New experiments in self-teaching | Sugata Mitra

www.ted.com Indian education scientist Sugata Mitra tackles one of the greatest problems of education -- the best teachers and schools don't exist where they're needed most. In a series of real-life experiments from New Delhi to South Africa to Italy, he gave kids self-supervised access to the web and saw results that could revolutionize how we think about teaching.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

[@slytoffcntr]

Sometimes I forget that there are good people out there, making life better. This is very inspiring and heart-warming to me.

[@mailbox5ravi]

@4:27 If children have interest, education happens (Automatically) ! @9:31 (Teaching) Method of Grandmother : Stand Behind them and admire them all the time. !

[@apriljohnfranciscollorito5189]

I am novice a teacher.and I am lucky enough to stumble upon this amazing tedtalk.

[@joemiyaki4074]

Wow, this sent shivers down my spine. This could impact the future in a big way. Mr. Sugata Mitra, I wish you all the best and may be interviewing you in the future.

[@HimmiJoe]

Kids absorb information so easily, a gift that is much missed by me. Self-learning I believe is one of the most powerful ways of learning, because you aren't being force-fed information but seeking to understand.

[@raiselearning]

I am awestruck by Sugata's developing ideas...I love the idea of that the Internet & access to computers can level the playing field and provide the disadvantaged access to a world of learning opportunities. His ideas of collaboration, 'teaching to learn' and leveraging child interest is inspirational. I am an early childhood teacher and I truly feel that sometimes 'adults' can actually interfere with learning, particularly if learning is not interesting to them...amazing!

[@tracydavis7819]

This study is extremely thought provoking. It is amazing how the children learned so much material on their own. Children teaching children how to use computers. They learned new languages and much more information by using computers on their own. The experiment worked in ghettos of India, Cambodia and everywhere it was instituted.

[@balikakamble1433]

you are doing great job sir. yes this is part of attitude not technology.thank you so much sir.

[@shampoovta]

While I was watching this I totally epiphaned. The reason the students developed photographic memories is because it's the same as when a hunting party goes in to the woods. The experience of the adventure and the relationships formed are a far more impressionable learning experience than having a Teacher who already knows where all the animals are and will give away "hot and cold" body language clues. 90% of language is body language. That is why you have all these kids waiting for you to tell them what to do next. I don't blame them for being board out of there minds.

[@superemzone]

thats an interesting idea!

[@flyingmojo5]

This video made me almost cry. I have been fuming for years over the institutionalized child abuse we call "scholastic education", which does little more than severely cripple children's innate curiosity and desire for learning, and instead seems to go out of its way to discourage free, independent thinking and inquiry. Sugata Mitra has given me tremendous hope that we can free ourselves of our present cruel and obsolete system of education

[@Nihilianth]

I was just reading an article about a Mexican teacher, in a really down-and-out, slumish barrio practically on the border of the Texas, in which he applied these same principles to one of his classes. He had no money, no materials, and no help, and his job was to teach these children. At the end of the year, the results were amazing.

[@r123h]

Surprisingly even I came to know about Dr. Sugata, from an article about that mexican teacher. And it was a revelation of sorts. have been a fan of him ever since.

[@Gerfitti]

As a home educator for 17 years, this makes PERFECT sense! I have watched how "iron sharpens iron" in my children and in my fellow home school families. A missing factor is the "older teaching the younger", much like the Granny Factor but incorporates older children encouraging younger. This, also, is a POWERFUL reinforcement tool. EXCELLENT TED talk!

[@ajchapter13]

Simply Beautiful and powerful and very insightful ! Great talk Mr Sugata Mitra.

[@crudhousefull]

I appreciate the person who invented the web everyday. Also, thank you so much for the people who share their hard work so freely and the people who take the time to upload it onto the web. Google and KZbin...you guys have revolutionized it again to another level. Thank you all so much.

[@alchemyst2000]

I clapped from home when this one ended. its just so brilliant. We are capable of learning, and even better together. this is also an awesome way to use technology to unite the human community, rather than estrange one another.

[@AltPeachStudy]

His Ted talks are so interesting he's funny and I ended up watching the whole video.

[@mydaf9644]

Great to see such a maker! "Do or not do, there is no try" :) Many thanks

[@sizwemhlungu1051]

mr sugata you are a star especially when you help disadvantageous people this is powerfull we hope by the help of mmm many poor countries lives will change

[@twisted_void]

He is amazing. Blowing my mind. Many thanks to CPG Grey

[@SharizanAbdullah]

This is just awesome. I wonder how many governments have already put out a hit for him.

