TED Talks got their start as a conference in 1984 focused on technology, entertainment and design. Launched by architect and graphic designer, Richard Saul Wurman, the first TED conference featured a demonstration of the first compact disc, an early e-book prototype and cutting edge graphics from George Lucas’ production company. The original conference was a bit of a bust and lost money. Undeterred, Wurman and his partners tried again six years later in 1990.

This time, the unique gathering of designers, inventors, educators, scientists and artists became a runaway annual hit. At its beginnings, TED was an invitation-only event. But by 2006 as video over the internet became a reality—TED talks became accessible to anyone with a connected computer.

Today, TED and TED-Ed Talks, launched in 2012 for educators, have drawn more than a billion views worldwide.

What adults can learn from kids 

Child prodigy Adora Svitak calls for adults to incorporate the lessons to be had in thinking like a child: hopefulness, boundless curiosity and enthusiasm.

Every kid needs a champion

Veteran educator Rita Pierson discusses the crucial importance of a strong human connection between teacher and student.

How to learn? From mistakes

Diana Laufenberg talks about the evolution of education over the past century and letting kids learn from making mistakes (and process those mistakes and ultimately learn more from them) in navigating our information-rich culture. 

And here are some of our favorite animated talks from TED-Ed:

On the importance of fiction in shaping our views of reality: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/jessica-wise-how-fiction-can-change-reality

Making sense of spelling: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/making-sense-of-spelling-gina-cooke

On the evolution of English: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-brief-history-of-plural-word-s-john-mcwhorter