This TED talk is so powerful and carries a message that can empower change. The conversations needs to begin in one's home. As a mother of 3, I began to think about how impressionable and vulnerable my children are—they are sponges absorbing what they see, hear & read. My husband and I have become mindful of the language we use, shows we watch and how we treat others-especially in front of the kids. How we broach our children’s questions on individuals, cultures, diversity, etc. holds such weight. This can impact their next interaction with someone and perceptions.
Popular culture and social media has overwhelming shaped our students’ understanding of the world in both positive & negative ways. We should be advising others to view these with items with caution and that they are not the full picture. As a teacher, this TED talk reaffirmed the importance of teaching events and topics with multiple perspectives and sources. (In addition to questioning the source of information.) I began to reflect on my most recent unit that I taught in global on imperialism- did I show enough of the + and - effects? Could I add in more narratives? Did I show multiple angles of this event?
These two videos tie together beautifully with the idea that many stories and narratives matter. They can empower and humanize individuals & repair dignity that is lost through negative stereotypes. I love the idea of a community embracing their similarities in lieu of emphasizing their differences. We need to engage & expose our students to multiple stories to avoid the single story.