TEDxDirigo - Zoe Weil - The World Becomes What You Teach

[foldijoseph]

wow what ever happened to the truth :-)))



[foldijoseph]

we're all born knowing the same truth...our lives consist of how we choose to distort it.

woody allen

[GoldStarHoneybees]

Zoe - one year later and this talk still resonates deeply with me. Thank you so much for the concept of SOLUTIONARIES.

[ZoeWeil]

@GoldStarHoneybees Thanks so much!

[wisewords7]

... pupils will be more motivated, engaged and energised in, for instance, apparently cumbersome work involving data handling, because there could be a synthesis between the raw mathematical skills needed to comprehend the data and the linguistic and political interpretations that can be brought out in presenting that data. (If the data concerned human rights, GDP of countries etc. rather than the number of marbles 'John' threw!!) All in all I appreciate the talk and will share it with my peers!

[wisewords7]

@ZoeWeil As a twenty-one year old trainee Secondary Mathematics teacher in the UK, this talk was especially relevant to me! I am a total idealist and I love the way you have refused to bow down to the 'school of thought' that says because education is as universal as it has ever been, the quality of it is as good as it could be. In particular, I appreciate your concept of the overarching themes and in (seemingly isolated) subjects like mathematics, this could actually even raise attainment as...

[diannako]

great talk! very inspiring :)



[twentytwelveinc]

and Thank you for the work you are doing! The world needs you! =)

[twentytwelveinc]

This is already happening at Waldorf schools around the world! Education for the body, mind and soul - really outstanding and the graduates are some of the best people on the planet. Check it out. We are at Waldorf School of Orange County and LOVE it.

[ZoeWeil]

@twentytwelveinc I agree that it's happening in Waldorf schools to some degree. Our son went to a wonderful Waldorf school from age 4-14. I would like to see humane education taught more intentionally, though, with age-appropriate exposure to global challenges and a focus on bringing creativity and critical thinking to bear on problem-solving through the block pedagogy.

[twentytwelveinc]

@ZoeWeil Great that you are familiar with Waldorf, I shouldn't be surprised given your mission. I can't speak too much about the lower school, but I've just started teaching High School Physics, Math and Science at WSOC and I have to say that for our campus anyway - we have and do put a tremendous emphasis on who we are in relationship to the rest of the world (universe - in Astronomy - yay Star Trek!), but I would love to hear some of your specific ideas on how to help create problem-solvers.

[ZoeWeil]

@twentytwelveinc Fantastic that you are doing this an the H.S. level! I'm much less familiar with Waldorf high schools than elementary schools. I have long hoped that a Waldorf teacher, also trained in Humane Education, would create blocks for Waldorf primary, middle and high schools in humane education. Maybe you??? Please do visit the Institute for Humane Education website if you'd like to learn more about what we offer. Thanks for teaching!

[twentytwelveinc]

@ZoeWeil If I send an email to you through the website contact us page will it reach you? A few questions & ideas... =)

[ZoeWeil]

@twentytwelveinc you can send an email using my first name at our URL. I wish YouTube didn't make it harder to just post a website or email! You can also send an email to me through our website.

[HKLaurie]

Thanks for responding to my comment. You hit a raw nerve of mine (rampant overconsumption & waste) so I completely missed the fact that your tongue was indeed 'in your cheek.' Thanks for pointing that out. I purchased you book last night and look forward to reading it.

[HKLaurie]

I love the idea of this and like other respondents have forwarded this speech to some of the teachers at my children's school. But with the regard to the true price of the T-shirt (I would have said 'cost') I can't agree that one of the benenfits is that it was produced cheaply so Zoe can buy more. One of the 'solutions' for our age must be for people to pay more & buy less. Pay for quality, cleaner manufacturing, better wages for workers etc. Buy less quantity & less pollution, less waste.

[ZoeWeil]

@HKLaurie I completely agree with you. That comment was supposed to be humorous and tongue-in-cheek (which was why it drew a laugh from the audience). I'm sorry that it didn't come across this way to you. Good point in the words "price" v. "cost" - I will think about that for the future. Thanks for your comments.

