Ecology of Education

In this TED Talk, Seth Godin shares his insights into Tribes, how they are created and why. Mixing compelling examples with insightful humor, he lays bare the changing (and yet unchanging) landscape of connecting with others through shared commonalities and uncommonalities. His urges us to unseat the status quo, follow our passions and, by proxy, [...]

TED Talks describes Gever Tulley this way: A software engineer, Gever Tulley is the co-founder of the Tinkering School, a weeklong camp where lucky kids get to play with their very own power tools. He’s interested in helping kids learn how to build, solve problems, use new materials and hack old ones for new purposes. [...]

Carolyn Steel provides some relevant historical context for how we eat and the way food has shaped our cities and societies. Her plea for more mindfulness and sustainability is not only rational, it will one day become imperative. Great for providing background information for teachers or to bolster student understanding of anthropological impact of agriculture [...]

Dan Pink, author of the popular Whole New Mind, offers insights into what research tells us about motivation, potential, and the value (or lack their of) of reward systems.  It is a great video that has obvious implications for educators, especially those who feel that the seeming infallibility (and immediate gratification) of a carrot-on-a-stick is [...]

Janine Benyus showcases some innovative breakthroughs in science and engineering thanks to biomimicry, which seeks to emulate “Nature’s best biological ideas to solve human problems”.  It is a fascinating and enlightening peak at an emerging trend built around the simple essential question, “How has nature overcome this obstacle?” The ensuing discoveries invariably lead to more sustainable [...]