Education TED-Ed

Commencement 2012, flipped: Lessons from great grad addresses

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We love this time of year, when the graduation addresses start hitting YouTube. This year’s included some wonders — and TED-Ed is busy turning them into flipped lessons! Check out these three:

Neil Gaiman at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Speaking at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, writer Neil Gaiman tells the graduating class of young artists all the things he wished he knew at their age. Open Culture distills it into 10 key points. TED-Ed’s flipped lesson asks you to remember key points of the talk (Quick quiz: How did Gaiman learn to write?) and think deeply about what the talk means to you.

Condoleezza Rice at SMU.

At Southern Methodist University, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shares the four responsibilities of these new graduates, including this key idea: “The fourth responsibility of an educated person is to be optimistic.” Read more excerpts from this talk. In TED-Ed’s flipped lesson, you’re asked: What are some of the ways in which you can see yourself working toward human progress?

Jacqueline Novogratz at Gettysburg College.

At Gettysburg College, Jacqueline Novogratz (watch her TEDTalks) told graduates: “There will be moments in your life when you have to make those hard decisions that can come only from listening to the deepest part of you. And you will certainly have those moments if you decide to venture out and do something few have done before. Especially if you reject the status quo — and I sincerely hope that you do.” Read more quotes from this lovely talk. In TED-Ed’s flipped lesson, you can answer this great big question: Are you facing any risky decisions in your life? Are you likely to take risks or go the safe route?

Find more flipped lessons from great commencement speeches — including talks from Steve Jobs, JK Rowling and Ellen DeGeneres — in the playlist You Graduated … Now What?