[killaurnext]

tempted to be the first dislike....

[ZoeWeil]

@killaurnext Would be interested to hear your critique if you want to share it with me.

[killaurnext]

@ZoeWeil forgot my critique...something along the lines of getting public schools to incorporate this way of education would be difficult, and teaching things such as "creativity"...how exactly do you plan on teaching that?

[ZoeWeil]

@killaurnext great question - I could answer it at length if you wanted to contact me through our website at the Institute for Humane Education (can't post it here because of youtube rules, but you can easily find it). Our whole organization works to operationalize the ideas in the TEDx talk. We have about 100 free downloadable activities, workshops, online courses, and graduate programs all to help people become humane educators and do this work.

[EcoChicBoutique]

Thank you, you have given me further inspiration in homeschooling my children. They already garden, recycle and preach good stewardship with my husband and me, but I can't wait to see them change the world. I think we will be adding a 'real cost' lesson in every week.

[Kidzinky]

Thank you Zoe. It doesn't matter which generation you come from, the opportunity to model and teach conscious living to others is powerful! You're right, we must always look for ways to empower our children to be solutionaries no matter where they choose to go in life.

[KilaNalu]

Beautiful Zoe. Thank you.

[greenhownow]

A generation of solutionaries would be pretty radical.

[TealAlloy]

Thank you for putting into words what I've been thinking for so long, Zoe. MOGO should be common sense, but alas, as we can see by some of the comments here, it is not. I guess there's nothing common about common sense, at least not yet.

[nukboyjman]

There ar too many answers for the problems of today that it makes it way too complex. Get to the source. The source of most human prblems all began when some fool said a shinny piece of rock (gold) was more valuable than a tomatoe that feeds your family.

[nukboyjman]

Hence my biggest problem with this speech. This woman reaks of self righeousness and t see no difference between this and a con artist who scams an elderly peson of there savings. The only solution is simple people it has happened time and time again in human history, revolution.Revolution by no leader or idea but by the people and when all is said and done and the crooks are ousted then it is time for these types of speeches. Anything in between is selfish and a scam because there is no change

[nukboyjman]

Anyone that hands there time out for free is definatly worth recognition, I do so as well. However that is completely an off topic response. You are an intelligent writer/speaker to make my comments look 'mean but not so mean.'Unfortunatly it's that sit on both sides of the fence attitude that easily attracts followers and deep down comes from a mind that understands manipulation very well. And in essence all negative's in the world can be devolved to the source of man's manipulation of evrythin

[ZoeWeil]

@nukboyjman I mentioned volunteering my time simply because you wrote that my "easy answers" were "making this woman money" - not off topic, but a direct response to your assumption which wasn't correct.

[vijishellboy]

Amazing talk lady! you're awesome :-)

[dramos0519]

Wow, Zoe, you continue to inspire me...this time for your tolerance. I wouldn't have even graced that drivel with a response, much less one written so thoughtfully. You don't want to know what mine would have said!

[nukboyjman]

AHAHAHA LIFE AIN'T THAT SIMPLE WOMAN. Anyone inspired by this is probably her age and paart of that lovely generation thatmessedthing up and now wants to tell everyone what to do.allllot of easy answers making this woman money and all you inspired fools are suckers. SCHOOL TUITION IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS OF THIS MESSED UP ECONOMY. All you animal humpers have given up on humanity because you did your damage and now want it to stop staring you in the eyes. resourcebasedeconomyisonlysolu­tion

[ZoeWeil]

@nukboyjman I'm so sorry you feel this way. I do want to tell you that I work as a full-time volunteer at the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), making no money at all for this work. Any honoraria for my speaking (and I received none for my TEDx talk) goes directly to IHE. I agree that my generation (and the generations before me) have messed things up, and the current generation continues this trend. I hope to play some role in changing that.

[RugbyLiker]

@nukboyjman Fittnylle. Why so negative? This women NEEDS to work with Obama and other powerfull governments!! :)

[alika207]

@ZoeWeil Great! Thanks so much!

[alika207]

This is one of the most amazing speeches I've ever heard. Amen sister! (Loud applause and screaming!)

