Technology: A Vehicle For Amazing Creation

Today's TED talk actually features two different talks.  These talks both use technology in a powerful way to impact an audience and tell a story.

The first, is an extraordinary performance by a dance troupe... a small, metallic dance troupe.  You guessed it, robots.  Bruno Maisonnier or Aldebaran Robotics choreographs a group of tiny humanoid Nao robots.  It's amazing!  Their performance brings us on a journey, soaring past just "Wow!" to a incredible realization at the complexity and depth of their surprisingly emotional piece.  The power of technology to evoke emotion rings loudly in this talk.  Let it be an inspiration, not just to those I know who are interested in robotics or dance, but anyone who is looking to create art that moves people.  See Dance, Tiny Robots here.

The second talk involves an aspect of technology that I am quite new to: emoticons.  Even though most of you, I would bet, are very fluent in the "developing language" of emoticons, I, myself, basically rely solely on the smily face to punctuate my emotions :).  If you had asked me before, I would say the need for elements of punctuation to represent emotions only shows that our writing lack power and strong description; however, after seeing this talk, I think I'm jumping on board!

Performance artist and storyteller Rives has been called "the first 2.0 poet," using images, video and technology to bring his words to life. Full bio

A Junior Varsity Cheerleader!

His Ted Talk A Story of Mixed Emoticons is creative and engaging.  It is a typographical fairytale that is "both short and bittersweet."   It's a whole new type of storytelling!  

I encourage all of you out there to let these two unique, but creative, TED talks plant seeds of creativity in your imagination as you consider how you can take storytelling and art to the next level.  Let the technology in your hands be the vehicle to create something amazing!

Enjoy!

TED TAlk #6- What Does It Take to Become a Master

Everyone wants the easy route.
The quickest way to get somewhere.  Why waste time?
They enter an address into the GPS just to find a way to get to a destination a little bit quicker.
No, don't go this way.  Go that way!  It will shave 3.457 minutes off your driving time.
3.457 minutes.... Phew, that was a close one.  What a waste it could have been. That's time you can never get back.
We are always rushing.
Fastest is better.
Quicker.
Shortcuts.

Well, that may work when we are driving around town, but that's not how it is in the real life.

Usually when someone focuses on the fastest way, they ignore the best way. How many times have you sped through a project, just to get it done.  Sure, it's a little messy.  The details are not quite developed.  Some parts may be missing.  You may have finished quickly, but show no spirit of excellence.

This is a problem.

If we truly want to be excellent at something, we need time: time to create, time to think, time to practice, time to bounce ideas around, time to play, time to explore, time to master.

You want to be a master.... a master of something :)  I challenge you to find your passion, like our TED talk speaker today, whatever it may be.  Find that passion and then throw yourself into it.  Don't just take the easy way out.  Don't just throw things together and call it a day.  Take the time.  Use the energy.  Dive deep.  Have a spirit of excellence.  After, weeks, months, years, decades... you may be able to call yourself a master one day.

It took a long time for our speaker today to find his passion.  He failed at so many other things.  He was told he was dumb.  Told he wouldn't amount to anything.  Told he was a disappointment. Then, one day,  he found it.  What he was most passionate about: the yo-yo!

Today, check out  Japanese yo-yo world champion BLACK as he tells his inspiring story of finding his life's passion, and gives an awesome performance that will make you want to pull  your yo-yo out of the closet.

Let his talk inprise you to find or jump into your own dreams!

You deserve a chance to be excellent.

You owe it to yourself to become a master.

TED Talk #5: Technology + Magic = Awesome

I'm ready to yell it from the top floor of the Deering Middle School so that all the world can hear:  Marco Tempest is amazing!  Forget fake sawing people into two pieces.  Who cares about a never ending flower bouquet that turns into a bunch of scarves.  Bunny in a hat, pssshhhh.  They are so 2010.

Techno-Magicians are way better!

What is a techno-magician?

Basically, they are magicians that combine technology and magic. Marco Tempest is the only one I've ever really seen perform, but I plan on checking out more!

Since we do have a budding magician in our Genius Hour ranks, I thought his TED Talk- Augmented Reality, Techno-Magic would be a great talk to share.

Using sleight-of-hand techniques and charming storytelling, illusionist Marco Tempest brings a jaunty stick figure to life onstage at TEDGlobal.

Sit back and enjoy the show.
And
Yes....
Try this at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I Grow Up, I want to be a YouTuber! TED Talk #3

When I grow up, I want to be a doctor, photographer, policeman, fireman, teacher, veterinarian, YouTuber!  Wait, what?!  A YouTuber?!

If any child mentioned YouTuber on a list of dream jobs ten years ago, people wouldn't have had a clue what he was talking about.  Boy, has things changed.

Media has changed.  Communication has changed.  No longer is the Internet a place for professionals and computer geniuses only.  Everyday people are creating and jumping in the deep side of the Web.  It's the ultimate technological power-to-the-people movement.  In this case, the power to create video.  

The pool of video online is wide and deep!  Sometimes funny.  Sometimes sweet.  Some well made.  Some  very well made, but, honestly, most are really, really, really bad.

What fascinates me is that even a horrendously horrible video can still score hundreds of thousands of views. That's right, hundreds of thousands.  It's crazy!

Why do some videos go viral and some fizzle out?  What is the key to getting a large audience for that video of your cat playing the piano?

This guy knows.  I bring you this weeks TED Talk from Kevin Allocca.

Kevin Allocca is YouTube's trends manager.  That means he gets paid to watch YouTube videos all day!  He's got some deep thoughts about web video today.  In this talk from TEDYouth, he shares the 4 reasons a video goes viral.

Here's the link.

Enjoy the video and keep those cameras running when you, your friends, your cat, your parakeet, your dog, your grandpa, or your brother does something interesting.  You never know who will be the next trend in YouTube videos.