To start this unit, read the Introduction of Carmine Gallo's book, Talk Like TED. As you read, write down five big takeaways from the intro. Then leave feedback to the reactions of 5 of your classmates.
I have started the ball rolling with leaving my five big takeaways.
"There's nothing more inspiring than a bold idea delivered by a great speaker." As much as this is going to sadden Kaylee, one thing (and it might just be the only thing) that I admire about Donald Trump is his ability to speak in soundbites.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one reason he currently (but not for long, hopefully) is leading in the polls. I think it is one reason his message seemingly resonates with so many Americans.
In short, Trump is inspiring because he has bold ideas and he is a great speaker.
He destroyed Jeb Bush when he dubbed him "low-energy." And he did the same to Rand Paul when Trump said he doesn't even belong on the same stage because he is a "one-percenter."
One thing that Trump has going for him is that - as a speaker - he has made a living on this bold idea: he is not afraid to say what everyone else is thinking. Yes. He did insult Carly Fiorina with his infamous "look at that face!" remark. It was tasteless and tactless, but he was saying what a lot of people really think! That's genius.
Most believe Trump's next move will be to capitalize on another great soundbite "make America great again."
He is capitalizing on several genius things:
First, as a speaker, he is just playing on what everyone on the right thinks anyway.
Second, who is he going to pin the blame for that? Hint: I don't think it's going to be just the folks on the left. I think he's going to set his sites on former president Bush. Trump is going to again start saying what everyone else is thinking: Why are we STILL at war in Iraq and Afghanistan? For all of that rhetoric and the trillions of dollars are REALLY any safer?
This isn't a political discussion. It's just an analysis of the first person who came to my mind when I read that line from the intro.
Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Trump is an amazing public speaker who is able to exert vast influence (much like Bill Clinton in his time) over Americans through his spectacular speaking abilities.
1- Being an orator like Trump definitely takes some guts. I do admire is ability to say what he thinks and not caring about the repercussions. I think a big thing that helps him is that he takes charge of the audience. He says what he means and he means what he says.
DeleteAlyce,
DeleteI like your point "he takes charge of the audience." I'm interested in talking more about that. How, exactly, does he take charge? Is it just through sheer personality/force/charisma? Is it from his passion? Or is it just in his authenticity (what I think you mean when you say "he says what he means and he means what he says")? Good points.
I also believe he is a very good public speaker. As Alyce said, he takes charge of the audience. I believe he does this by stating thoughts or opinions that might shock some people. I can see why people really like him, as he is quite a good speaker. That doesn't mean I always agree with him, but I do respect his speaking styles.
DeleteAlthough Trump has proven himself as honest, I think too many people are considering that enough. Yes, it's nice that he is saying what he thinks, but what he's saying is raising many red flags for voters across the United States. From what I have seen, a majority of news reports have discussed the contents of his speeches and not how he presents his ideas.
DeleteAustin,
DeleteI agree with you. I'm not talking about Trump as a person or politician. I am simply talking about his amazing ability as a communicator, which is undeniable.
Donald Trump has a great way of sharing his ideas by having such a strong ability in public speaking. He sticks with his word and people love him for it. It almost hurts to say, but I do admire his ability to speak to the people.
DeleteI also agree with the fact that Trump is a good speaker. He says what everyone else wants to say and sticks to his word! Maybe that is one thing we could all learn from him, even though most of us do not like him!
DeleteI like the connection to Trump, and I do believe that is why not very many people like him, because he flat out says the truth, whether you want to hear it or not. I would be interesting to see what he would say if he got to talk on TED.
DeleteAs everyone has said before, Trump is a very, very good public speaker. There is no denying that, but he is sometimes too truthful about what he thinks and feels. That would be awesome to see him do a Ted Talk @Sara
DeleteAnother big takeaway from Gallo's intro is that amazing presentations don't have to rely just on PowerPoints or visuals or stunts. A great speaker - and he uses the example of Bryan Stevenson here - can captivate an audience just with his message or a story or key information. And sometimes all three at the same time.
ReplyDeleteSometimes public speakers (especially teachers) need to be reminded of this. I think sometimes public speakers (and certainly presenters) have become slaves to PowerPoints.
One thing I learned from the two best public speakers I've ever had as teachers (Mr. Dyrud from LHS and Dr. Christensen from BSU) is that you don't need a lot of flash to connect with an audience. You just need a strong message and a story that resonates with the audience. I mean would anyone have been less impacted by Ms. Layman's and Mr. Hickman's presentation at the Veterans' Day assembly if they didn't have the slideshow playing above their heads? I think just the raw emotion that Ms. Layman exhibited and then was echoed by Mr. Hickman was far more powerful than any video or slideshow ever could be.
Like Carmine says in the introduction, connecting with the audience on an emotional level is a sure step to captivating them with your presentation. Like you said Reynolds, Layman and Hickman didn’t even need the slide show, and they barely made it through the entire presentation. The thing that made it memorable is that they made it emotional and more importantly relatable.
DeleteYes. Now the key will be to find a topic that allows you to be vulnerable like Layman and Hickman were. That is one way to win over the audience. Another way is just being charismatic and authentic (like Mr. Zutz). Another way is to present something really interesting or startling too.
DeleteI love the fact that you brought up the Veteran's Day assembly. I have been thinking about that a lot recently. I don't remember what was even on the slideshow, as their emotion and relate-ability is what really brought me in.
DeleteSo one big take away from this section is how can you connect with your audience on an emotional level in your TED LHS Talk later on this quarter?
DeleteMy third big takeaway is on page 6: Dale Carnegie for the Twenty-First Century. Carnegie wrote the seminal public speaking book a century ago. I never thought of thinking of TED Talks as a modern version of that until I heard an interview with Gallo talking about how he chose to analyze TED Talks for the traits that make them so effective.
ReplyDeleteIt's really incredible what TED Talks (and TEDx Talks) have done for public speaking. Prior to TED Talks, public speaking was the class you HAD to suffer through in high school and college. Then you spent the rest of your life trying to avoid giving public speeches!
But TED has changed all that.
First, they have illustrated the most effective (and engaging) ways to speak publicly (see the rest of Gallo's book).
Second, thanks to TEDx, they allow many normal, every day people (Check out the YouTube channel on TEDx Fargo or the annual TEDx Grand Forks events for examples) to show off their public speaking skills.
Finally, TED and TEDx are great for showing how cool intellectual ideas can be. All of my favorite TED and TEDx Talks deal with complex ideas (Ken Robinson asking (using humor brilliantly) if schools kill creativity; Dean Kamen (in a very boring, traditional style) putting a very human face on invention; Bill Gates (in the very best use of a prop I've ever seen) illustrating the need for eradicating malaria from third world countries; Meg Jay, a clinical psychologist, uses humor and relatable stories to illustrate a sad phenomena she sees more and more in her clinical practice). I'd rather have people spend their time learning about complex ideas that wasting their lives watching The Kardashians and Survivor.
I think some TED talks could be a very useful classroom tool. I have used them in other classes outside of CC, and they weren’t assignments that were a hustle to complete. And as stated above, they present a lot of complex and abstract ideas. By consistently exposing kids to such things would only convince them that their ideas are worth something, and more importantly, worth sharing.
