TED Talk #7- Johnny Lee (Wii Remote Hacks)

I think that it's pretty cool the technology we've come up with in the last couple of years.  Most of the stuff were things that even our parents didn't imagine possible, and that makes me very excited for what technology will bring us in the future.  I also think that using the Wii remote as a substitute for a interactive white board is a brilliant idea.  I know that for me personally I like to use those interactive boards more than the regular traditional ones, because it does exactly what's in the title; it's interactive.  Plus the fact that it is way more cost effective than the stock whiteboards is a major bonus considering most schools don't have the money to obtain such unique pieces of technology.  Our world is becoming more technology-based every day, and I think that in order for us to keep up with the current learning systems and methods, especially in schools, than we will need innovative thinkers like Johnny to keep developing and producing products that keep us savvy with our ever-so-changing world.

TED Talk #7- Larry Burns (Future of Cars)

I found this video very interesting.  Cars are a major component in our everyday lives, and without them our society would crash.  They provide so much freedom and flexibility when it comes to traveling that we really depend on them much more than we think.  I like that car manufacturors like GM (and I'm sure many other car companies as well) are taking this "going green" approach into the design and construction of our automobiles.  Cars are one of the main reasons for global warming today, because of the carbon monoxide emissions that they produce.  If companies like GM could create a economically friendly vehicle that has the same capabilities and performance as a regular old gas guzzler, imagine how much that would cut down on the amount of carbon monoxide produced, therefore helping maintain our planet.  Even though these cars may be still in the blueprint stages of development and will take a couple of years to get on the road, they will eventually shape the future of how we drive our cars.

TED Talk #6- Dave Eggers

I think that the idea that Dave is trying to establish is great.  So many kids these days need more attention than what they get in the classroom, and by providing those children with that extra help they need I think it gives them a greater chance to succeed.  I think that this is also going to be beneficial later on in the kids' school careers, because I think that if they develop that confidence through Dave's program they will have more motivation to do their homework on their own and hopefully not need as much help, because now that they know how to do it they will be learning more.  When Dave gives his presentation, I like that he uses a powerpoint as a tool to pervay the ideas he has as well as to show what his organization is trying to do.  I think that this helps the audience stay engaged in his speaking and lets them obsorb the full potential of the information that he is providing.  The only thing that I didn't like about his presentation was his flow.  A majority of the time his speech was broken and unprofessional, and used childish words such as "um."  I think that that takes away from his overall presentation, and makes him as a presenter seem nervous and unprepared for what he has to say.  Overall, I think the main thing that I as a student need to take away from this is the idea behind his concept.  The fact that he created this place for students to get the help they needed in school is just phenomenal, and I think that I need to have that Right-Brained approach in life if I want to be successful, like Dave did with the pirate store.  This way of thinking is what is going to shape the world in the future, so I think that we all need to adapt to this style and prepare for what is ahead.

TED Talk #5- Mark Bittman (What's wrong with what we eat)

I think it's disgusting how much the world consumes today. We have become such a greedy society that even the maximum amount of something can not fulfil our needs.  When Mr. Bittman talks about how much food means to us, and the potential danger that it provides to us, I think that we need to heed his words and take them into careful consideration.  I think he makes a good point when he says that almost all of the food today is bad for us, including an excess in meat, which was once thought to be healthy.  I think that if we can start to make healthier choices about our diet and the way we eat, we can eventually have that state of mind to say "Ya know what, I think I'm going to have a bag of carrots for a snack instead of a bag of potato chips.  All this mass producing of livestock and animals is not healthy for our planet, and it's not healthy for us, and the more time we spend ignoring this issue the greater consequences that we are going to have to face in the future.  Personally, the way that Mr. Bittman presented his opinions didn't really work for me.  I found that I wasn't captivated at all parts of his speech, and that I kept drifting off from the topic at hand.  The one thing that I did like about his presentation was his organization and note cards.  He gave quite a long speech, so I think it was a good idea for him to have a reference in front of him in case he lost his train of though while he was thinking.  I also like the way he organized his presentation, creating points that flowed off one another and really made the impression on what he was trying to get across.  The world is going to keep consuming food, and the world is going to keep producing food.  I think the thing we need to realize is that we need to limit the amount that we produce, and potentially cut down on the excess that isn't required.  Like I said before, our society is greedy, and I think that is a problem that we need to address in order to help cut back on the consumption of all these products.  Mr. Bittman said it himself, we don't NEED all this extra food that we have, and we just need to make smarter decisions on how to distribute it so that it can help benefit not only the world, but us as humans as well. 

TED Talk #4- Clay Shirky (Cognitive Surplus)

I think the thing that we need to take away from this video is that fact that the idea of reward and punishment is going to be an essential tool required in the future.  By showing the example of the cats and the Ushahidi, Mr. Shirky showed that we need to improve our system of social media to meet the expectancies of what we as the people want.  Websites such as Ushahidi benifit everyone, and not just the participants of that site.  I think the world needs to focus itself around that way of operating, because I think that it will end up being more profitable and more beneficial for the world as a whole.  When Mr. Shirky was speaking, I noticed that he had a powerpoint running in the background the entire time that he was giving his presentation.  Since I've started watching all these TED Talks, I have been beginning to notice a trend with the presentation types of the speakers.  Most of them have a visual representation that exemplifies or shows the point that they are trying to get across, and I think this is a rather effective technique because you can keep your audience interested in your topic and still speak without having to stop and actually show them what product or idea that speaker may have been working on.  The thing that I think really matters from this video is the idea that the idea of social media is an important aspect for the world to be able to function.  When we as students get older, we will need to have to be able to connect the world in this manner, and if we can't do that then I don't think that we will be very successful. 

TED Talk #3- Daniel Pink

The future of the business world is going to look very different than it looks today.  I think Daniel Pink realizes this, and is taking the necessary steps to prepare for this drastic change.  He understands that the working world has no interest in the common skills that people today are obtaining.  Left-brained thinkers, known more commonly as the analytical, step-by-step types of people, are not being as successful as they used to be.  The consumer today wants a product that is unique and is different from the rest, and the fact of the matter is is that Left-brained thinkers just don't have the "brain power" to come up with a new idea that could sky-rocket a product.  Now, this isn't to say that Left-brained thinkers are stupid and completely useless, they just lack that creative ability to come up with something new that no one else has thought of before.  This is where the Right-brained thinkers shine.  Since they are naturally programmed to be more creative and come up with things on their own, they are now achieving much more than they used to, because the world is forming around what they have to offer.  Not only is the world becoming more creative, but it's now learning how to take that creativity and run with it, something Right-brained thinkers are perfectly suited for.  When Daniel Pink presented these concepts in front of his audience, he used a number of different mechanisms to keep his audience captivated on what he was saying.  I thought using several hand movements and gestures was a very useful technique, because it expressed the emotion of the words that he was saying and put more meaning behind them.  Also, he spoke in a loud, clear voice, which gave him an advantage when his speech became a little monotonous, because it keep his audience's attention and let them focus on the more important aspects that he was trying to get across.  Daniel made very good points on a number of key issues, and I think that will have a big impact on me when I start to get a little older.  I'll admit it, I'm more of a Left-brained thinker.  Will this necessarily prevent me from getting a decent job when I'm older? No.  This just means that I'll have to work a little harder, put in a little more effort, in order to keep up with the Jonses and be successful in my field of work.  Now, this topic is kind of a torn issue, when it comes to education in general.  Some kids might naturally have obtained that Right-brained style of thinking, that's great for them.  But on the other hand, there are students like me that still have that Left-brained thinking sort of approach, and may struggle when it comes time to think of ideas for a project or a topic for a paper.  Personally, I think the Right-brained thinkers have a better shot at being successful in life, and if you really think about it, you can't really argue with my logic.  Like I said earlier, the whole world is changing, more so to benefit the thinking of those that are Right-brained, and when it comes time for a job interview, the employer is more likely to pick the more creative candidate that can put something unique on the table.  That's a proven fact.  This is is majorly going to affect how the world is run, because with the jobs that Left-brained thinkers usually do being outsourced to other third world countries for cheaper pay and a faster result, we're now being succumbed to more pressure to enhance our way of thinking to keep up with the rest of the world. 

TED Talk #2- Hod Lipson (Building ''self-aware'' robots

I think that is a very scary reality that robots are evolving as they are.  Sure it's great that they can perform minor tasks that can assist everyday living, but in the long run I don't think they are going to benefit us.  Like Mr. Lipson said in his speech, the robots that are being developed today are learning not just how to do things, but to adapt to their environment and figure out what they are supposed to do without being given exact directions.  Although I don't think that evolving robots in this way is necessarily a good idea, Mr. Lipson presented his idea about why we should evolve robots in a very convincing manner.  We all dream about what the future is going to be like, and most of us imagine it with robots controlling our every movement.  He showed that this inevitability is a good thing, and that it is essential for robots to evolve if we want those needy little tasks we all hate doing done.  He convinced his audience that robots are a thing of the future, and that they are going to come inevitably, so why not make them the best they can be when they do?  When he gave his presentation, he had a slide show going in the background outlining his main points and showing examples of the robots that were being developed.  He also had some physical representations of the robots to show the audience exactly what they were to expect in the future.  I think this was a good method to use, because if you can't show what you are working on, or have an image of some kind to back up your words, I don't think you gain as much credibility than if you have proof of your work.  Like I said before, I think the main thing that needs to be absorbed from this speech is that robots can be useful to humans, they just aren't advanced yet to make an impact on our everyday lives.  Now, when I say that I'm not being completely truthful.  There are robots all around us, such as our cell phones, computers, and many other electronics, they just aren't the ones we envision in our homes helping cook dinner.  Robots are going to come, and they're going to evolve, there's no denying that.  This will greatly affect me as I get older, because I might live in a world where robots control everything.  I also thing this is affects the world on a very large scale, because since we are already such a technology based society, the introduction of robots will even further our interest and want in electronics.  There's a lot that's going to come in the future, and like it or not I think robots will have the greatest impact on it all.