Dave Eggers: A Better World

Dave Eggers’ TED Talk was unique to me in a number of ways. Firstly, I was surprised by his presentation style. The irony is that he didn’t seem to have one at all. He has not been very involved in public speaking before, and it shows. One thing that bugs me about a lot of TED talks is the fact that some talk presenters rush through the opening/set-up too quickly, so that later, their point’s context is unclear. I definitely feel this to be true in this TED talk. I am still unsure of the context of his ideas. This entire presentation for me seems unorganized and confusing. In the end, I didn’t really understand why the audience was giving him the standing O. Why did the landlord at the building Dave wanted say that he had to sell something? Couldn’t it still technically have been a tutoring center? This is one of many things about this presentation that I don’t understand. All of his explanations seem to be circular and don’t seem to be very productive. He constantly comes back to the same point or doesn’t make a point. Much of this presentation could’ve been removed and it would not lose any meaning. His stories contain a lot of extra explanations that are unnecessary. If the fat is trimmed from this presentation, the message is pure. This message is one-on-one attention for students, which I believe helps them immensely. It is not a necessity, but it does do wonders when it is available. I’ve had great results with one-on-one attention in my academic career. Going to writing lab really helps my writing, and I think it is because there is one teacher concentrating on only you. Their undivided focus causes students to focus much more. Helping students in this way can change our education system forever. These one-on-one tutors can create a world where kids no longer stress about the heavier academic load being dumped on them every year. As Dave said, this can lead to a happy world. I very much agree with Dave’s views. I think that the writing the students did for the author led to much better writing in general. Why can’t we apply this to the rest of our lives? As a musician, I know that playing with people that are better than you makes you better. So if you want someone to improve a skill, pair them with someone who is a master of that skill. This is extremely beneficial because it raises the standard of the skill. After seeing the way someone else interprets a field, one gains new understanding of that specific field. This can be true of tutoring, writing for an author, or working with an incredible musician. If Dave’s message is picked apart, it can apply to more facets of life. The deconstruction and application of this presentation can help someone in every aspect of life. Transformative Partnerships can create a better world for all.