Recently, we have been interviewing for various positions for the summer and at a high school.
A popular question that we ask during interviews is, "What is your favorite TED Talk and why?" (Don't tell my boss that I just gave away one of his best interviewing questions!)
This is a great question and it is one that is hard for many to answer.
It seems as if Sir Ken Robinson is quite popular in his TED Talk...(but people tend to forget his name in an interview).
However, my favorite TED Talk is from Debbie Sterling who is the creator of "GoldieBlox."
I first heard about GoldieBlox almost two years ago as I was preparing to give a presentation on recruiting girls in STEM. If you haven't heard of GoldieBlox, you have to check it out. Yes, its a toy--but it is more than "just a doll." The "dolls" can solve different challenges and they help girls learn about engineering and build their spatial skills.
Debbie has a great story. If you watch her TED Talk you can tell that she is smart, and that life as a female engineer has been challenging. It seems as if her mom even tried to dissuade her from becoming an engineer. She had professors who told her should couldn't, but tells the story of one of her male friends who helped her study and encouraged her to persevere--and she does!
I love this TED Talk for so many reasons. One, I would love for my daughter (she is 3) to become an engineer and I will work to empower and encourage her to build her "spatial reasoning skills" that she will need if she does pursue engineering. Two, it was a high school teacher who actually encouraged Debbie Sterling to become an engineer (I heart teachers!)! Debbie had no idea what she wanted to study when she graduated from high school. Three, Debbie talks about the misconceptions that students (especially girls) have about STEM and engineers--that they aren't just nerds who wear ties, or guys like Mark Zuckerberg who wear hoodies.
What do you think? Have you heard of GoldieBlox before?
What is your favorite TED Talk?
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