Diversity Day

Media Opportunities

1. 100 People: A World Portrait (4:24min)

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_0This video helps viewers visualize the world’s inhabitants and challenges by using 100 to symbolize the total population. “If there were 100 people then what would it look like? 50 would be men, 50 would be women…. There would be 21 Muslims…14 Hindus…18 would be unable to read…” and so on. It is a montage of beautiful imagery, still photos and video, with a voice over about the 100 people project that is asking students around the world to “introduce us to the people of the world.” Click here to view.

2. Aimee Mullins and Her 12 Pair of Legs (10:02)

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_1This is SO INSPIRING! Aimee was born without bones below her knees and she is a competitive racer, model and movie star. In this TED talk she shows off her different legs, shows slides of her film and modeling career and talks about her desire to be seen as able, in fact, super-able rather than disabled. “A prosthetic limb doesn’t represent the need to replace loss anymore, it can stand as a symbol that the wearer has the power to create anything they want to create in that space….they can be the architect of their own identities… from a place of empowerment.” Click here to view.

3. Team Hoyt: Dick and Rick Hoyt (10:00 min)

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_2This you tube video can be shown by teachers. An access denied box will pop up when you try; click on the “login” and enter pmsteacher as the user name and the secret access code for pw.

Dick has cerebral palsy, and was expected not to make it through childhood. His family included him in everything, and when Dick learned to “speak” through a computer and told his father that running made him feel like he wasn’t disabled this inspired Rick to begin running races with his son; they are Team Hoyt. They have run many races and even triathlons. This is their story. Click here to view.

4.  Chimamanda Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story (18:49 min)

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_4Adichie, a novelist, is an engaging and inspirational speaker. In this TED talk she convinces her audience that one story is not enough to capture an individual, a society, and especially not a continent. She eloquently weaves stories of her own life into a conversation about cultural misunderstandings. The “single story” as she calls it limits people’s perspective, and promotes prejudice and stereotyping. It is a poignant piece and a much needed point of view; refreshing and inspiring for all ages. Students love her. Click here to view.

5. ADHD & Me: Blake Taylor Interview (2:46 min)

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_5ABC interviews Blake Taylor, author of ADHD and Me. This is a brief interview and summary of Taylor’s personal experience with ADHD and his hopes for helping other young people with this condition. Click here to view.

6. Adora Svitak: What Adults Can Learn from Kids (8:13 min)

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_6This is another inspiring TED talk. This eleven-year-old is extremely entertaining, eloquent, and persuasive. She contends that many of us adults practice age-discrimination and that we actually have something to learn from kids. Svitak is hilarious; she has the TED members in stitches throughout the talk and will keep your students amused as well. Her final message is: “You must lend an ear today, because we are the leaders of tomorrow.” Click here to view.

7. Bobby McFerrin Hacks Your Brain with Music (3:04 min)

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_7Bobby McFerrin demonstrates cooperation by getting the whole audience at TED to create a musical piece together. Sweet, quick and very entertaining. Click here to view.

8. Derek Sivers: How to Start a Movement (2:27 min)

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_8Nice short demonstrating the power of leaders and the importance of followers. Sivers shows a video of people dancing at a public swimming hole, and discusses how ideas become movements. Click here to view.

9. Derek Sivers: Weird or Just Different (2:31 min)

Sivers delivers another fun short; this one is about point of view. He juxtaposes different cultures’ perspectives on simple everyday things like city streets, the job of doctors, and the beats of music. Traditional assumptions are null and void. Fascinating. Click here to view.

10. Stand By Me – Playing for Change: Song Around the World (5:27 min)

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_9Musical tribute to collaboration and standing up for each other. Concord Music Group travels the world recording different street performers and people singing the song Stand By Me. “The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people.” (Playing for Change, 2010). Inspiring and heartwarming. Click here to view.

11. Kira Bir Sethi Teaches Kids to Take Charge

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_10Bir Sethi is a teacher and has inspired children all over India to believe in themselves. She started with her own school, then her students motivated the city, and then children all over the country. She says she wants to infect every child with the “I can” bug because when kids believe they can make a difference they find creative solutions to many of the society’s problems and actually affect change. This not only empowers the child, and instills confidence, but is a contagious movement in which everyone wants to participate; children can make the world a better place. Click here to view.

12. Temple Grandin: The World Needs Different Kinds of Minds

Diversity Day Media Opportunities_img_11The real Temple Grandin comes to TED and talks about different kinds of thinking. Grandin is autistic and is famous for her work with animals, in particular, cattle. In this TED talk she shows slides of her work and discusses autism and the way the autistic brain works; “I think in pictures…it’s like google for images”. She also weaves in her thoughts about how education might be missing opportunities in educating those with autism. She advocates for a variety of learning options for different types of learners, such as: hands-on activities, art, auto-shop, and less verbal communication. Click here to view.

13.  Johnathan Harris Collects Stories (about 20 min)

Harris is a digital story teller.  The first part of his talk is about capturing the story arch visually and creating different visual representations for the story.  The second half of his talk is about a project he created called “I Feel Fine.”  He visited Bhutan and asked people to rate their happiness and each person describes a little something about their life.  It is enlightening and uplifting!  You can skip to this part, if you want a shorter view.  Click here to view.

14.  Dean Kamen Previews a New Prosthetic Arm (less than 6 min)

Does the name Dean Kamen sound familiar?  He invented the Segway and has used his wisdom and additional research to create a prosthetic arm of the future.  It is like the bionic man, but it is reality!  Click here to view.

15.  Amy Purdy: Living Beyond Limits (9 1/2 minutes)

Snowboarder Amy Purdy suffers a double amputation after miraculously surviving meningitis, but manages to return to snowboarding. She is such a hero! Very inspirational talk!  Click her to view.