TEDxPSU - Sam Richards - A Radical Experiment in Empathy

Sam Richards is a sociologist and award-winning teacher who has been inspiring undergraduate students at Penn State since 1990. Every semester, 725 students register for his Race and Ethnic Relations course, one of the most popular classes at Penn State and the largest of its kind in the country. Through his natural ability of seeing a subject from many angles, Richards encourages students to engage more fully with the world and to think for themselves — something he did not do until his third year in college. Because of his passion for challenging students to open their minds, an interviewer recently referred to him as "an alarm clock for eighteen-year-olds."



His career began at the age of 24 when he was hired to teach a cybernetics course — just 15 minutes before the first class meeting. He remembers walking into the room without having had a moment to create a lesson plan and greeting his students, "Welcome to the course. I'm your instructor. And if you have no idea what cybernetics is, you're not alone — because I don't either." This characteristic willingness to be playfully transparent in the classroom, along with a talent for making complex ideas understandable and relevant, is the foundation of his success as a teacher.

Richards is also the co-director of the World in Conversation Project at Penn State (www.worldinconversation.org), whose mission is to create a kind of dialogue about social and cultural issues that invites the unexamined, politically incorrect thoughts of participants to the surface so that those thoughts can be submitted to conscious exploration and inquiry. The conversation topics span a range of cultural issues — from U.S. race relations to gender to faith to international racism. This year, nearly 7,000 University Park students will participate in one of more than 1,300 of these unscripted conversations. Furthermore, the project also sponsors video dialogues between Penn State students and students at other universities around the world.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

Arabic translation: Noof Fawzi Alkhamis
Malay translation: Iliani Wan Ahmad Murtadza

Category:

Education

Tags:

• TEDx
• TEDxPSU
• PSU
• Penn State
• 10/10/10
• Sam Richards
• WinC
• World in Conversation Project

[x13nick13x]

Sounds like everything Ron Paul talks about...

[wretchedyo]

@crudhousefull thats the work of the C.I.A. It's a common method, it was also used in most south american countries during the cold war. Secure treacherous tyrants as your "man", feed him money, once in power tell him to make it look like he is unfriendly towards the americans that he works for. In the end, America basically controls that country.

[x13nick13x]

@markusgarvey hahahaha...I'm the brainwashed one... thats funny.

[gregsedefian]

This is perhaps one of the most truthful videos that I have ever seen. So unbiased coming from the source is such a fresh breath of air. I, myself don't see anything but the truth & fairness in all people. This video should be mandatory for everyone to take a see & if you have any ounce of love & justice, you will shut your filthy mouth & open your ears & eyes.

So shut the hell up & listen for once in your life. It might do you good. Since you profess so adamantly of your lover of God. 

[markusgarvey]

@x13nick13x oh and yeah!...he has a body, and a voice, and he wears clothes...just like Ron Paul!

[markusgarvey]

@x13nick13x you are brainwashed... not everything is about Ron Paul...he is a racist, bigot, sexist and a liar...talk about a sheeple!...you fit the bill...i can prove everything i just said too...

[marwasuleban]

i don't blame all Orthodox Jews, i know a few of them i think they are peaceful people. However the secular Jews are to blame, the mainstream secular Jews who think Palestine is an evil country full of suicide bombers.

I don't blame Americans too, i think they are just mislead by the US media, they are not told of what really is going on such as: US military expenditure is over $700billion a year, they give Israel $3billion a year (on military), Egypt $+1billionaire a year (on military)

[Phycon2000]

@hamoolio127 Your using a religious ethnicity to exclaim who is hating this. The obvious point of this video is to get rid of pompous morons who do this. I think you missed the entire point of this video.

(Not all) Jewish people are pompous morons, before you say they are.

[RonGego]

We need to begin with proper education. Every one of us can do that if we will. Look at ancient Greeks, they had almost ideal state politics, education and agriculture. Modern people are like cavemen comparing to them.(2)

[RonGego]

Most radical war is being waged in the minds of people. Physical war is only the final result of the battle which had been led in the realm of minds. So if people are to be strong and able to withstand violence and destruction, they need to learn to win the war in mind realm first. It is being waged by means of words, images, and other propaganda. (1)

[yahmana]

I can't believe that I got hooked to this video, I took my laptop to washroom with me

[hamoolio127]

60 jews