LOSCIEND B.

PINOTE GROUP 2
PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

Lesson 3: TED Talks and Critical/ Creative Thinking in Today’s Society

In the last lesson, we took up more traditional reports, as seen in television newscasts and
reports in the classroom. For this lesson, we will see how reports can be done in today’s modern world.
People from all over the world share their knowledge on various media platforms, whether they are
amateurs from YouTube or experts on TED Talks. TED Talks Stand for Technology Entertainment and
Design - is a showcase for speakers presenting great, well-formed ideas.
Sometimes, people with good public speaking skills and mediocre ideas get more attention
than people with great ideas but average public speaking skills. According to John Bates, “I think the
world needs people with great ideas to have the communication skills to match, because we need
those ideas more than ever” (quoted in Clark, D.).
It is important to know that content is king. Whatever one chooses to talk about, it should come
from a place of passion. One’s enthusiasm for the topic should shine, and it should be something worth
sharing to the world. All research in the world will not matter if one does not feel strongly about the
topic. After all, the slogan of TED Talks is, “ideas Worth Sharing,” and not, “A Few O.K. Ideas.”
When people speak in front of an audience, they are already on a place of vulnerability, which
is why some people freeze up or are afraid of showing their emotions.
Lastly, it is important to speak slowly so the audience can understand the concepts one talks
about. The temptation is to speak as fast as you can in order to get the experience over and done with,
but that would simply give a bad impression.
There really isn’t much more to say. The best way to know how to give a TED talk is to watch
several, and to study what makes them effective. And the best way to present a TED talk is to practice
and prepare, as much as possible.