The Idea #1

       
          Education empowers. The ability to understand and communicate ideas is one of the things that makes us as humans unique. The more we understand, the better we are able to make good decisions and further our own development. Misunderstanding and ignorance leads to conflict and mistakes. But we are all capable of learning and improving.

         I believe in lifelong learning, that is, a learning that perpetuates beyond the classroom. We learn in many ways: experience, reading, studying, teaching, repetition, and discussion. Your mind is like a muscle, and you must exercise it. However, it doesn't always have to be hard. It is easy to learn through entertainment, and it can be a great way to communicate ideas.

          My goal is to further the union of education and entertainment. What greater purpose can we find in entertainment than to enlighten, uplift, and inspire?! And this is not a new idea either. Do any of these guys look familiar?

Here is a list of people and organizations who teach through entertainment. These are some of my inspirations and favorite places for education.

1. Walt Disney: "Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood... I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained." -Walt Disney

2. Jim Henson: "I believe that we can use television and film to be an influence for good; that we can help to shape the thoughts of children and adults in a positive way."

3. The Vlogbrothers: John and Hank Green are the creators and hosts of Vlogbrothers and other fun, educational YouTube channels (Mental Floss, Sci Show, CrashCourse, etc.). On their Vlogbrothers channel John and Hank take turns uploading video blogs addressed to each other. They talk about different things every day. They express ideas, comment, analyze current topics, and share things they learn. Their followers or community members are proudly known as nerdfighters.

4. PBS Idea Channel: A PBS show that examines the connections between pop culture, technology and art. Mike Rugnetta posts new videos every other Wednesday. Wtih each episode Mike Rugnetta analyzes a new idea. The videos can be found on YouTube, e.g., "Is Youtube making us smarter?" 

5. Vsauce: "Our world is amazing." - Michael Stevens. Vsauce is yet another YouTube Channel with videos that teach about almost anything. Topics range from philosophy, culture, science, technology, and information about various things.

6. TED: "Ideas worth spreading". TED stands for technology, entertainment, and design. It is a series of conferences where speakers express ideas and innovations in short lectures on a wide range of topics: technology, education, design, science, culture, and other academic topics.

7. How It's Made: How It's Made is a documentary television series on the Discovery Channel and YouTube. It shows the manufacturing process of everyday items. Viewers get an inside look at factories and processing plants as a narrator takes you through each step of the process.

8. National Geographic: National Geographic is scientific and educational institution with interests in geography, natural science, world culture, and history. Learning resources include films, television shows, and written publications.


The list could go on and on and on. Many people help make us smarter: educators, teachers, youtubers, parents, etc. Isn't learning fun?!

Can you add to this list?
What fun places do you go to learn?
Feel free to comment!