TED Presentations

Overall, I think the TED presentations were a success. I was sick for the presentations last year, so I can't really make specific comparisons between last year and this year. Nevertheless, I can generally say that the process was much smoother this year. The criteria for grading was less subjective, so we were more aware of what was expected of us. Google sites was an efficient tool that we learned to use to communicate with our group members and organize our thoughts.

Still, the project wasn't without complications. First of all, the video selection process seemed inconsistent, since many got their first choice topics, but some people didn't get any of their three choices. In addition, there was a lot of confusion among the upperclassmen. Juniors and seniors seemed to think less was expected of them, so in the earlier stages, they didn't feel the need to contribute as much.

I also disagreed with some aspects of the grading system. I don't think it's fair for this grade to have such a huge influence in some of our subjects, especially foreign language. We didn't use Spanish at all throughout the whole process, so I don't think it makes sense to make the TED project worth a test grade in that class.

Despite these issues, the presentations were interesting to watch and listen to. I think we all were inspired by these TED presenters and their ideas to improve our future. I would be interested in continuing this project in the coming years, as long as these issues are addressed and solutions are developed.