If you’ve ever had me in class, you know I love using TED Talks to help teach just about whatever we are covering on any given day. TED Talks aren’t just something I just use a teaching tool, however.

They’re also something I regularly utilize in my own life to challenge me and make me think about important topics in new and interesting ways. Over the years, TED Talks have challenged me to be better in essential areas of life such as understanding different perspectives, being innovative, critical thinking, fostering healthy relationships, and many more. In short, I watch (or listen to) TED Talks to try to be a better human!

In the spirit of doing a Top 5 list for the Communication Studies Department blog, you’ll see my Top 5 Ted Talks Related to Effective Communication below. These talks can help us think about how to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts. The topics include creativity, using visuals, using data, and powerful speaking devices.

1.      How Schools Kill Creativity by Ken Robinson

2.      How to Speak so That People Want to Listen by Julian Treasure

3.      Teach Teachers How to Create Magic by Christopher Emdin

4.      The Beauty of Data Visualization by David McCandless

5.      Talk Nerdy to Me by Melissa Marshall

As a bonus, I have another recommendation for you related to both TED talks and Dr. Vaughn’s recent blog post on her favorite podcasts.  The TED Radio Hour is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to. In fact, I was listening to an episode on a recent hiking trip when I snapped the picture above! J If you’ve ever enjoyed a TED Talk in one of my classes, then you just might enjoy this podcast.