[@uj256]

This is so powerful. We have the capability now of allowing every child a shot in life towards whatever he wants as long as there is a good broadband connection and a screen.

[@edwinlee5924]

I understood his point to be that self-motivated learning, rather than teacher directed learning, has the potential to bring most children into the modern world. There is information and there are teaching videos, both accurate and biased, on every subject you can name... available at pre-school, gradeschool, high school, college, graduate and post graduate levels. All we need to do is facilitate opportunities and support systems for children (and adults).

[@monaawadh]

Mr. Mitra, this video helped me to restructure an entire proposal to teach patients...can't thank you enough...God bless you and have a fantastic journey;)

[@otur1]

Stuff like this do give me hope in humanity. Thank you Sugata!

[@amandadudley2983]

He is simply amazing--he saw a need for learning and the impoverished--and he acted! More people like this humbling man

[@erraticnz]

This is really good to see as an educator, I now need to try and implement this sort of strategy into my programme.

[@13thMarverick]

I cried, really, seeing how beautiful this is. The future is here, that our children will be come smarter than us, and mankind will be come smarter still, breaking boundary to the beyond. there is hope!

[@ShinkaTV]

Thank you for making the world a better place Sugata.

[@BlackLacesXD]

When I saw the little Italians looking at right angles, I grinned and I cannot stop . Then I felt a tear. I cried in joy because children felt excited to LEARN GEOMETRY, something I have no knowledge about until I was 14. This is really something. Around me, my classmates digress learning, and I think it's because of the teaching methods. And look at them! Technology is affecting them very POSITIVELY. I can't contain my happiness, I can't. I really hope teaching will be revolutionised.

[@ratholin]

This is the second one of his videos I've seen and he amazes me more each time he goes for a talk. Wonderful lecture.

[@srikanthchebrolu1091]

The above Mitra sir's talk is our Listening Exercise 🙂 in GMRIT

[@amaa2500]

I've always thought the same, I know when I grew up my parents never let me explore never let me have freedom, always forced me to do things their way and my schools ways of teaching was very memory based. I'm suffering now because of it...

[@lorrainecoleman]

probably the most important video on you tube.....thank you Sugata Mitra.

[@SayChickpeas]

I think he left out one key factor of the project's success. It puts the adventure back into learning. These kids are invested in a way that doesn't happen when a teacher assigns reading and problems, then a test. Rather than begrudgingly doing what is required of them they have a sense of the infinite. They explore and are delighted in their own discoveries. I love it.

[@squirreljester2]

Amazing, and one of the best TED talks I've seen so far.

[@nameofthepen]

This is possibly the most upbeat thing I've heard all year.

[@crionro]

Simply amazing! Thank you!

[@rahxephon52]

wow.. the human capacity and potential is insane!!

[@akrulla]

This is amazing! I want in! Seriously the best TEDTalk I have ever seen. Thankyou.

[@AmarjitSinghDhaliwalDrDhali]

I think the future of education is going to get interesting ! Amar / Dr Dhali.

[@liquidminds]

Nice that Ted braught him back. After his last video 2yrs ago I was wondering how stuff would turn out.

[@wojovox]

Sent shivers up my spine too.

[@GrimrDirge]

As an anarchist and an autodidact who hated school, this makes me insanely happy.

[@eljordan4449]

Superb, inspirational, thank you, sharing with children and parents and teachers I know.

[@eurohim]

This is how I learn. I went through all those years of school and didn't know much, but then when I got out and I had my computer and my own interests, things really started to pick up. Even something and silly as posting comments on forums and youtube videos help me learn because I look up people's arguments and respond accordingly. With the computer, they can do what is most important, find the info yourself. Once you can do that, the sky is the limit.

[@eatcarpet]

That has got to be the most amazing thing that I've ever saw!

[@charlesrosaly]

Great natural way of learning. interest is the best motivator! This will be the way to get all of the countries to catch up on their own. If I could, I would pay for it!

[@jkonoch]

To this day, this remains my favorite TED Talk.

[@GilesGQI]

Fantastic vision....great stuff Mr. Mitra.

[@reverenceforall]

Now this is brilliance at its peak!

[@preetivadgama86]

Knowledge is power. This guy is a hero. He is teaching the poor and empowering the youth in these areas to help themselves. Genuis

[@MegF142857]

I'm impressed with the Indian culture where kids know how to share and work together seemingly by default. Also kudos to the interfaces people programmed that allowed them to figure things out so easily. Nice thing is that kids on their own don't have a bad teacher "beat" the enthusiasm out of them, as too often happens in school. You often learn in school to hate learning, which is sad. Basically what he is doing for kids is what I try to do for myself. Yeah internet!!! So much can learn!!

