Noreena Hertz "How and When To Use Experts"

1. I took many things away from Noreena Hertz's video on the use of experts. One thing I am begininng to realize is though someone may have the title of an expert, it does not make them perfect. They may know a little more information then the 'Average Joe', but they will still make mistakes. As a world, we seem to be way to relient on wanted to get the best of the best when we really could get the exact same results elsewhere. In many cases experts are just more expensive versions of another person. Yet, there are still cases where experts should be used. Like in little researched areas of sciences and technology where the information is not as readily available to the commoner.

2. Noreena has a very simple speaking type. She likes to tie in personal stories with the facts. She keeps her ideas simple enough that anyone could understand, but complex enough to touch each of us in a different way. Overall, she her technique is to 'pull on the heart strings' and not over do anything so she constantly has the attention of her listeners.

3. In regards to presentation style, Noreena doesn't really have one. She does not use any types of technology. She got up on stage, she dressed nicely and presented her speech as a hard-working citizen to the hard-working citizens. Noreena's presentation worked well with her technnique because the coherantly showed that she was as normal as everyone else trying to preach her ideas on normalicy.

4. From this video, it matters that society is giving too much credit to areas that don't need it. As people, we love the idea that someone has the slightest more knowledge in a certain area, we think it will give us the all telling key and every answer to our problems, when in truth it will not. To me makes me rethink where I want to go in life. I have always dreamed of being an Endocrinologist; a doctor that is an expert on diabetes. Now that people like Noreena are question experts, I may work my whole life for a job not even needed in the future. This ties into the education piece as saying that if experts are no longer in demand, then what is the point of a specialized education? If we don't want experts then why are we sending students through a ridiculous amount of college and post-grad degrees? Things like this may become pointless to education in the future and college degrees may be seldom.

 Simplicity.
(http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/5146250862_6b190d34e0.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/conferencebasics/5146250218/&usg=__mxJoYozMqLAHK17JDYNfb2c5RxM=&h=332&w=500&sz=114&hl=en&start=0&sig2=_m3h_MHIScSbP51tOMolVg&zoom=1&tbnid=jH0r_6jeBkAIHM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=192&ei=1uy6TbuZDsTY0QGpucC8Bg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DNoreena%2BHertz%2BTed%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26biw%3D1276%26bih%3D819%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=156&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0&tx=113&ty=46)

Clay Shirky "Cognitive Thinking"

1.       I took away many important things from Clay’s video. Most prominently, Clay made it very clear that a huge problem in society is being able to have empathy for others in a business like situation. When he showed the statistics of the day care scenario and discussed the workings behind the human action in the situation, it showed the subconscious actions of all the parents involved. Like Clay said, the parents were feeling the extra $10 payment would cover the day care instructors for however long they needed and it was no big deal. In my opinion, the underlying point Clay was trying to make is that, situations like these lack empathy for the needs and wants of the others affected. I’m sure none of the parents even thought twice about the fact that the teachers had families and lives to go home and deal with, which is why the parents acted the way they did. This is so apparent because if the parents did think about it, a subconscious, humanly guilt would have built inside if they’d known the huge cause and effect they were starting. Basically, the human empathy needs to improve for the social system to be able to.

2.       Clay mostly had one, strong, straight-forward speaking technique; to back his points up with information. Every time he had a strong point to make, Clay would always through some kind of number or statistic out, to make his idea sound more believable/studied. I personally think facts always have a strong impact on the listeners; it helps captivate and convince them. I think Clay did a fabulous job of using facts to support his views. Yet, I found one of his statistics as a bit of a reach. At one point Clay stated that a person has over a trillion hours a year of free time. I highly disagree with this statement (as I may have mentioned in class). Due to my strong feelings on the subject I decided to research more. Here is what I found…..

The average person has 5.8 hours a day to do leisure activities (free time). I created a mathematical equation to compare this data to Clay’s…

Free Time per Year= Average Hours Free per Day x Days in a week x Weeks in a Year.

2,111.2= (5.8) x (7) x (52)

In other words, the average American only has 2,11.2 free hours per year, NOT, 1 trillion.

Well, enough said.

3.       Clay’s presentation was like most other TED Talks, he had his very clean-cut PowerPoint. The difference that makes Clay stand out is the inclusion of his graphs. For me personally it is much more effective to be able to look at data and see how the pattern changes over time. The way Clay included the visual and oral aspect of data sharing, everyone in his audience was reached.

4.       In this video, social/business interactions matter. People need to start thinking more as they act through their daily routines and every interaction they have. People need to work on their ability to think of how everything they do starts a chain reaction. For me, it means to have stronger relationships with everyone and causing less communication mistakes. For education, it means to use the time more effectively, to take into consideration who is teaching and those being taught. For the world, it would be a smooth running society with many less ‘operator errors’. Everyone would be able to sing ‘koom-bi-ahh’ because empathy would mean less emotional stress which means a happier society.

Citation:

           "American Time Use Survey Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 22 June 2010. Web. Apr. 2011. <http://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.nr0.htm>.

Daniel Pink "Carrot and Stick/ The Candle Problem"

1.       From this video I am learning that the American reward/punishment system is very outdated and does not work very well.  Though sometimes the external motivators are extremely effective, it has to be a more simplistic straight-forward task. In cases where a person is required to use their creativity incentives actually make productivity worse. From this video I take away that the world as a whole needs to create a new system for the responsibility of work and completion.

2.       Daniel Pink’s effective speaking technique is mostly to make the audience ponder. By giving the audience thinking exercises like ‘The Candle Problem’ Daniel Pink intrigues viewers and naturally makes the brain interested in solving it. By first introducing the brain to a problem, then explaining it and telling why the brain does such a thing is a very effective part of Pink’s presentation. Also, captivating the audience with new ideas such as the conceptual era is a great way to keep interest, as they will continually want to know more. When the brain is interested, so is the person.