DeleteOne of the nicest things about TED Talks is that there is such a variety of things you can listen about. I mean, if you are having troubles finding a good one, that is quite impressive. These people who go up there (for the most part) seem to love what they do and are talking about. AND they are available for everyone who can get to them. How cool is that.
DeleteAlexis,
DeleteI agree that what is great about TED Talks is that they are available to all. And now thanks to TEDx Talks, they are open to a far greater array of speakers (those who maybe don't want to plunk down tons of cash to be part of a ritzy event).
My favorite big takeaway from this intro is under the heading “We’re All in Sales Now.” The specific line that I love (and try to live by every single day when I teach) is - “Remember, if you can’t inspire anyone else with your ideas, it won’t matter how great those ideas are.”
ReplyDeleteI wish every teacher could have this tattooed on their foreheads. If we aren’t passionate or fired up for what we teach, how on earth can we expect our students to be? Like Julius Caesar or not, you cannot deny that Mattson doesn’t have a deep love for both Shakespeare and Caesar. That passion goes a long way to making it more interesting and impactful for students.
When my sister presents on safety . . . and she gets all fired up and passionate about it . . . something magical happens: her audience connects with her message. I think it's probably because they're thinking "Who is this crazy safety lady and how can she be so passionate about rules and regulations?" But the key is that they are engaged and drawn in to her simply through her passion. Then her personal stories draw them in further. Then her exercises and questions she asks connects with them in a way that shows them how being safe at work is really important not just for them but for their spouses and kids too. You won't forget one of her presentations. Even if it's just to remember that crazy safety lady. But the point is that you remember her.
Yet, I've gone to another safety guru and he is terrible. In fact, the last time he presented one of our staff members leaned over to be and said, "This S.O.B. is the most boring person alive." And he lived up to that billing. He lost every single teacher (except for H probably) because he was worse than watching paint dry or a civics teacher talking about the Bill of Rights. His ideas were the exact same as the ones my sister presents. It's just done in a far more engaging way.
If there is one tip I would give you for designing your TED LHS Talks, it is this: tap into your passion or your desire. If you aren’t fired up for it, your audience won’t either.
And after seeing 25 of these TED LHS Talks last year, I can tell you the best ones (the 5 or 6 that were actually really good anyway) all illustrated the passion of the speaker. It was so painful to see a student up there in front of everyone else just going through the motions or fumbling their way through because they hadn’t “internalized” (more on that later) their subject matter.
So here is a tip with choosing your subject - select something that is really important to you or something that you have a passion for. It doesn’t necessarily matter that the audience thinks it’s important or has a passion for it. YOUR passion/desire will help carry the day.
I’m not all that passionate about yoga or German composers, but Jamie and Isaiah pulled their TED LHS Talks off brilliantly because of their passion/desire for their topics. Do that.
I think when your audience can see your passion for the subject of the speech they are more intrigued and willing to listen. For example Lingen, the 27 amendments are boring to learn about let alone memorize. But because he found them fascinating and they were part of his passion he took the time to set-up a series of shortcuts to help kids memorize them. I know very few people who could forget what the bunny with a pancake on it’s head represented.
DeleteExcellent example! This is a great tip to use in your TED Talk.
DeleteI think it's super important to have a passion for what you're teaching or talking about. In classes, you can almost always tell when a teacher doesn't like a certain subject, or unfortunately if the teacher doesn't like anything they teach. There's nothing worse than going to a boring class to sit and listen to a boring teacher, who's probably also bored. No one wins in this situation. Be interested and interesting, or change what you're doing.
DeleteExactly! You can always tell when someone, whether it be a classmate or teacher, doesn't care about what they are saying. The click through their "slideshows" and read everything directly off the screen. I know even I am guilty of this and hope that I can better my public speaking skills by reading this TED talk book!
DeleteSo true Alyce, never would I have wanted to learn the 27 ammendments or have any idea how to memorize them but Lingen made it fun and connectable which made it easy to learn. It is so hard to learn from someone who isn't passionate about what they're doing. Like Kalhammer, I would have expected anatomy to be so difficult to learn but they way she teaches it and how she can connect it to all of us makes in interesting and fun to learn! I don't think I would have learned nearly as much if she wasn't the teacher.
DeleteThe final big takeaway for me is how Gallo categorizes the TED Talks: emotional, novel, and memorable. When it comes to your TED LHS Talk, don’t feel pressure to hit all three areas. Instead, focus on how your topic fits into just one. That’s not saying that you can’t hit all three, but don’t worry about that. Just focus on hitting one category.
ReplyDeleteHere are some of my favorite examples from each category.
Emotional - Dean Kamen The Emotion Behind Invention.
Novel - Steven Johnson Where Good Ideas Come From.
Memorable - Ken Robinson Do Schools Kill Creativity.
I think that these three categories are all connected. By having passion for what you are speaking about, you have the potential to make it emotional for you, and more importantly the audience. By connecting with the audience emotionally, you will make the speech memorable. And when something becomes memorable it can create inspiration. Inspiration that then makes the original speech novel to other people or maybe just that effected person.
DeleteMr. Reynolds, I have to agree with Alyce. It will be hard focusing on just one category, when it's easier to hit all three and make it come together. You can't get an emotional presentation without it being memorable, and you can't get a memorable presentation without it being novel.
DeleteI agree that all three things are connected. IF you can hit all three, by all means, go for it. However, after having seen two rounds of these talks, I can tell you from experience that those who do best hit at least one of those areas out of the park. Those who struggle maybe touch on all three but don't really do a good job of focusing in on one of those. In other words, they devolve into just another boring or uninspiring presentation. Avoid that. Please!! Ha ha.
DeleteFive Takeaways:
ReplyDelete1- “Ideas, effectively packaged and delivered, can change the world.” I really do believe this statement is true. An idea that is ‘packaged’ and ‘delivered’ can give people hope and innovative ideas that they can then use to alter, change and sometimes make the world better.
2- I find it awesome that the TED franchise has been able to spread globally in the way that it has. I also think it was genius to transfer the presentations onto the Internet. It not only ensures its availability worldwide, but it gives all types of people access to the presentations. I mean 1.5 million views A DAY, is insane!
3- I think one problem that this book doesn’t address is the fact that it is telling you to do all of these things and, as a result, you will become a better speaker like all of these people mentioned in the book. I highly doubt that these people learned to be such phenomenal orators by reading a book of categorized observations. Granted you may need some ideas (which can come from books), but I think experience is what makes great orators. Take Lincoln, Churchill, and Jobs for example, they were such great orators because they did it over and over again, its how they made their living.
4- “If you can’t inspire anyone else with your ideas, it won’t matter how great those ideas are.” BAM! There could be 500 people in America that are as good, if not better than Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, but because they can’t convey their ideas or their innovations they are nameless. Now for a history connection, Hitler captivated his audiences and gained a large following before becoming President because of his legendary oratory skills. He knew his ideas and he found a way to inspire others with them. This connection also relates to my first takeaway because Hitler knew exactly how to package and deliver his ideas, making it easier to change the views of the masses of people that he spoke to.
