TEDxOKC: Introduction for the Day

And the long-awaited notes begin to be published 🙂 Through this series of notes (which will be across 15+ posts periodically published over the next few weeks), any of my comments in the posts will be set off by italics and parentheses. I also plan to include thoughts at the end of the posts, whenever possible.

TED: “Everything begins with an idea.”

TEDxOKC: April 8, 2011. OKC, OK.

“On April 8th, 2011, a spectacular group of people will converge in Oklahoma City to experience a unique event. TEDxOKC will bring innovators of the future together to exchange ideas and create startling conversations to inspire and create. Participants will be in the company of doers, makers and thinkers from all walks of life — scientists, bloggers, chefs, educators, entrepreneurs, designers, humanitarians, technologists, artists and more.” from the TEDxOKC website

Introduction Video

TEDxOKC from ray hatfield on Vimeo.

The Curator, Ken Stoner, kicked the day off.

“TED is about cross-pollinating. Great ideas. But its also about the speakers sharing their ideas with us, and then cross-pollinating with the audience’s ideas.”

TED is a metaphor for cross-discipline education! (The librarian in me cheered!!) It’s more than Technology, Entertainment, and Design (what TED originally stands for).

We didn’t choose the speakers for TEDxOKC because they are right about their topics. But because it’s about the dialogue who have something to contribute to the conversation.

We admire their ability to take an idea (Ideas are the easy part). The hard part is making an idea happen. These speakers have taken ideas and are making them happen.

Emcee for the day is Sarah Kay.

“Learning in the in-between moments.” She’s the “usher through the magic” (Sarah spoke at the 2011 TED conference, “If I should have a daughter” — you must watch her performance!)

“A word has a power in and of itself. It comes from nothing into sound and meaning…and the word is sacred…”

“Everything has to start somewhere.”

The Day’s Schedule: