TED Talk Tuesday: 3 Ways to Inspire Learning

This post is part of our monthly TED Talk Tuesday series, spotlighting can't-miss TED Talks and their key takeaways. You can learn more about our partnership with TED here.

Ramsey Musallam is a chemistry teacher at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep in San Francisco, whose mission is to meaningfully integrate multimedia in a hands-on, inquiry-based learning environment. He also runs the education blog Cycles of Learning where he gives tutorials on how to turn everyday apps into teaching tools. In his TED Talk, Ramsey explains how to expand curiosity in the classroom (and beyond) through multimedia and new technology, using three rules to inspire learning and imagination.

Watch the video below and read on for three key takeaways from his talk:

Technology is not an all encompassing solution in the classroom. Ramsey gives the example of flipping a boring lecture onto a mobile device which might save instructional time, but ultimately dehumanizes the experience. If educators attempt to prioritize technology over human inquiry, they will rob themselves of students' questions, says Ramsey. He urges educators to use technology to perplex students in order to evoke real questions.

This idea can also be applied to the use of technology in HR. While technology simplifies more mundane tasks of recruiting, and can find help qualified resumes in a stack of thousands in a matter of minutes, it should never dehumanize HR as a whole. Practitioners should use technology to enhance their relationship with employees, not replace it.

By embracing the messy process of trial and error, rather than fearing it, you allow yourself to push the boundaries of what you thought was possible and grow, says Ramsey. Embracing a culture of failure at work is equally important to growing your business. Creating a culture where failure is okay means encouraging your employees to value innovation over tradition, and find new solutions to old problems.

"What we do is important. It deserves care but it also deserves our revision," says Ramsey. This same mentality should be embraced at the office. Similar to teachers, great managers are also great coaches. If you want your employees to feel motivated to improve, then you should provide them with the tools and feedback in order to help develop their skills. Feedback should be given regularly after assignments as a way to continuously motivate your team and help them feel invested in their work.

Photo: TED