5- Whenever the words ‘inspiration’ and ‘coach’ appear together, and in a business setting, I know I am going to be struggling through a very tedious reading. So to make it more enjoyable, I recommend making a cup of hot chocolate. Definitely improved the reading. :)
Alyce,
DeleteI really liked your point on how the points listed in this book are not automatically going to make you a great public speaker. I was actually think that myself, so I'm glad someone else noticed!
Alyce,
Deletealthough it totally killed my mood, I found your connection to Hitler interesting. I assumed he was able to win over his audience and convince people, but didn't exactly know how he did it.
I actually am quite fond of how you use Hitler as one influential speaker because most people often feel as if good speakers are the ones with good morals. It is similar to (I believe either someone posted about Trump or mentioned it earlier in the class) Trump still being able to speak well whilst sounding like an idiot. It is insane what a speech can do, even if you don't like the person.
DeleteAlyce, I liked how you brought up a history connection with Hitler. You are exactly right. Hitler had the presentation tools to influence his audience to do things that he wanted them to do and believe things that he wanted them to believe. For as terrible person as Hitler is, he had to have had some good communication skills.
DeleteI like what you brought up in your third takeaway. I agree with you. A lot of motivational books give you secrets on how to be the best at whatever they are giving you tips to be. However, they do so by alluding to successes of other people who never had a motivational book filled with tips to go off of. I agree with that 100%. It is a flaw many motivational books have, but people bite the bait anyway. They don't see the flaw because it is hidden so well behind the repetition of how you are going to succeed if you listen to it.
DeleteAlyce, I wholeheartedly agree with your fifth statement. In my mind, this book is going to be just as troublesome to read as Godin. :) I also liked how you brought up Hitler. Granted, his ideas were evil and he represented a type of government which I don't agree with, but he really knew how to move a crowd with his words.
DeleteI agree that a great idea truly can change the world. Just think about the guy who had the idea to invent the cell phone. His idea lead to possibly the single most impressive tool that a person can get their hands on. There is no doubt that cell phones have changed the world and will continue to change the world.
DeleteI also agree with what you said about having a good idea, but if you can't inspire anyone with those ideas, what good are they? If you don't have people following you and your idea, it's hard to take that idea anywhere and do anything productive with it.
DeleteI agree with you and Hannah on that by reading a book alone isn't going to make you an exceptional presenter, you need more than that. So, glad I wasn't alone on that one either. I also like you comment on how great of an accomplishment it was that TED came online, I mean if it hadn't come online for everyone to see imagine where would we be. Brilliant people wouldn't be able to share their brilliant ideas with other brilliant people.
DeleteAlyce, I find all of your comments interesting and agree with a lot of what you said! However, my favorite has to be your 5th take-away. I find it incredibly difficult to read about inspiring others as well. I find a lot more inspiration in memoirs/ biographies of inspirational people than I do in books about the general concept of inspiration. (And hot chocolate obviously makes everything better)
DeleteI like the connection to Hitler and he was a very powerful public speaker and was able to easily win over almost any crowd that he spoke to.
DeleteTakeaways
ReplyDelete1) It doesn't matter how much mastery or creativity you have if you can't share your ideas with others. I think that so often in our age, people have settled for obtaining intelligence instead of pursuing ways to share their knowledge. How can our world evolve without communication? How many breakthroughs go stifled just because someone was afraid to share their ideas? Or didn't have the skills to share them clearly?
2) If your presentations aren't memorable, you might as well not share your ideas. Even though getting up and talking about the things you believe are best or most influential can be quite the feet in itself, if you can't find a way to plant your thoughts in someone else's mind, then there will never be actions to follow your ideas and intentions. It's crucial to know how to connect with your audience in a way that makes them listen and respect your words enough to take them home and do something with them on their own.
3) People who come to presentations voluntarily are usually people who are seeking the information you're going to offer. "They're seekers. They're eager to learn. Discontent with the status quo, they're looking for inspiring and innovative ideas that move the world forward." All you have to do is show up, connect, and let your knowledge inspire the people around you. They're people who want to connect and inspire too, which makes everyone's job that much easier.
Naomi,
DeleteI like your second point about how if you cannot make someone stop and think about what you are speaking about, it is useless. This has always been a fear of mine while public speaking, which is why I joined the speech team. :)
Naomi,
DeleteI (mostly) agree with your third point. If we're talking about presentations such as school assemblies, I have to disagree. From what I have noticed, these types of presentations require two sided interest. Unfortunately, too many kids are at our assemblies because they are required to be in attendance, not because they want to. It's the presenters job to interest their audience no matter how much they think their audience may be interested.
Your first point, I find, is very ironic. We live in a world of mass communication. How are we not getting our ideas out there? You would think it would be a lot easier, but then ideas become personal and sharing them might mean you get hurt. But why not take the chance? I know that it can be hard, but it is so cool to see other peoples' work. :D
DeleteNaomi, I agree with you second point. That non memorable presentations should simply not be presented. If you point isn't going to stick with you audience, then what is the point of sharing your point with them.
DeleteI agree with your second point. If you can't get your idea to stick with other people, have you really done your job of conveying the message? It would produce the same result as not giving the presentation. If you can't engage your audience and make your idea stick, then the presentation was a waste of time and money for you and your audience.
DeleteNaomi, your first statement really got me thinking. I'm generally not the person to go out and share my work with everybody, but you kind of reminded me that without sharing, I couldn't gain anything.
DeleteNaomi, I wholeheartedly agree with your first takeaway. Some people have so much potential, but their lack of communication and confidence holds them back from achieving everything that they're capable of. I'm sure we all can think of at least one person who we know has a brilliant, creative mind, but they tend to stay quiet in interactive situations because they don't know how to operate any other way. The TED Talk tips can be helpful to anybody, but for some I'm sure they could be life-changing.
DeleteI find your first point interesting. I'm curious to know what you mean by "people have settled for obtaining intelligence instead of pursuing ways to share their knowledge." How much more and in what ways did people share their intelligence before our generation? If anything, I'd argue to say that with mass communication and advancements in technology we are now more prone to sharing our intelligence/ ideas then ever before, and, in most cases, that that's whats happening.
DeleteI like your second point about it you can't make people in the audience want to stop and listen to you, that you aren't doing enough as a speaker. Either not being interesting enough or maybe you just suck. Either way, it's not worth doing unless you make a connection.
DeleteFive Takeaways:
ReplyDelete1. The basis of this book, based on the introduction, is trying to explain how a presenter can effectively speak in front of a live audience. What are some ways we talk about something we are passionate for without wasting the audience's time? This is the general question "Talk Like TED" is trying to answer. There have been over a 1000 TED talks and not all of them were considered to be "outstanding." Not every great inventor, innovator, and artist is a great talker. Steve Jobs was never a thinker, that was the Wozniak's job. Steve Job was the talker in the dynamic duo. In a mixed market economy, Apple needed to have a Steve Jobs. He had the ability to communicate.