[ZoeWeil]

@alika207 Thank you so much! If you want to learn more about how to put these ideas into practice, please visit The Institute for Humane Education (can't post website here, but you can google it). We'd got lots of free resources, plus online courses, workshops, a Summer Institute for educators, and graduate programs.

[georgeryon]

We read an TFK article in class today about an elementary that reused 2200 pounds of Mardi Gras beads and turned them into artwork. My immediate focus went to the students of this school. I don't know who actually came up with the idea but I still believed in what I said to them. I told them that children are creative. That if they think they couldn't solve a problem, they were wrong. Children are the best at it and that they should give it a try sometime.

[earthday78]

Love it! We make Ashtrays from Cigarette Butts, this inspires me!

[freefromharmblog]

Very profound speech. I'm inspired.

[freefromharmblog]

Very profound speech. I'm inspired.

[purposefirst]

BRILLIANT! Zoe's idea would change school from being boring, to interesting and meaningful, while still teaching the usual fundamentals. And it would actually lead to a better world!

[saintmaur]

Super speech, Zoe. Makes me remember our workshop together in 2010. Best of luck to you and your part of the "Great Work."

[momobud12]

Zoe, that was an inspiring talk. Bravo! I'll be looking out for all your future endeavors.

mob145@aol.com

[ZoeWeil]

@momobud12 Thank you for such a wonderful comment! Makes my day! I hope you'll share my talk with others. All best, Zoe

[momobud12]

Zoe, that is one of the best ideas I've ever heard. It is so simple, yet so powerful and makes such sense! You are an amazing visionary. Thank you...

mob145@aol.com

[nancyouyang]

We need a bigger vision for purpose of schooling, and I believe that it should be this: That we provide every student with the knowledge, the tools, and the motivation to be conscientiousness choicemakers and engaged changemakers for a restored and healthy and humane world for all. Or another way of putting it. I believe that we need to graduate a generation of solutionaries. 4:44

[nancyouyang]

3:52

The problem is that many of those graduates would go on to perpetuate and perhaps even exacerbate some of the problems that I just mentioned earlier. The problem is that that purpose is too small and it's outmoded for today's world.

[nancyouyang]

and let's imagine further that every single one of them is able to find a decent job paying a liveable wage, or go to college and find such such a job, or go to college and graduate school and find such a job, so that we have 100% employment. Would we think that we had been successful in our goals for schooling? Well I think that most of us would say yes.

[nancyouyang]

If we asked people, "What's the purpose of schooling? " most of them are going to say something like this: Well it's to provide the basics of verbal, mathematical, and scientific literacy, so that our graduates can find jobs and compete in the global economy.

3:14

So let's do a thought experiment. Let's imagine that every child graduates from high school and does so having passed their No Child Left Behind tests with flying colors.

[nancyouyang]

2:15

and, I discovered the solution and I'm going to share it with you today. There's actually just one system that we just need to tweak a little bit. And if we do that, we can solve every problem in the world. And that key system is: schooling.

2:37

Now, there's a definite silence in the room. Because I realize that the world schooling is probably the most uninspiring word in the English language. But that's because we have a very small perception of what schooling can be.

[nancyouyang]

small transcript: 1:44| in the face of global warming, and escalating worldwide slavery, and alarming rates of species extinction, and war and poverty and genocide, and institutionalized forms of oppression and cruelty toward both people and animals in a host of industries, it is very hard to imagine that we can actually create that star trek future. it seems very pie in the sky. | 2:08 | and yet I've spent my whole adult life working toward that future

[xjustamem0ryx]

if the world becomes what you teach, then I foresee a lot of spaghetti noodles in the future!

[RaceRelationsProject]

Solutionaries. Yessss. The world has always had them and today we have more of them thinking and dreaming of radical solutions than ever before. People like Zoe are needed simply to help these folks to see that that are "playing" on a very large team. Zoe, you have a very simple and yet a very powerful message. Thanks.

