Once Upon a Time...

Link to Talk:   https://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_emdin_teach_teachers_how_to_create_magic/transcript?language=en#t-396476

The point that the speaker is trying to convince the audience of is that we need to adjust our system of educating teachers so that they are better prepared and equipped to teach, and that those who currently possess these skills are not teachers. Christopher Emdin, the speaker, says that this ability is a sort of magic, but that it can be taught. Emdin began his talk by describing different techniques or methods employed by public education teachers today that are learned and taught in universities who follow a traditional curriculum for educating future teachers. Emdin explains that those he describes who already possess these skills are performers, preachers, and others who interact with people on a daily basis in a more relaxed form. He says it is from these people that future teachers should learn the skills of capturing an audience and storytelling, through immersion in the real world.

The main methods that Emdin uses in his talk to capture the audience are pathos and logos through both anecdotes and pre-existing data. By first appealing to the audience's emotions by describing different people in the world at that moment, such as the student who is trying to come up with a way to convince his parents that he's too sick to go to school and the educators who share their knowledge of the world, Emdin was able to capture their undivided attention because these were all people that the audience was able to relate to. Whether they had been in the situation of one of those people or had interacted with one of them at some point in their life, it was designed so that every individual would be attentive. This was effective in not only achieving its purpose, but also to support his argument as this was the magic that he was explaining and arguing that teachers need to be taught to hold their student's attention. He continues this line of thinking by explaining to the audience how those exceptional educators/storytellers, the performers, people who work in barbershops, the preachers, need to be observed by future educators. To learn the techniques that they use to be so successful in their professions. It is in this part of his talk that Emdin uses logos. Logically arguing that our future educators need to observe those who are best at their craft to be applied in the classroom as it will allow them to better teach and help their students if they are not only interested, but engaged and willing to learn.

The reason why I chose this talk is because I have experienced more types of education systems than the majority of people have, and within those have had both teachers that I have loved because they could get the whole class to pay attention without getting off task and have a good time while learning, as well as others who bore the class half to death and results in students not gaining anything constructive. The other reason is because I care a lot about the education system and how it is done here but believe that change needs to occur. Our education is a huge part of our lives and largely shapes who we become, making us the human that we are. It is for this reason that I believe it is so important and selected this TEDTalk to see what kind of ideas are being presented or examined to make change.

In summary, the purpose of this TEDTalk delivered by Christopher Emdin is to show the audience that change in our system is needed, not only for the young students but for how their educators are educated because that is the source of it all. Emdin was trying to communicate to the audience that although change needs to be made, the sources for this to happen are already present and just not being actively sought and used as we are currently studying theory with no application or experience of it before going into the professional world. Through his communication it seems Emdin is hoping that either someone in the audience, or someone who views the talk later on, may agree with him and make efforts to see these changes in the current systems.