TED-Ed

About six months ago, a friend from high school sent me a message telling me about an opportunity to create a video lesson on any subject. TED, of the well-known TED talks, was opening up a new venture called TED-Ed, inviting teachers to submit lesson ideas or others to nominate them. I followed through and submitted a lesson idea about the spelling of <one> and <two> — the word one has a /w/ sound but no letter <w>, and the word two has a letter <w> but no /w/, so, you know, that’s fun to look at.

I got an email from Jordan Reeves from TED within a few days, and a phone call a couple days later. Turns out that I had more nominations than anyone else (20-some out of 400ish). “But it’s not a popularity contest,” said Jordan on the phone. “We’re really intellectually invested in your idea.” As we talked, he remarked a couple of times about how spelling is really not something he’d ever thought about before, really not something people think about much.

Exactly.

I wrote a script, edited it with a sharp young editor named Rose Eveleth, cutting it about in half, and let a couple of friends read it along the way. Once it was finalized, the TED folks sent me recording equipment, and I uploaded a couple of sound files, and they paired me up with animator David Bernal. David found his own story in my words, and brought it to life. He was stellar to work with. I saw an animated storyboard first, which I loved, and then this live-action video, which I also love.

I’m really happy to share it with you here. Please share it with others!

 

13 Comments

  1. Deb Sensel-Davis says:

    onederful!

  2. Fabulous Gina! I have never seen a TED Talk done like this, with animation and no video of the speaker but it is so effective! Congratulations!

  3. Gail Venable says:

    This is terrific, Gina. Thought-provoking, informative, eye-catching. So many layers of information. Should get people cooking.

  4. Marcia Johnson says:

    Bravo Gina….the one and only!

  5. I love all of your comments. Share the video with folks who might also enjoy it!

  6. Old Grouch says:

    ” … almost enough to make you cry!” – OK, I’m crying – with intense emotion.

    If anyone had ever told me that I would live to see such a thing I would have laughed them to scorn. The world is no longer the same place as it was at the beginning of the week.

    Thanks for all that you are doing, Gina, for being there, and for being who you are.

  7. Beverly Harms says:

    Lovely … and inspiring. Thank you! I will share this.

  8. Dan Allen says:

    Incredible video, Gina. What an inspiration. To celebrate the tidiness of our language rather than lament its “oddities”…what a concept!

  9. This is too good not to share. I just posted a link to the video on my Don Potter Spelling Book Reference page.

  10. Paula Conroy says:

    Gina,

    Well done! Clear, Concise and presented in an eloquent manner. Love the animation.

    Paula

    Children’s Dyslexia Center of Metropolitan Chicago
    “A Scottish-Rite Masonic Charity”
    Paula Conroy, Director
    441 S. Ninth Avenue Bldg. #5
    La Grange, IL 60525
    (708) 588-0091 fax (708) 588-0608
    Website:https://www.childrensdyslexiacenterchicago.org/

  11. Mary McBride says:

    Elegant and luxurious, Gina. Can’t wait to share it with my staff and many classrooms!

  12. Once again, you have amazed me!

  13. Susan says:

    Loved it and am showing it this week to my classes.

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