TED, a non-profit association devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, recently announced a new initiative: TED-Ed Lessons Worth Sharing. Matching the enthusiasm of the best educators with the ingenuity of the best graphic animators, eight-minute lessons have been created for adults and children alike. Much like what TED and TEDx, TED-Ed is an incredible source of inspiration and curiosity, and facilitates the joy of discovering new ideas. The TED-Ed promise is explained in this short video.
Americans have an unbelievable faculty when it comes to implementing this type of project. For example, the Khan Academy, a not-for-profit that provides thousands of free courses on a wide range of subjects, is already extremely impressive in its pedagogical pragmatism. Furthermore, numerous courses from leading universities are available online and in app form. TED-Ed simply complements this already rich academic landscape.
But what is stopping educational institutions around the world from doing the same thing? We all remember the great teachers, motivated by their passion to share their favourite subjects, who changed lives by running lessons like seminars. So let’s go – let’s invent an international “TEDx-Ed” in multiple languages so that all citizens of the world can take advantage of this precious gem of accessible learning. It wouldn’t replace teachers and it would spark a thirst for knowledge. Who can complain about that?
Read more from Jean Pascal at A Nos Vies Numériques.
Tags: Khan Academy, Online academia, Online Education, Open Course Ware, TED, TED-Ed, TEDx, YouTube learning