Trying to find your way around this place? Like most expositions, we offer a map: 
The other day, I passed on a link for an Al Gore talk at a TEDtalks event, but in reality, the reason why I initially went to the site was to check out a talk by Hans Rosling. Briefly:
Hans Rosling is professor of international health at Sweden's world-renowned Karolinska Institute, and founder of Gapminder, a non-profit that brings vital global data to life. With the drama and urgency of a sportscaster, he debunks a few myths about the "developing" world.
You've got to check this out. His talk seriously kicks some ass, in that he does an amazing job of providing insight to a complicated issue in both an entertaining and informative manner. Really, this is the sort of stuff that inspires you as a teacher. Best of all, all of his visual aids are all available for free at gapminder.org.
(Thanks Celeste for the tip)
Comments
Absolutely great! It's amazing how important passion (for lack of a better word) is for anybody who wants to get a message across, or inspire others to action. Combine that with data, and your audience will leave the room fired up!
Posted by: Thinker | October 6, 2006 9:22 AM
I have seen the gapminder interactive graphs before and have to admit that I was mesmorized playing with the data. Seeing it presented by Hans Rosling in such an incredible way - means I will most likely be playing with it again at lunch today.
It also shows how beautiful graphics combined with beautiful presentation can so clearly communicate a message.
You are right, this is exactly what we strive to be as teachers.
Posted by: Katie | October 6, 2006 10:44 AM