.