TED Talk #13: Why Lunch Ladies are Heroes

Think about it...

Who's Your Hero?

Who are the people that you look up to?  The people that inspire you?  The people that you want to be like?



The people that may reside in your head... that you think sometimes, "What would _________ do?"

We all have them.  They may be super heroes, filling comic books with epic adventures, saving cities and fighting against evil.  They may be civil servants like firemen and police officers who put their lives on the line for strangers every day.  They may be professional heroes: doctors, writers, educators, artists, victorious in a specific line of work that we are a part of or hope to be one day.

They may be in the forefront, captivating everyone's attention.

But,
Maybe
They are the ones who smile, who notice, who care- annnnnnd maybe do a kung-fu-punch while serving up both justice and lunch.




To children's book author, Jarrett Kroscoczka, the lunch ladies he grew up with, became those heroes.   Their superpowers might be hidden and undercover, but quiet, unsung heroes have the power to change lives.



Check out Jarrett's TED talk as he shares the origins of the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, in which undercover school heroes serve lunch... and justice!  His new project, School Lunch Hero Day, reveals how cafeteria lunch staff provide more than food and illustrates how powerful a thank you can be.

Celebrate National Lunch Lady Appreciation Day this May 6th!

TED Talk 12: Be the Coffee Bean: Lessons on Adversity from a Super Bowl Champion | Malcolm Mitchell

In this talk, Malcolm Mitchell shares his challenges with football and literacy to explore a new perspective on adversity.

Malcolm Mitchell is a former University of Georgia football player and one of the top ten all-time receivers. After graduating with a Communications major in 2015, Mitchell was drafted by the New England Patriots and went on to become a Super Bowl Champion as a wide receiver.

Among Mitchell’s numerous awards and accomplishments both on and off the field, he considers discovering a love of reading one of his greatest achievements. Initially, reading was a challenge; however, through perseverance, books became an avenue for expanding his curiosity, creativity, and learning. Mitchell has authored and published a children’s book, The Magician’s Hat, created a youth literacy initiative called Read with Malcolm, and established the Share the Magic Foundation to transform children’s lives through literacy.

Check out his talk here!

TED Talk #11: To This Day... For the Bullied and the Beautiful

Today's TED talk comes from an amazing spoken word poet named Shane Koyczan.  His talk is a powerful poem about bullying and feeling different.  His words have affected so many and caused his talk to go viral.  Since we've been addressing the issue of bullying in English class, I felt that this poem deserved a spotlight.  Enjoy his performance, complete with backstory, animation, and even violin accompaniment.  I hope that we walk away today thinking about what we can do to make a difference and ensure that everyone feels important, beautiful, and an integral part of the 8 White Family.

Here is the link to check out his talk.  

TED Talk #10- The Secret of Nature's Creatures Channeled into Robots

There has been a lot of talk of engineering on 8 White lately.  Recruitment of architects, builders, designers.  When scientists, engineers, and designers are looking for inspiration, where do they look? Sometimes inspiration is right in front of you.
So tiny.
So common.
It may go unnoticed.

Inspiration can be found in nature.
As simple as
the cockroach.



I know what you're thinking. Gross.  Just looking at that picture makes me shiver.  But cockroaches are one of the longest living creatures ever.  There must be a reason for their success. 

Maybe that success can be attributed to design.

Biologist Robert Full explains in his interesting (and slightly yucky) TED talk about the aspects of a cockroach's body that helps them adapt to their environment, stay safe, and live a long life grossing us out.  Robotic engineers have been studying the cockroach to see what they can learn and then use in their designs. 

How can robots learn to stabilize on rough terrain, walk upside down, do gymnastic maneuvers in the air and run into walls without harming themselves? Robert Full takes a look at the incredible body of the cockroach to show what it can teach robotics engineers.

Check out his talk here.  

So, the next time you're building a structure, designing a game, or creating at all, look to nature and you may see inspiration crawling across the floor. Try not to squish it. 

TED Talk #9: The Magic Ingredient that Brings Pixar Movies to Life

Anyone interested in art, technology, storytelling, digital graphics, or even Finding Nemo is going to love this chat!!

See how animators create the realistic digital worlds and characters that we've come to love! 

Danielle Feinberg, Pixar's director of photography, creates stories with soul and wonder using math, science, and coding. Go behind the scenes of Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Brave, WALL-E and more, and discover how Pixar interweaves art and science to create fantastic worlds where the things you imagine can become real. This talk comes from the PBS special "TED Talks: Science & Wonder."

Click here to view Danielle's Talk