2. It is very difficult to think of new ideas. However, it is very easy to think of new ideas from listening to others' ideas. TEDx was made to establish this. Thousands and thousands of people each day are listening to these talks to be inspired. Essentially, TEDx is a place to get ideas. Of course, it is inspirational to listen to the speaker, but a person listens to the speaker to learn their strategies. This program was created to hold a place for people who want to become successful. It's golden.
3. "Ideas are the Currency of the Twenty-First Century." Is it though? I have been told throughout my whole life that money was always the form of currency. The dollar we know and love holds its value because we choose to believe it represents our labor. I believe that ideas is a reason as to why money is worth something. Currency, in definition, is a way to exchange for materialistic goods or trade overseas with other markets. With regards to producing ideas, ideas are the basis we believe currency holds its value. Ideas spark innovations, innovations spark revolution, revolution creates change. This change in our world reflects how much our money is worth.
4. It is amazing to see how a company in 1985 can soar to new heights. The TED conference only met once a year with a total of no more than 800 people. Slowly the organization began to involve and now the whole United States knew about TED. After that, it became globalized and now the whole world knew about these conferences. You did not have to attend the single conference in California because conferences are shared online, located across the world, and happen every single. Pure example of revolution. Amazing, right?
5. I laughed about the part in the introduction where they talked about how to include humor into your presentation. The best kind of humor is the humor that is made unintentionally. Basically, this means a person needs to have this natural presence that he or she is funny. Do not force the humor, because the audience might not think it is funny. Every speech has to have the component of humor. This way, the audience pays more attention to your speech, and it becomes memorable.
Richard,
DeleteI like that you brought up the fact that thinking of new ideas is difficult. It reminded me a lot of Everything is a Remix. The people who listen to TED talks are inspired, and some may create things based off of the speaker they heard.
Richard,
DeleteI agree with your fifth takeaway. Forced humor is often times painful to watch. I'm a strong believer that most people are funny in their own way. Unlike most things, you should stay inside your comfort zone with humor.
Richard, I agree with your insight on the humor aspect of speeches. They almost always have to be unplanned or else they don't come across as being funny. I know I pay way more attention when someone's speech is funny to listen to.
DeleteI love your literal take on ideas being considered currency. It made me laugh that you pointed out what currency is. I like the hole you found.
DeleteI also like your take on humor. Forced humor really is painful to watch, especially if the presenter is the only one finding it funny. It needs to come naturally. If you are able to intentionally cause humor naturally, you have a talent. Most people can only do it inadvertently. Humor can never be forced and remain good. I definitely agree with that.
Your fourth point, I feel, really hit home in a different area. It is really insane how quickly the world has been changing, and that companies not matter how small, if helped out right, can become huge. What companies are we going to make big in the future?
DeleteI really like your point that ideas aren't actually the modern currency, but instead create value in the money that we use. It is a bit of a plot hole in the section of the book, but it carries a lot of truth with it.
DeleteI agree that it is very hard to think of a new idea that no one else has ever thought of before. But when you can see what other people's ideas are, and then when you can steal things from those ideas, that is when the gold comes out. In todays day and age, being 100% original is so hard, but when you are able to steal stuff from other people's great ideas, that is when you will come up with other great ideas. Steal like an artist.
DeleteOn Takeaway #2: Way to bring Steal Like An Artist into this! We've already learned how beneficial it can be to listen and become inspired by other people's ideas and inventions. I agree with you when you say that TEDx is a place to get ideas. TEDx is an artist's paradise! It's a whole mess of brilliant people spilling out brilliant ideas on hundreds of different topics. I can't even imagine how many revolutionary ideas that TED talks have inspired since TED began. Do you think that TED has had an impact on modern human development, based on its potential influence? If not, will it in the future?
DeleteOn your 4th point: it really is amazing how eager people are to acquire knowledge through hearing others speak, and it totally makes sense why TED would become such a huge business. I mean, what's more profitable than selling knowledge and inspiration?
DeleteMy Takeaways:
ReplyDelete1. I think the biggest takeaway I had from the introduction was the story about Bryan Stevenson. He captivated the audience just by talking, not combined with visual aids, such as PowerPoints and pictures. I find that this method is very rare in today's society. Many people feel they need to be entertained constantly, or they simply will not pay attention.
2. I really liked the fact that when celebrities have an idea to share, they make a beeline for a TED stage. What I have noticed from watching TED talks, is that most people are very humble and speaking for a good cause. It really conveys the message that people do care and want to help for the greater good.
3. "Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice." This quote by Steve Jobs is such a wakeup call to me, as deciding on which college I want to go to has been very based upon my family's opinions. My extended family likes to state their opinions about colleges and jobs to me, which has changed my mind and made me doubt what I was thinking before multiple times. I need to keep this in mind next time I talk to them.
4. The fact that the first public-speaking book was published in 1915 is amazing to me. I think the fact that Dale Carnegie brought up using visual aids at that time is quite astounding. If only he could see how far visual aids and other public-speaking strategies have come.
5. The mindset of "we're all in sales now" is awesome. If we don't sell our ideas, they will never be remembered or noticed. Imagine if the inventors of things used in everyday life hadn't 'sold' their ideas. Our world would be very different.
Hannah,
DeleteI really liked your second takeaway. As a whole, I think our society labels celebrities as spoiled, rude, and uncaring of those "below" them. I think that part of the reason celebrities choose to have their own TED talk is to destroy the assumption that they don't care about others.
Hannah, I like you fifth takeaway. It is cool how we are all thought of as salesmen in her book and I think she is totally correct. Like you said, we won't be remembered if we can't sell our ideas.
DeleteReading your second takeaway made me happy. It is true. Most people who give a TED talk are not trying to sell something that won't do you any good or are just talking for the publicity. Most people want to help you in some way. They are working for a good cause. That always makes me happy when I hear people not being greedy and selfish.
DeleteI enjoy you first point the most. I feel like this is what we "speech people" have in common. We have the ability to just talk without using props. The best communicators in the world can make their voice the most powerful weapon in speech.
DeleteHannah, I really liked your second takeaway. It did shed a certain light on the subject that I hadn't thought about. You're right when you said that they speak for the greater good. Nice takeaway.
DeleteHannah, I enjoyed your point on the "we're all in sales now" quote. We would live in a pretty bland world if inventors never sold their ideas. I would also like to point out that many time ideas are sold by people who didn't invent them. Steve Wozniak invented the first Apple products, but Steve Jobs was the one who actually sold them. Thomas Edison never invented the lightbulb, but he bought the patient and sold it to tons of people. Alternatively, Nickola Tesla invented tons of things he never sold (including microwave and X-ray technology).
DeleteWhen a person can captivate an audience just by simply talking, without the assistance of any visual aids, they have a calling for talking in front of people. It is is amazing that a guy can be that good at talking to people that he holds their just by speaking. Most of the times those slideshows are brutal to listen to, but the fact that he could hold their attention just by talking is very impressive
DeleteFive Takeaways:
ReplyDelete1) "Ideas are the currency of the twenty-first century." I thought this was a great way to start the introduction. In today's day and age, it is no longer enough to be insanely rich to be respected and to be considered as "influential." For example, Donald Trump could easily pay for our college tuition with his ridiculous amount of money. Despite being unbelievably rich, tons of people could care less about him because of his ideas (excuse me, LACK of ideas.) To rise to the top, you need to have ideas that bring something new and refreshing to the table.
