7 Must-See TED Talks for Homeschool Families
By: Vickie
Updated on: 18th November 2021
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Hey there! I don’t want to take up too much of your time today since I know you and your family are probably super busy.
Today, I wanted to share with you a few really amazing TED talks I’ve come across over the years that I think are FANTASTIC for homeschoolers.
Some are educational. Others are motivational. All are worth taking the time to listen to.
So, without further ado, here are 7 TED talks I hope you will love as much as I do!
7 Must-See TED Talks for Homeschool Families
Hackschooling Makes Me Happy by Logan LaPlante
In this TED talk, 13-year-old Logan LaPlante talks about that age-old question that adults ask children: What do you want to be when you grow up? And about how kids often just want to be happy and healthy.
The premise of his talk? That the traditional school system is not oriented towards creating a happy and healthy life, but just on making a living – something that Logan feels doesn’t benefit people in the long run.
He talks about how homeschooling promotes innovation, flexibility, creativity, and happiness by giving kids the opportunity to “hack” their education.
Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling by Emilie Wapnick
Another TED speaker who talks about figuring out what you want to be when you grow up is Emilie Wapnick, who talks about being multi-passionate, trying new things, and figuring out what you want to do with your life.
She talked about how she grew up diving deep into a whole bunch of different things and how not being able to stick to just ONE thing was a source of anxiety for her – until she realized that we shouldn’t stick ourselves in a box. We should be able to explore our interests/passions and not be afraid to pursue dreams that don’t have anything to do with one another.
What Adults Can Learn from Kids by Adora Svitak
This TED talk does a great job of positioning children as human beings who are capable of making important, impactful contributions to society. It talks about how children aren’t hampered by thoughts of failure, limitations, and purely logical thinking, which helps them to pursue their dreams in a bold way.
It can inspire both children and adults to embrace their goals and go after them with gusto.
It can also be a terrific reminder to parents to not place personal or societal limitations on children when they come to us with dreams we think are not feasible. Instead, we should support their goals and give them the freedom to figure things out in their own way.
The Making of A Young Entrepreneur: Gabrielle Jordan Williams
Another kid who has given a TED talk about dreaming big is Gabrielle Jordan Williams. In the talk, the 11-year-old author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist quotes the book “Who Moved My Cheese” which asks the question: “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”.
She talks about her first vendor event and how despite feeling like she bombed when introducing herself at the event, she ended up motivating people because she was a young person going after her dream. She then discusses how she went on to write a book about how mindset shifts can help you achieve your goals.
Her story is very inspirational – especially if your child has an interest in starting a business.
A Performance in Mathemagic with Arthur Benjamin
If you’re looking for a way to get your kids excited about math, then you should definitely check out this TED talk by mathemagician, Arthur Benjamin.
His display of mathematical prowess (where he calculates huge math problems faster than a calculator, guesses numbers, and guesses people’s birthdays) is pretty amazing. He shows that math can be magical (ba-dum-ching!).
It also shows that you can blend together two passions that don’t seem related at all.
What Growth Mindset Means for Kids with Rebecca Chang
In this short TED talk, 9-year-old Rebecca Chang talks about her experience becoming part of her school’s Student Government. Early in the process, she watched speeches by her classmates that made her feel like nothing she could say would compare.
She wanted to give up, but her mom wouldn’t let her. Although she was angry with her mother for forcing her to continue with the campaigning process, Rebecca had a moment of reflection: she could either keep going and possibly win or give up and have NO chance of winning. She decided to embrace the growth mindset and try.
After sharing her story, she shares 4 tips on developing a growth mindset that is definitely worth embracing.
How a 13-year-Old Changed “Impossible” to “I’m Possible” with Sparsh Shah
Sparsh Shah was born with a rare, incurable genetic bone disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta that led doctors to believe he wouldn’t survive for more than a day or two. 13 years later, he has survived over 130 fractures and several surgeries.
In this TED talk, he talks about the 4 steps he uses to focus on possibilities rather than impossibilities.
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