[Refutingnonsense]

Well I think that striving for that startrek future is pretty silly. Especially when we know that times are getting worse and they are predestined to get even more evil. The problem is not what you teach, (in some cases it will influence a lot thats a given) but the problem is human nature. Human nature is evil whether you teach a kid right or wrong, his or her nature will pull them towards evil nonetheless, only rescue from that is God.

[innerbond]

Bring SelfQuest into school is one way to start this.

[doctorkazoo]

Very lovely and sincere woman with a hypnotic sort of a lilting delivery. She’s completely unrealistic though and I don’t think she’d last too long on Kirk’s or Picard’s enterprise. Still…it’s nice to see something intelligent on YouTube now and again!

[ZoeWeil]

@doctorkazoo I hope that we can prove you wrong about the unrealistic part ;) and say it aint so that I wouldn't last on Kirk's or Picard's starships! I'm crushed!

[doctorkazoo]

@ZoeWeil PART 1: Oh…I didn’t mean to come off like a nasty guy! No “crushing” intended, LOL. Would you, settle for Janeway’s ship? I don’t believe in man made global warming. For every source you can site proving it I can site a source disproving it. I think testing on animals for cosmetic or recreational products is unconscionable. While I also don’t like it for medical purposes I reluctantly concede that if it’s necessary for the development (more)

[doctorkazoo]

@ZoeWeil PART 2: of drugs that can save our mothers and fathers and siblings and other loved ones then I must be done. I would hope and expect that these types of test would be carried out as humanely as possible.  Other than that I don’t really disagree with anything you put forth in this lecture but I just don’t think our species is as selfless and concerned as your ideals require. And I Would LOVE to be proven wrong!

[eu4ricfic]

Imagine! Zoe Weil is a terrific!

[steftigger]

Has IHE thought about doing a national public charter school movement to establish schools that aim to graduate a generation of "solutionaries?" I am sure quite a few parents, and kids, would be excited about such an opportunity. Thanks for a great talk. And the hope.

[ZoeWeil]

@steftigger great idea!

[Bosoxfanpw7]

We need more than a generation of solutionaries, we need Radical Solutionaries.

[anigeryelpir]

i love her!

[soitgoze]

Brilliant presentation - thank you! I have been saying for many years that, in addition to the old 3 R's, there should be a 4th - Respect. Not just for each other and ourselves, but for the planet and its other inhabitants. We need to teach children as early as possible that respect is key to our progress and our survival.

[ZoeWeil]

@soitgoze Thanks so much! Coincidently, at the Institute for Humane Education we have our own 3 Rs too - one of which is respect! We believe that we need to instill the 3Rs of reverence, respect, and responsibility.

[Rowan0825]

As a recent graduate of the CHES program with USHS, I thank you for this and for all you've done as a pioneer in this field. I hope to have our local community college pick up my course proposal to teach a 101 course this Spring. Wish me luck!

Anna, in Santa Fe, NM

[ZoeWeil]

@Rowan0825 Good luck Anna! That's fantastic!

[floricica85]

What a great and inspirational video!!!

[ZoeWeil]

@floricica85 Thanks so much!

[peepchick101]

You have inspired me! I am going to send this video to all the local high school principals. This needs to happen! There is no reason to not make this change in our school systems. And to make the eventual change in the world and the way we treat it.

[ZoeWeil]

@peepchick101 That's wonderful! Thank you - and I agree!

[tikvahboy]

Great talk Zoe....I am watching it while sitting outside in the desert surrounded by a kirgillion birds and mountains.....I recommend that everyone sit outside and breath and watch this.....And, on a shallower note, you look beautiful in this :)

[ZoeWeil]

@tikvahboy Thank you so much and appreciate the "shallower note" too!

[carrietrixie]

Brilliant. Eloquently expressed! Thanks Zoe. I'll be sure and share this with friends and local elected officials in my community. In the words of Jean Luc in another Star Trek century .... Make it so!

[ZoeWeil]

@carrietrixie I love Jean-Luc. I say "make it so" all the time :) Thanks so much!

[theveganbus]

Right on Zoe, well said! Bring on the Solutionaries!

[ZoeWeil]

@theveganbus Thanks! Bring them on indeed!