3.       Daniel Pink has a very well put together presentation style. Not only does he have a nicely done, tech savvy PowerPoint presentation, but he brings in ideas and portions from his book DRIVE. By incorporating a PowerPoint, Daniel Pink can easily show images to the audience to enhance his positions and points. It flows perfectly, especially since he is talking of a new creative world. Also, by adding in sections that are discussed in his book DRIVE it gives listeners the opportunity to further educate themselves in his topic, through the book. He also looked very nice and made it through his speech without hesitation or messing up. He kept successfully on track and delivered a flawless speech.

4.       This video matters because it exposes the flaws in the sticks/carrots system that is so commonly used in American economy. Not only that, but I shows how the human mind can so easily conform to being something different. It connects to me personally because I never thought of the stick/carrot system being a bad thing, I always thought of it working really well and increasing productivity. To see it in a new light really puts everything thorough that society is based upon. For education it could completely change teaching styles and philosophy if a new system was implemented. For the world, it would become a revelation, the true beginning to a new era; of free thinking and creativity, not textbooks and SAT scores.

This video is perfect for the situation, it was made specifically in reaction to Daniel Pink's Ted Talk and his book Drive. Enjoy!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=absn9XDL9XY)

Becky Blanton "The Year I was Homeless"

(http://dignityadvocate.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/homeless-sidewalk.jpg)



1.       This video has shown me that ‘hope always finds a way’.  In her video, Becky tells a story of how she was a *working homeless woman for an entire year. She was a natural born writer but her spiraling depression led her to be suicidal and living out of her car. Becky talks of how she went from being a homeless worker to a speaker on ‘TED’ and how hope can get you through that, if you give it the chance. Overall I took away from this video that if you put mind over matter, life can take you just about anywhere.

2.       Becky’s most effective speaking technique was probably how personally touched Becky sounded when she talked of the craziness she had to go through when living in her van. Not only did she have to worry about herself but she had to worry about a dog and a cat as well. The best way to connect with an audience is to tell the hear-wrenching truth so everyone’s heart aches just a little when it’s over.

3.       The speaker’s presentation style was a little bit weak. She clearly had a plan and obviously knew the exact point she wanted to make and how she would have like to get to that point in her presentation.  Yet, she was a little bit under-rehearsed. Ever once and a while Becky would have to stop and shuffle through her notes to find where she was at and what part was coming next. Though her presentation was very powerful and good even with those little interruptions, it would have flowed much better without those.

4.       To Becky there were two main points in her video; the reality that everyone needs some sort of stable building to call home and that hope will prevail through anything. She talked of how living out of a van was extremely difficult due to all the risks and extra measure it took just to have a semi-normal life. Also, she talked of how it was not fair to generalize people because of a category they seem to fit into. To me personally Becky’s speech shows how judgmental people can be. The population seems to be absolutely opposed to anyone who doesn’t fit into the ‘perfect norm’. Likewise, it shows the failure in society when Becky explains the medication she was given for her depression actually enhanced the depression and turned it into suicidal thoughts. When someone needs help they need to be sure it will and absolutely not to make it worse. In respect to education the subject shows that students should be told from an earlier age to accept everyone and help those in need. To the world Becky shows that we need to fix the problems in society that are supposedly ‘taken care of’ yet are just being worsened.

**Clarifications:

Working Homeless- A person without a permanent or stable housing unit yet, has a job and enough money to live, take care of, and feed themselves.

Further Readings...

Articles on the Homeless:

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/h/homeless_persons/index.html

(New York Times top picks)

http://www.homelessresourcenetwork.org/causes.html

(Causes people become homeless)



Ken Robinson "School Kills Creativity"

1. This video shows that education is personal. I believe a main point being explained in this video is that education is such a huge part of life and it should be personalized. Not only to allow individuals to keep the important aspects of creativity that everyone is supposedly born with, but also to enhance the differences in everyone’s brains. In the video, Ken gives examples of people that were given the chance to have a personalized education (like the dancer) and how much they flourished from being able to embrace what their specific brain focused on.

2. Ken uses a lot of different, effective speaking techniques. The biggest thing he seems to use to get the attention of his audience is by telling jokes. Every time Ken tells a joke, it is very obvious that the crowd seems to lighten up and become more interested in what he is saying. By getting the audience’s attention with a joke, he can then quickly move into his important points while they are still listening. This seems to be a very effective way of getting his points across.

3.  Ken’s presentation style is simple, yet captivating. When Ken addresses the audience, he tries to be relatable. He doesn’t try to show off with his extreme knowledge or crazy technologies. By keeping his presentation simplistic, everyone can easily understand what he saying and therefore his purpose is more widely spread.

4. What matters in this video it that realization that ever individual needs to take education into their own hands and personalize their life to fit their needs and way of learning. This video connects to me personally because my dream was to go to a performing arts high school and be a dance major. If I had my dream I would currently attend (http://dsa.dpsk12.org/ ) I would be able to live my dream each and every day; I would be able to learn in a way that was personal. Taking Ken’s views into account, education could change drastically. Students wouldn’t be called weird for be themselves, everyone could express themselves and be different from the overall ‘pack’. In regards to the world, you could walk down the street and no to people would be the same. Also, everyone in the world would have a different knowledge, the world as a whole would be smarted because with a personal education, there if more opportunity for learning. Who knows what could be resolved with that much intelligence, the cure to cancer? A teleportation device? A robot dog? Genetic engineering? Anything and everything changes with even the smallest movement in education.  

My Dream. (http://www.m8th.com/email/blog/calmes_1.jpg)

The face of originality (http://enlightenyourday.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/the-face-of-originality-228x300.jpg)