2) Bryan Stevenson's story struck a cord with me. After decades of TED, it wasn't until 2012 that a presenter completely changed the game. Not only was Stevenson able to appeal to his audience's mind and heart, he was also able to appeal to their wallets. He lacked visuals and props but was able to appeal to an entire audience through his ideas. This proves that a presentation doesn't need a ton of visuals to be interesting and captivating.
3) "Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice." As high school kids, I think we could all take note of this. When presenting our ideas, we first consider how others are going to react to what we have to say. If you don't believe me, consider what exactly makes you so nervous about presenting in front of your peers. Yes, getting a good grade is also nerve racking, but if you had to present in front of your teacher and no peers, would you be as nervous? No matter how hard you try, you will always run into people that will challenge and/or hate your way of thinking. This is when you have to remember that it is YOUR way of thinking, YOUR opinion, and YOUR ideas.
4) "Like it or not, we're all in sales now." This was one of my favorite quotes from the introduction. No matter what we are doing, we are always trying to sell something. To get anywhere, we need to sell ourselves and our ideas. For example, going into a job interview without a drive to land the job, probably won't get you the job. To get the job, you need to sell yourself and your ideas to your potential employer. Most employers want someone that will fight for what they want, not someone that just looks good on paper and shows up in the right attire.
5) The emotional component of an inspiring presentation reminded me of what we have been doing our entire lives: appealing to emotions. As a young child, you were likely an expert at getting what you wanted. You used your pouty face and emotions to get that brand new toy you had been glaring down. No matter how long it took you, you were eventually able to annoy your parents enough for them to give in. From then on, it's no different. We still appeal to the emotions of our audience to create something that captivates and excites them before, during, and after our speech.
Austin, I agree with you on the emotional component that we have been using our entire lives. It is funny to think that we were like salesmen even back when we were 5 years old. It is even more funny to think that we were probably better salesmen then we are now as to what we were back then.
DeleteI agree about the selling yourself to an employer part. No one wants someone who can show up and get work done. That's factory work. That's dying out. People want innovators. People want someone who will fight for that innovation. People want someone who can sell themselves.
DeleteAustin, I love all of your points, especially your third one. We'll always be pressured by the people around us to change our opinions and ideas, but we forget that when we voice our own opinion we could initially spread our ideas around the world, which is all that TED is about.
DeleteI really like your point about being pressured by people around us to change our opinions and ideas. I think it's very important to use your own voice in presentations and only take suggestions that will add to your voice.
DeleteFive Takeaways:
ReplyDelete1. Three parts to an inspiring presentation. Emotional, Novel, Memorable. I think these three parts are pretty spot on. I know that if I can connect emotionally with the speaker, their speech is going to be memorable. If the speech was memorable for me then I probably learned something from it.
2. She talks about the book she wrote called, The presentation secrets of Steve Jobs. She talks about how hundreds of thousands of people are using this book for their own presentations. I think it is kind of cool that she was able to write about another person's secrets to a successful presentation even though she is not that person. If I was a CEO of a company, I would probably read this book too so that I would be able to make my presentations just like the great ones of professionals.
3. I like the part that tells you not to sabotage yourself by not being able to communicate your ideas. That is exactly right, it is terrible when you can't get an idea to sound like you want it to because you are fumbling with words. It has happened to me many times when I have tried to get a point across. It almost seems as though if the point doesn't come out clear the first time, it is not taken seriously when you have explain yourself a second time.
4.At the very beginning of the introduction, I feel the author did a great job of selling her content that will be shared with us in her book. I like how she tells us that we will be able to wow our audiences and deliver jaw dropping presentations. It makes me want to keep reading because I don't want to give one of those dreadfully boring speeches. For some strange reason, when I read this part, I think of Michael Scott on the television series, The Office. He just is always talking about trying to inspire his employees.
5. I like how the author says to add some humor to presentations. I know that I always listen better when there is a little bit of humor invovled and I need to try and incorporate that into my speeches. The only thing is that when you try to be funny, in most cases, your not, so I think the best kind of humor is simply the humor that is accidental or the humor that is just unplanned.
Cole, I'm with you on your fifth statement. I think that humor is good, but planned humor is not. I think one of the most important things about getting up in front of people is just to be yourself and be natural.
DeleteI completely agree with your fourth takeaway, because he definitely pulls you in right away in the introduction to read his book. Also, it does remind me of Michael Scott too. He's never been one to bore his employees with a speech.
DeleteYour first statement is pretty relatable for my (ironically). I always am more invested in speeches that can connect and relate to me, and I always try to do the same whenever I present.
DeleteIf i was to add something to your final take away about trying to add humor to your speech, it would be to not do it if you know you are not a funny person. Sometimes it can just be awkward if a person is not funny and they are trying to be. So lets say I'm one of those not funny people. Instead of trying to add humor to my speech I think it would be more helpful to add an edge to my speech that would play to my strengths. Such as maybe connecting to the audience.
DeleteYour third point has definitely resinated with me. Often times, especially in debates/ arguments, I know exactly what I want to say, but it's really hard to actually form my thoughts and ideas into words.
Delete1. Although I do not like to spend my free time looking at TED talks, I do agree with the format of them. It is a good way to get your ideas out. Speakers get straight to the point because of time constraints and they engage the audience to make sure they get what the idea is trying to convey.
ReplyDelete2. I like that the company switched from a conference to a more global video stream system. That way, your ideas could be spread easier and you can get more ideas out than six a year. I found it astonishing that TED.com is receiving view ratings of 1.5 million per day.
3. I like when he said that we can't let the opinions of others drown out our inner voice. This is something that we as high schoolers really need to learn. We are in that stage of life where everything revolves around how our peers think of us, but in reality that doesn't matter. You won't see most of your peers after high school anyway. Caring about what they think of you only sets you back. if you are focused on their opinions, you never get the chance to grow.
4. "Great communicators reach your head and touch your heart". This couldn't be anywhere closer to the truth. A lot of people can reach your head; that's not a challenging task. However, the idea will never stick with the person if you give a boring speech. You have to engage your audience and connect with them. That's the hardest part. If you don't have that, you can forget about trying to get your idea to stick with people.
5. I'm sure I have the popular opinion when I want to barf at the phrase "We are all in sales now. But, it is true. You have to sell yourself to get a job. You have to sell your idea when you pitch it to your boss and coworkers. You even need to sell your company, regardless of your occupation.
Dakota, I have to say that I totally agree with your first statement. I myself do not watch TED talks very often, but they are very effective. The time limits that are enforced really force them to come out and say what they are there to say rather than just beating around the bush.
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ReplyDelete1. Right off the bat, the author pulls you in with a really neat title. Rather than money or power, ideas are the currency to the twenty-first century. I think that this was a really good way for the author to start off the introduction and really grasp his reader's attention.
