TED Talks
“Creating Autonomy-Supportive Learning Environments”
Originally posted in our November 2023 Top of Mind Newsletter. Over the last decade or so, the role of autonomous learning in the classroom has been a subject of much discussion. But we often fail to consider the conditions that lead to this sense of control and choice that we want to see in our students. Long-time followers of ELI’s work will recognize that we are huge advocates for self-directed (autonomous) learning. Enter the work of…
Read more“Less Schooling, More Learning: A Better Approach Is Hidden in Plain Sight”
Originally posted in our December 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. Continuing on the theme of change, we often talk about how learning in the 21st century could be different. More engaging and transformative learning is possible, but many systems seem to be suffering from immunity to change. Jal Mehta, Graduate Professor of Education at Harvard, and his colleague Sarah Fine embarked on a study of the American school system. They hoped to review the practices of…
Read more“Obliquity: How Complex Goals Are Best Achieved Indirectly”
Originally posted in our May 2021 Top of Mind Newsletter. In his TEDx talk from 2012, economist John Kay unpacks the concept of obliquity. That is, “our complex goals are often best achieved indirectly.” Kay provides a variety of examples, from geography and rocket science to architecture and philosophy, that show how sometimes the most effective route towards a goal is one that appears indirect. As he says, “defining what our objectives are is actually…
Read moreAdam Grant’s The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers
How do creative people come up with great ideas? Organizational psychologist Adam Grant studies “originals”: thinkers who dream up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. In this talk, learn three unexpected habits of originals — including embracing failure. “The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they’re the ones who try the most,” Grant says. “You need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a…
Read moreMihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow: The Secret to Happiness
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi asks, “What makes a life worth living?” Noting that money cannot make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that bring about a state of “flow.” Listen to the TED Talk here.
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