We were privileged to host our first TEDx talk at Freemen’s this term, an evening of thought-provoking, mind-blowing and lively discussions from our talented students and staff. Topics such as “Pandemics and Prejudice” put Freemen’s centre stage for excellence in thought leadership.
Freemen’s is a school not just for ambitious students but also for ambitious teachers. The TEDx and Festival of Education talks - which Freemen’s students and staff proudly delivered this week - demonstrates we are a school that is at the forefront of the education profession, keen to nurture and share our expertise.
TED is a non-profit organisation, devoted to spreading ideas, in the form of short, powerful talks which began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. TEDx is a grassroots initiative, created in the spirit of TED’s overall mission to research and discover “ideas worth spreading.”
TEDx brings the spirit of TED to local communities around the globe through TEDx events; these events are organized by passionate individuals who seek to uncover new ideas and to share the latest research in their local areas that spark conversations in their communities. Under strict guidelines, Freemen’s is honoured to have been able to have hosted a live event this term, in order to share our students’ insights and colleagues’ expertise in their field.
The talk was recorded and will be shared via the TED network; Mr Bridges - Deputy Head Academic - talked about the Freemen’s Global initiative and expanding the use of digital media to extend the reach of a Freemen’s education beyond the UK, and Mr Felgate – Director of Learning, Teaching and Innovation – covered ‘What makes a good leader’. Sincere thanks to our student contributors – Josh, Hannah, Emmanuella, and Olivia for such engaging talks, on subjects including pandemics, religion, time and literature to Jet for his incredible MC skills on the night and to all who orchestrated this event, allowing Freemen's to position itself publicly as leading educational expert.
Giving the talk was very nerve-wracking at first but practising in the Ferndale Theatre definitely helped me to ease into it. When the opportunity first came up, I was excited about it and didn't really consider how scary it would actually end up being- I only fully thought about that aspect of it much closer to the time. It went really well on the night (we all said that it was our best runs), I felt quite confident with it and I wouldn't change anything about how it went! I've gained a lot of confidence and self-assurance from it. Writing the talk itself was a really good experience as it made me gain the skills to continually respond to feedback and adapt, all while discussing something I'm really interested in.
Hannah, Lower 6 student
I really enjoyed presenting, the iconic red carpet really added to the TEDx feel. I felt prepared thanks to the efforts of Mrs Parkin and Mrs Bennett. I definitely feel more confident in my public speaking, it felt especially nice when I started to build a rapport with the audience and my jokes landed. Once I got into the flow of things my nerves began to fade, although I stumbled on a few words, I managed to continue speaking. It was definitely one of the hardest things I have done but now I and glad to have had this experience.
Emmanuella, Lower 6 student