[@nayikinisrinivas559]

Fantastic achievement through the rural poor children.

[@hollyh-zw1yb]

Not sure why, but this on brought me to tears, We must try this.

[@shanna1950-2812]

incredibly amazing

[@tammynguyen2919]

This was so interesting that I listened to the whole video for the first time.

[@Needkey.]

This is awesome. give kids the initiative to learn and they don't need walls and schedules to tell them what to read and how to think.. a revolutionary idea.

[@Bobius10000]

I do hope we get an update from this wonderous gentleman

[@sidgupta9610]

Who else here because of CGP Grey

[@jamesweaver6741]

I'm not, but I love his channel! Could you please link the specific vid you're referring to?

[@PheseantNetsuke]

James Weaver Just search "CAP Grey education" and you'll find it.

[@tdlob1]

This man, is a true hero. A champion of the future of education. By empowering children to learn themselves as opposed to going through life being "spoon fed" answers, they would forever be on a track to continue educating themselves, long past their days of schooling.

[@ltericdavis2237]

I always feel so much better about humanities future from watching TEDtalks

[@trai1b1azerx]

this is fantastic, can't thank you enough Prof. Mitra

[@nonhlanhladlamini2499]

Powerful talk...

[@momof008]

"We could change everything"...but will we?

[@madmaxxmad2]

This is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time. Thank you, thank you. I was so sick of politics, I'm glad you are here CPG.

[@2bsirius]

Absolutely awe inspiring.

[@Nightwalker9001]

I really like this idea of group learning too. as humans, we are social and this naturally makes sense to me.

[@bengy757]

Congratulations for your research Sr. I encourege to you to continue it your research... From Bogota Colombia...Congratulations..

[@mingzhi9]

this is insightful! thank you for what your have done and are going to do for our further

[@EpochMod]

One man has started a change that can't be stopped. /applaud.

[@vidmantasdd]

Fantastic speech, thank you very much!!!

[@skfar]

i'm speechless, thank you

[@IdoloR]

That was genuinely incredible. A Child's brain is an amazing thing. Makes me want to be a teacher just so I can help a little.

[@Muxoll-Rocks]

One more GREAT talk from TED.... Got 2 Love it :) Good luck proving it Sugata

[@AHMEDRAZA-nh4xm]

This is incredible.

[@ShailenderSThakur]

Fantastic!!!

[@LesleyRodgers]

Fantastic! More power to you

[@Sartaglo]

The truth of this brought me to tears.

[@vivianalago8306]

Go Sugata...Go!

[@pseudoleviathan]

I oft wonder how the rest of the world will learn. This approach feels like the future. A new Emergence in learning. The next Ramanujan is going to learn from this method.

[@busisiwecarneson3528]

Powerful. Inspirational. Movement in a positive direction is better than the latter so why do we want to discuss the theory of positive outcomes or doing something for the greater good, this is the problem... discussions that don't lead to action mainly because of politics always barriers since when do people need politics, politics needs people. The fundamental problem of the world - power hungry not hungry for a world of integrity and acting on what is right or wrong. We must always over complicate everything instead of just being present. face the world. feel the world. heal the world.

[@P00P0STER0US]

This stuff brings me hope.

[@firetresses]

Wow that's amazing. That's awesome and definitely give me some hope to deal with my learning disability. The internet does seem to help a lot with that.

[@Daymickey]

Beautiful!

[@carlingskie2]

He's one very bright man I must say.

[@fauxman]

this is one of my favorite tedtalks. For me, it's up there with Ken Robinson.

[@MrFraser105]

Brilliant presentation

[@jctemwood]

Phenomenal! Reallt could change thw world. Great stuff.

[@sashakid]

amazing no words!

[@thePricoolas]

the point was the way of learning. When kids are in groups or teams it become way more interesting

[@freesk8]

It is wonderful that we live in a world in which such cool educational experiments can take place! If only the government monopoly schools didn't prevent such creative experimentation.

[@benimadhavmohanty7426]

genius..! to try out and give out...!

[@excellentaloysius5831]

Wow! This is awesome!

[@drsteveventola]

This is a wonderful video I fully appreciate and am urged to share with my world.

[@SwarnatamaGanguli]

superb Indeed...

[@MrYogesh2801]

Great sir this very nice way to learning method for india

[@ExperimentLife]

Wow. That was amazing.

[@DeadWhiteButterflies]

A very heart warming and inspiriing talk. :)

[@chiwonome]

That was absolutely fantastic.

[@olatunjiadekunle4111]

Sir, i love ur lecture and I know education is going a long , better and great of learning for generation?