Reflection #1: To This Day....for the bullied and beautiful by Shane Koyczan
Link: http://www.ted.com/talks/shane_koyczan_to_this_day_for_the_bullied_and_beautiful
So the first TED Talk that I have watched for this project was titled "To This Day...for the bullied and beautiful" by Shane Koyczan. This TED Talk is presented as a spoken-word poem and it discusses childhood bullying and the lasting effects that it leaves.
This TED Talk begins with Shane Koyczan talking about his childhood and all of the struggles that he went through to become the person that he is today. As mentioned before, this Ted Talk is a spoken-word poem that talks about the struggles of childhood and mentions children and teens that are bullied and in some cases, end up attempting to kill themselves because of it. It points out the pain and emotional scars that being bullied can have on people. For example, Koyczan tells a story about a young girl who has a birthmark on her face and is bullied for it, which leads her to hating herself and the way she looks for the rest of her life despite the fact that she has two kids "whose definition of beauty begins with the word "Mom"". He also tells a story about a boy who is put up for adoption which leads to a life of depression and suicidal thoughts and he is simply told to "get over it". Koyczan also talks about his experience with bullying and talks about a situation where a kid in his class tried to get him to do his homework for him. While Koyczan was able to find a way to stand up for himself in that situation, not everyone can. Whether it is physical bullying or calling name, this poem points out why it is such a bad thing to do.
In my opinion, this poem makes so many amazing points about the importance of preventing childhood bullying. When children and teens are told from such a young age that they are worthless and that they aren't good enough, it leaves a lasting impression on them. It may seem like just teasing someone is funny or the bully defending themself by saying that they were just joking makes it okay but it is not okay. This poem does a good job of trying to open people's eyes to this point. Schools can either be a fun place to learn or a horrible place that kids dread going to everyday and bullying is often one of the reasons why children hate going to school. According to Shane Koyczan, school can be a "big top circus tent" where the freaks and oddities are "walking the tightrope" while the others go on with their lives. This is one of the prime examples of why bullying needs to be stopped in schools so that kids feel safe there instead of feeling like they are in danger everyday. I think more people need to make pieces of poetry like this because it makes great points about how much childhood bullying affects children and how much it needs to be prevented.
I think this poem is so beautifully written and it was beautifully performed by Shane Koyczan. It is a very emotional piece of poetry with great comedic moments and I just think it is wonderful at conveying its original point. In conclusion, this is a great poem about bullying and the risks that it has for children and their futures.
I strongly recommend this TED Talk to everyone because it is absolutely amazing in my opinion. I had already watched it before and I'm so happy that I got to watch it again for this project and write a reflection on it. I hope everyone who watches it loves it as much as I do.
Until next time,
Kendall Robinson
Link: http://www.ted.com/talks/shane_koyczan_to_this_day_for_the_bullied_and_beautiful
So the first TED Talk that I have watched for this project was titled "To This Day...for the bullied and beautiful" by Shane Koyczan. This TED Talk is presented as a spoken-word poem and it discusses childhood bullying and the lasting effects that it leaves.
This TED Talk begins with Shane Koyczan talking about his childhood and all of the struggles that he went through to become the person that he is today. As mentioned before, this Ted Talk is a spoken-word poem that talks about the struggles of childhood and mentions children and teens that are bullied and in some cases, end up attempting to kill themselves because of it. It points out the pain and emotional scars that being bullied can have on people. For example, Koyczan tells a story about a young girl who has a birthmark on her face and is bullied for it, which leads her to hating herself and the way she looks for the rest of her life despite the fact that she has two kids "whose definition of beauty begins with the word "Mom"". He also tells a story about a boy who is put up for adoption which leads to a life of depression and suicidal thoughts and he is simply told to "get over it". Koyczan also talks about his experience with bullying and talks about a situation where a kid in his class tried to get him to do his homework for him. While Koyczan was able to find a way to stand up for himself in that situation, not everyone can. Whether it is physical bullying or calling name, this poem points out why it is such a bad thing to do.
In my opinion, this poem makes so many amazing points about the importance of preventing childhood bullying. When children and teens are told from such a young age that they are worthless and that they aren't good enough, it leaves a lasting impression on them. It may seem like just teasing someone is funny or the bully defending themself by saying that they were just joking makes it okay but it is not okay. This poem does a good job of trying to open people's eyes to this point. Schools can either be a fun place to learn or a horrible place that kids dread going to everyday and bullying is often one of the reasons why children hate going to school. According to Shane Koyczan, school can be a "big top circus tent" where the freaks and oddities are "walking the tightrope" while the others go on with their lives. This is one of the prime examples of why bullying needs to be stopped in schools so that kids feel safe there instead of feeling like they are in danger everyday. I think more people need to make pieces of poetry like this because it makes great points about how much childhood bullying affects children and how much it needs to be prevented.
I think this poem is so beautifully written and it was beautifully performed by Shane Koyczan. It is a very emotional piece of poetry with great comedic moments and I just think it is wonderful at conveying its original point. In conclusion, this is a great poem about bullying and the risks that it has for children and their futures.
I strongly recommend this TED Talk to everyone because it is absolutely amazing in my opinion. I had already watched it before and I'm so happy that I got to watch it again for this project and write a reflection on it. I hope everyone who watches it loves it as much as I do.
Until next time,
Kendall Robinson