ReplyDelete2. I noticed within the first two pages, he's really trying to sell his book. Basically, he's saying that if you have any ideas at all, you should read this book. From a selling stand point, that's not necessarily a bad idea. He's orienting his book towards anyone who wants to improve their public speaking.
3.My third thought while reading this book: This is going to be a long book if all he's talking about is improving your speaking ability.
4. I hadn't realized that TED talks were this huge thing. I mean, I thought there were people who would watch them on a regular basis, like Mr. Reynolds, but I never thought that they reached the global scale. It's interesting how popular they are.
5.I have a gut feeling that this book is going to come in handy for preparing for the upcoming speech season and presentations that I might have to give in the future. I also have the gut feeling that this is going to be just like one of Godin's books. I'm dreading it for that reason.
I enjoy his titles as well. "Talk Like Ted." "Ideas are the Currency of the Twenty-First Century." "Lighten Up." "Have a Conversation."
DeleteIt makes the book feel like it is for anyone, unlike other books where it more feels like it is directed at the wealthy. No. This is just a conversational book.
Elle, this book could definitely come in handy for the upcoming speech season, more for PA than anything. And yes, it sounds boring, but it could be very informational and potentially helpful. Hopefully it isn't like Godin.
DeleteI like how you point out how the author is definitely trying to sell his book in the first two pages. It is kind of funny actually. I also like how he quickly orients his book to attract his target audience.
DeleteSo I accidentally read past the part we were supposed to do this on because I thought we were supposed to do chapter one, so here is a mix of the intro and chapter one of the first section in the book:
ReplyDelete5 Takeaways
1. I enjoyed the line "Don't be trapped by dogma" because there is a seemingly increasing amount of people who have to live by other peoples' opinions as a safety net. They need to go out and not live by what others tell them to do constantly.
1.5 I can relate to not being able to remember what goes on in presentations because my mind is like Newton's third law: for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. Once the speeches start getting boring, my mind automatically goes off on a "much better" tangent. Therefore, unless the speech is absolutely fantastic, it is hard to keep my brain captivated. That is why it is vital to stay interesting. There are many others with similar brains that need that captivation.
2. ”Your passion is not a passing interest or even a hobby.” Wow! That can really make you wonder what you are actually passionate about. I guess there are all these things that we can love and still do (hobbies), but what is it that makes these things better? It changes from person to person and passion to passion. I like thinking of a passion as a something you can always fall back to when everything else is falling apart around you.
3. I think we just need to stop and look at the title of the chapter itself. “Unleash the Master Within.” Just think of how it sounds. I dunno about anyone else, but it makes me think of some pretty BA mofos. :) Like imagine if you could see an actual, complete change once you get into what you are passionate about. You still have a change, but if you could stand and compare the two, what differences would you see between You and Master You?
4. “If you want to help someone, shut up and listen.” That is the best line I read in the whole chapter right after the Zambian story Sirolli shared. If you aren’t listening to other people’s needs and passions, how will that help anything get done? Sometimes I think we all need to do this a little more often. Imagine the difference.
5.Not as bad as Seth Godin.
Alexis, your second point had me thinking about passion too. I've always labeled hobbies as things we are passionate about, but it can probably be simple things that we do daily. I also agree on your last sentence in that statement, passion is something you can always fall back on to when everything else is falling apart around you.
DeleteI also agree with your second point! I never thought of passions as everyday things I think it's pretty cool to think of it that way! Then everyone has a passion!
DeleteI wholeheartedly agree with your fifth point. But your second point also is a very good one. What are we truly passionate about if what most of what we do is just hobbies?
DeleteI also agree with the 5th takeaway! I like your second comment as well. I would have thought if you wanted to talk about something you're passionate about, you should do it on your hobbies, or favorite pastime, or something you enjoy doing. It is that but it is taking it a step further to what you can you change by doing that.
DeleteMy 5 Takeaways:
ReplyDelete1. Right away I like Gallo's first sentence in his introduction. I agree that ideas are the new things that are being spread around like currency, and helps push people to do greater things. If you think of all the great entrepreneurs and business owners, all of them started with a great idea.
2. I did not know that TED talks were $475! Personally, that seems like a lot to just listen to a bunch of speakers. However, it is very successful speakers who can teach you some very important lessons and give you a different insight on how you live your life. In some ways, the price seems fitting, but in others it seems a touch too overboard.
3. TED Talks started in 1984, but they didn't really become a big event until they got a boost from the internet in 2006. The internet really helped TED become an inspiration for people all across the world. I just love how we've all become connected through the spreading of ideas.
4. Even if you don't end up speaking at a TED talk in your life, it's always great to brush up on your public speaking skills. You will never know when they'll come in handy, and that's one of the main reasons that public speaking is an important class to take, and why this book could be very useful.
5. On page 17, he says "Passion leads to mastery and your presentation is nothing without it", which I entirely agree on. When watching presentations, you can tell if a person is passionate about what they're speaking about or not. If you're going to do a presentation, do it on something that means a lot to you, so you can be compelling to your audience and get them as excited as you are about this topic.
I agree with your 3rd takeaway. The internet is such an incredible thing. It's amazing how we can have a conversation with someone who is halfway across the world using our cell phones, that can connect to the internet. It's amazing what people can do and how they can get their face spread around the world with the internet
DeleteSam,
DeleteIn response to your 5th take away I completely agree. If I was to add a little bit I would also say passion is also very important in giving a speech because people will remember you. In the two videos/presentation good and bad, both of the presenters had passion. With that passion I bet most of us in the class will remember those presentations for some time. Even though the one presentation was horrible, he still had passion.
"Ideas are the Currency of the Twenty-First Century." I kind of doubt it. Currency is anything that is used and in circulation to pay for goods and services within and in between countries. Ideas can not be used to pay for things so it is not a currency. Instead, paper money and metal coins are the currency of the twenty-first century. Although one part of paper money and coins is the idea that they are worth a lot more than the materials they are made out of. Along with that, ideas are commonly used to increase the wealth of a person or company (although not many ideas do this). Ideas are not the modern currency, but the modern currency is fueled by an idea.
ReplyDeleteI liked the part in the book about including humor in presentations. I always try to put humor into my presentations. It can be a clever anecdote, subtle jokes, blatant randomness, an unexpected turn, or even just throwing your friend into a black hole on screen. It is also important to keep things moving. If the audience begins laughing historically, it is important to calm them down and get them back on track. If the opposite happens and the audience doesn't understand a joke or doesn't think it's funny, move on and don't let it bother you. If they don't think it's funny then don't force the joke. I also reread my jokes over and over to myself until I am comfortable saying it the way I want in front of a crowd. It helps the joke to really get to them. Humor is important because it makes people pay more attention to what you are saying and, ultimately, makes it a lot better.
I also like the Idea that "we're all in sales now." I would like to just imagine what the world would be like if no one ever marketed and sold their ideas. It would probably be pretty empty and a few key inventors would be a lot better off than the rest of society. I also think that inventors aren't always the ones to market their own ideas. Steve Wozniak created the very first Apple products, but it took Steve Jobs to actually sell them. Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb, but he bought the patient for it and began rapidly selling it to tons of people. Nickola Tesla invented tons of things he never sold to anyone (including microwave and X-ray technology).
"Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice." This is something everyone should take note of when putting together and giving presentations. People come from different backgrounds and have different views of things, so there is bound to be many opinions and aspects of your presentation that some people won't like. It is important to take only information that adds to your presentation and your voice. You don't want a presentation that looks like a fight on the internet. You want it to look like something you would show to your friend and casually talk about. This will add uniqueness and lead to a much better presentation.
Talk Like Ted also talks about the three parts to an inspiring presentation: Emotional, Novel, and Memorable. I know that if I feel emotionally connected to a speaker, it leads the speech to be a lot more memorable to me. I always like to entertain people with things they can relate and make connections to in my speeches. It helps people to become much more invested in what I am saying.
Jace,
Delete"Ideas are the Currency of the Twenty-First Century." I believe in this quote. Except I looked at it in a different way than you have. When you look at ideas as currency try not taking it in a literal way. We use currency to buy new things that we may like/want. Ideas and the communicating/sharing of new ideas is what is going to change the world. We are using ideas as a currency to create and change are world and make something new and creative. So in a informal way of interpreting the quote above we are using ideas to 'buy' ourselves a more advanced way of living.
I agree with Riley. The author wasn't suggesting that ideas can be used in exchange for items and goods. I think that she was suggesting that the importance and usefulness of ideas can be equal to or even greater than that of any currency. Money is meaningless unless the object that you are buying is worth while. The potential of a good idea is endless.
Delete1. The Ted Talk conference has grown very much since 1984. It started out as a onetime event, and then 6 years later grew to a 4 day conference. Now today there are 5 Ted Talk events organized every day. This shows how much people today are more intrigued by developing inventions.
ReplyDelete2. To become noticed you need to stand out. If you are going to present at a Ted talk you are surrounded by brilliant people. Brilliant people only want to listen to brilliant ideas. The TED conference is has expounded significantly over the years and is now located in more than 130 countries.
3. "People who are masters in their field have a different way of seeing the world." People who are masters in their field are able to see the big picture. The masters have been through the struggle and the stress of creating masterpieces. A Master sees the world as one big opportunity to change the world.
4. "Passionate, powerful, and inspiring communication is one of those forces that moves and shapes us." Communication is the key to creating new innovations that will inspire others. Ideas will spread quickly if presented by passionate people. If I present something with passion my passion on the subject will spread to whom I am presenting to and will inspire them to spread my idea.
5. "Like it or not, we're all in sale now." The history of the TED conference is intriguing. It signifies how important sharing ideas has changed compared to earlier days. The TED talk started out as a single day event once a year in 1986. Today there are more than five TED talks organized daily. Sharing brilliant ideas is the key to innovation.
I aslo found it interesting how much TED talks have grown. It started out so small but grew to be so popular.
Delete"Ideas are the Currency of the Twenty-First Century." I can see how this is both true and false. An idea can turn into something very promising, and in return that can make, in some cases, a large profit for the holder of the idea. Now on the other hand, you can't walk into Hugo's and buy $100 of groceries and say, "here is a great idea I have, it should cover my groceries." You obviously can't do that, so I have a split opinion on saying ideas are the new currency of the 21st century,
ReplyDelete"Passion leads to mastery and your presentation is nothing without it". This is very true. Your passion for something will eventually lead you to become a master in it. Now for presentation purposes, you need to have a passion for whatever you are presenting on, because that will lead you to mastery, (froiland), and mastery will get you one heck of a presentation that makes people lean back in their seats and say, "WOW". And that is what you want to do whenever you present something, whether it be in front of 600 people or in front of a classroom of your peers. Be great in whatever you do.
$475 bucks to get into a TED talk? Really? That seems like a ridiculous amount of money to sit in an auditorium and listen to someone talk. I know that I personally would never pay that much money to get into one, but for the people who will spend that, more power to you. I can see how it would be a great experience to listen to a person give a TED talk.
Based off of the intro, this seems like a book that is really going to be based on perfecting your speaking ability. Now this might get boring to read, but it is so important. If you have a good speaking voice, people will listen to you. When you get people listening to you, you never know which people are out there listening, and if the right person is listening, that could lead to some good opportunities
"Great communicators reach your head and touch your heart". So so so true. A person with truly great communication skills will make you feel welcome and make you feel like you mean something. They will inspire you to be the best that you can be.
I agree that TED talks are expensive, But if you think about it people pay that much to go to concerts or professional games. If it's your passion you will pay whatever it takes to see it live and have a chance to meet people that influenced your life.
DeleteI agree with you passion leading to mastery idea. When you are passionate about something you tend to know a lot about it, which eventually lead to mastery. Think of this in a career sense. If you are passionate about your job then you will be happy with it. The same goes for speaking.
DeleteI like your comment on the price of getting into a TED talk, and I like Alex's response. That is so true, people think it is crazy to spend that much money to listen to someone. But really that's what we doing when we pay that much to go to a concert or to a professional game, we are going to listen to someone or watch someone doing something they're passionate about.
Delete5 Takeaways:
ReplyDelete1- "There's nothing more inspiring than a bold idea delivered by a great speaker." I find this very true because if you have ever listened to an inspiring Ted talk or button poetry you feel like you could conquer anything. Any obstacle in your way seems like a hill instead of a mountain. This sense of being able to conquer everything may only last a short while. But it gives people a sense of security.
2- Internet has really impacted how people spread ideas. Take the TED talk for instance. Even though it was created in 1984 it just became popular in the last 5 years. This is because of the internet. Videos of TED talks are put up online everyday. Allowing people to have a source for motivation, inspiration, and ideas they might not have thought of before.
3- Another take away from the introduction I liked was we are all in sales. This is really relevant to my life as a senior because of the recent experience I had with selling myself to colleges and coaches. You put yourself out there and hope that what you have is what the "buyer" wants. The application to many colleges is almost like selling yourself (except you pay them haha) you put all of what you got on the line.
4- Another topic I liked during the introduction was the part that mentioned the emotional part of speeches. If you get up and give a speech on something that you have no passion or knowledge of you won't reach the heart of your audiences, When watching TED talks you can feel and see the emotion that the presenter is giving his/her audience. They become one with their subject and give it 150%.
5-Another thing I took away from this introduction was the part that talked about how you become memorable. Nobody will remember what you said if you don't give it to your audience in a memorable way. Be memorable be authentic in your ways. That's the only way you will reach your audience and get across your ideas.
The part about being memorable stood out to me too, but I did not put in in my takeaways. I like it because no one wants to be forgotten, and with TED talks you have to leave an impression or else people will be let down.
DeleteAs lazy as it may sound, the first sentence "ideas are the currency of the twenty-first century" really resonated with me. I like this idea for more than one reason. First, I like it because the author is acknowledging the importance of ideas. In today's world, ideas are crucial to any form of success. Secondly, I feel like she suggests that the value of money is shrinking in comparison to other things that can be valued, such as ideas.