[phantomyshkin]

This is a great vision for what is possible for a more humane world. Thank you!

[ZoeWeil]

@phantomyshkin Thanks! And thanks for passing it on to others!

[vfalison]

Thank you for forwarding this video. Human schooling is the solution to the problems in our world. 

[renaissancegal]

Zoe's speech and delivery were really captivating. She could have gone on longer. I have always agreed with the need for humane education. I agree that presented as Zoe demonstrated, students would simply learn it and then "get it."

Kate

[Sherylcatmom]

WHY didn't I learn all this in school? At least it's not too late. I can still be educated and make a difference. Plus anyone who starts with Star Trek has my attention for keeps. THANK YOU, ZOE!

[JohnSakars]

I love this speech too. I found this very inspirational. Go vegan!

[GetBearSmartTV]

Zoe: Have you mentioned your plan to Obama or even the First Lady? Seems to be the best idea I've heard in a VERY long time. I certainly hope your audience was full of teachers! I for one, will do what I can within my own profession to become more of a solutionary! Thanks for broadening my thinking. We all need it ..... no matter how environmentally, socially and ethically responsible we think we are!

[ZoeWeil]

@GetBearSmartTV Thanks SO much! I sent Barack and Michelle copies of my books, and also wrote about this idea on Obama's website. Perhaps others (like you!) can forward this video to them. Maybe if a lot of people do that we can get a true discussion going about the true power of schooling to change the world for the better. Thank you again. - Zoe

[pauladick]

Way to go Zoe.I wish college students would devise a course on solving the problems pertaining to handicap citizens. I would love to see folks like sally living in a community with an organic garden great healthy cooks,online college courses happy young caregivers..a healthy thriving space..I wish you luck in opening the eyes of the unconscious!

[ZoeWeil]

@pauladick That is a fantastic idea Paula. Try to make that happen! It's so important! - Zoe

[debradurham]

Wow! This is a brilliant and inspiring talk. I'd love to see solutionary schooling for people of all ages.

[ZoeWeil]

@debradurham Thank you so much! - Zoe

[444RaCa]

Graduating "solutionaries." I found this inspirational and tangible. I have already forwarded this talk to the principles of the schools my children attend. Powerful ideas here, and what every parent can work with and advocate for. It also reminds us that we are a pivotal piece of the becoming world, and that we can act with awareness and intention. Our imprint makes an impact. We can choose what kind of impact we wish to make.

[ZoeWeil]

@444RaCa I'm so glad! Thanks for forwarding it! - Zoe

[klt3f]

I saw Zoe speak last summer and it was very inspiring. Go, Zoe!

[11andrea13]

Yay Zoe, A standing ovation from me! Thank you for being so strong and true to humane education.

[ZoeWeil]

@11andrea13 You are welcome! Thank YOU! - Zoe

[ooiebear]

love her solutionary idea instead of debate teams!

[amyrmorley]

It’s no exaggeration to say that Zoe Weil's ideas are revolutionary on a personal and global level. Her critical thinking and thoughtful analysis outlines how powerful education could be in creating a sustainable world. It feels like she is revealing something that is right under our nose. And, because of this, we end up feeling incredibly inspired, like a veil has been lifted. We would be wise to pursuit this approach to education and this abundantly joyful pursuit of social justice.

[vegblogger]

Zoe is excellent, as always! The world needs millions of people just like her!

[getvegucated]

Zoe Weil is a visionary. She has changed so many lives, including my own. So glad she did this TED talk. Next stop: White House and Congress? Hope so!

[drawn2inspire]

A motivating, thought-provoking video about how we can create a better world by educating a generation of "solutionaries" and living to our highest ideals. While the problems of the world are complex, the first steps toward addressing them are simple: knowing what's really going on, caring for others, being inspired to want to help.

[mazzoladm]

This video is many things. For parents and educators, it delivers an inspiring and vitally important message about what schooling can - and should do. For all of us, it is a riveting reminder that every new day is a chance to look a little more closely, think a little more critically, act with compassion and strive to be the change we want to see -- and the best human beings we can be.