From Video-Game Myths to Microphone Moments — TED Talks for Student Voice and Empathy

Teachers hunting for TED Talks for student voice and empathy don’t have to search long: these four clips tackle screen-time myths, the cost of silence, hard conversations, and vulnerability science. Blend them into a month-long advisory series or ELA rhetoric unit and watch reluctant speakers lean forward.

Why Student Voice Matters

Research from CASEL shows classrooms that center student voice see 30 percent gains in self-efficacy and a measurable drop in discipline referrals. Multimedia stories humanize abstract SEL targets like empathy, courage, and metacognition.

Talk 1 — Your Brain on Video Games

Use this video game neuroscience classroom lesson to explode the “screens rot brains” cliché. After watching, students graph cognitive-flexibility data cited by neuroscientist Daphne Bavelier and design a balanced screen-time action plan.

Talk 2 — The Danger of Silence

Clint Smith’s spoken-word piece doubles as a slam poem social-justice lesson plan. Challenge students to craft two-minute poetry responses about times they spoke up—or stayed silent.

Talk 3 — We’re All Hiding Something

Lead a coming-out story classroom discussion using Ash Beckham’s “Pancake Girl” principles: be authentic, be direct, be unapologetic. Students role-play “hard conversations” with sentence starters.

Talk 4 — The Power of Vulnerability

Brené Brown bridges research and narrative to explain how wholehearted people embrace risk. Students analyze ethos, pathos, logos, then journal on a moment vulnerability led to connection.

Protocols That Turn Talks Into Action

• Think-Pair-Share + Evidence Tracker
• Empathy Mapping (feelings, wants, barriers)
• 1-Minute Essay (rapid synthesis)

Standards Snapshot

R.4 tone analysis · W.3 narrative writing · SL.1 collaborative debate · SEL core skills.

Stream them free: All talks live on YouTube.com and TED.com.

Will this meet your needs? Download a 100% FREE The Power of Vulnerability guide to preview the format!