ReplyDeleteAnother takeaway would be how successful TED became only after the founders decided that their purpose should be based on spreading ideas that can only benefit humanity. I think we all know how easy it is to become famous for something that is less than respectful, but I think it is much easier to remain influential when your purpose is meaningful to your viewers in a positive way.
I also noticed how the presentation techniques of TED are so similar to those of Steve Jobs; arguably the most successful man of my lifetime. Obviously, there is a general rhythm that one can follow and use in their presentations, along with their very own revolutionary idea, that can give them a very good chance at achieving success. Although these tips and techniques may make competition in any field much more rigorous, I think that this can lead to bigger and better things for humanity in even shorter time.
Although the author slid this fact in kind of nonchalantly, I really find it important that TED offers all of their TED Talks on their website FOR FREE. For me, this just adds to their claim that their ultimate goal is to spread information worth spreading. TED could easily make a significant profit on all they have accomplished by charging people to view the presentations, but, obviously, they are motivated by things other than greed.
Similar to my previous takeaway, the author states that her goal for her viewers is for them to first (and most importantly) find their voice, and secondly, possibly find their fortune. I'm excited to find out if this author's priorities mirror those of TED; of ideas over money, voice over image, etc. If that is the case, I think this book will be very easy to enjoy.
I also like the author stated her goal for the book. I think it will help me with reading the book as opposed to some other books that I did not understand.
Delete1) Bryan Stevenson did not use any props in his TED Talk and managed to get the longest standing ovation in TED history. To intrigue people enough without any visual aid to get a long standing ovation must take a lot of passion. I know personally I could not do a presentation that long without any props, which makes the feat even more impressive in my eyes.
ReplyDelete2)TED Talks started as a one time event in 1984. Nowadays there are at least 5 Talks a day at places around the world. I find it amazing that something like TED talks can have enough influence over people to causing it to grow that much. 2005 is when TED talks became known at a global level, from there it spread even more and most likely by the power of the internet.
3) "Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your inner voice." I like this quote because I myself am a quiet person. I don't tend to voice my opinions very often and when I do I usually agree with the majority. It might be because I am afraid of being told my opinion is wrong when in fact an opinion is never wrong.
4) "Great communicators reach your head and touch your heart" I think this is an excellent tip for speaking to a group of people. Try and find some way to connect with the audience and leave an impression on them after you're done.
5)An 18 minute presentation is the ideal time to get your point across. I found this strange because 18 minutes is not very long when you get down to it. If you get me talking about the right subject (like track or hockey) I could talk for at least an hour. My guess is you have to try and get your main points figured out and narrow it down. In the book it even says it is scientifically proven that 18 minutes is the perfect time to get your point across.
1) I like how she talked about Bryan Stevenson and how he didn't use any props or PowerPoint to give his presentation. Just his passion and storytelling alone was enough to captivate the whole audience. I think it would be a huge accomplishment if I could be able to do that one day, but we all have to start somewhere.
ReplyDelete2) I think it was very good for the author to go through and list what she was going to tell us in the book. It gives me a chance to understand what I'm reading about before I read it. Also whether or not I think I will like the chapter or not.
3) A big impact the book had on me was how much TED has grown over the years. I thought it started out online but it turns out it started with only a handful of people together presenting their ideas. Now they have 1.5 million views a day on videos. Granted I don't watch much of TED talks, they are nice to have when you need them because they aren't just random people. These are people who are truly passionate about what they're doing and are sharing their secrets with you. So why not take them?
4) "There's nothing more inspiring than a bold idea delivered by a great speaker" I like this saying because hearing someone truly passionate about what they're talking about can really make a person change what they think. Just like with Reynolds' first post, Donald Trump isn't liked by everyone because he speaks the truth, and he speaks the truth very well. He is a great speaker because he is passionate about what he's talking about and actually KNOWS what he's saying, not just making things up as he goes.
5) My last take away is how the author states "Humor is unique to each presenter and it must be incorporated into your personal style of presenting." I can connect so much more to a presenter when they are able to add a little humor in there. It breaks the ice more and makes the room more relaxed when you can start off with humor and get the audience already intrigued to what you're going to talk about.
5 Takeaways:
ReplyDelete1. The first thing that kind of took me by surprise in the intro was the actual acronym TED. I have always wondered what this stood for (I don't know why I didn't just google it) but I found it interesting. TED stands for Technology, Education, and Design. TED talks, at least the ones I've watched, have always seemed like so much more than those topics. Obviously it probably originated as specifically those topics and that's why they have kept the name. However, education can be interpreted as many things, so it makes sense.
2. This quote has probably been used by a lot of people, but I'm going to offer it as a takeaway anyways. ". . .have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become." As a child and a teenager, I have always wanted to join the military. In the past couple of years, I have had a lot of people discourage me from doing this (especially some of my family) and at first I listened to what they said. But after having some influential people in my life help me rediscover this passion, I haven't looked back since. You could definitely say that my heart and intuition knew what I wanted all along.
3. Another thing I took away from the intro was from the section titled "We're All In Sales Now." Right in the beginning of this section, Gallo notes how the most popular TED speakers give presentations that stand out in a sea of ideas. The first thing I thought of after reading that line was Reynolds book shelf next to his desk. A lot of these books look exactly the same, or like they are about more or less the same ideas. However, there have obviously been some authors/books that have stuck out to him (Seth Godin, this book, etc.) otherwise he wouldn't have assigned them to entire classes.
4. My fourth takeaway is from the section of the intro that talks about delivering an emotional speech. Thinking back to all of the TED talks that I've watched, I really can't think of one that hasn't been emotional. Or, I should say, that hasn't at least been passionate. Some speakers are obviously more passionate/ emotional then others, but they have all had that element in their presentation.
5. My final takeaway is that better-than-average communicators are generally more successful than other people, but great communicators start movements. I don't necessarily think that this means that to be a great communicator you just have to be louder than everyone else. When I think about the most influential leaders/ captains I've had, I remember how a lot of them lead by example. More often than not, I think that speaks louder than any words possibly could.
1.) I love this quote, “Ideas, effectively packaged and delivered, can change the world.” I really do believe this statement is true. An idea that can be packaged and delivered gives people ideas and hope that they can use to change the world, hopefully for the better.
ReplyDelete2.) Internet was a huge hit, and in 1984 when the first Ted Talk was given, it spread like wildfire and people loved it. It went from it being a 'one time event' to having five a day at places all around the world.
3.) To me, paying 475 dollars to just go in and listen to a Ted Talk is a little too much for me. For people who are very into those talks, it could be a great opportunity for them to hear what the speaker has to say, if they can afford it.
4.) At the very beginning of the introduction, I feel the author did a great job of selling her content that will be shared with us in her book. I like how she tells us that we will be able to wow our audiences and deliver jaw dropping presentations. It makes me want to keep reading because I don't want to give one of those dreadfully boring speeches.
5.) I laughed about the part in the introduction where they talked about how to include humor into your presentation. The best kind of humor is the humor that is made unintentionally. Basically, this means a person needs to have this natural presence that he or she is funny. Do not force the humor, because the audience might not think it is funny. Every speech has to have the component of humor. This way, the audience pays more attention to your speech, and it becomes memorable.