The High Desert Education Service District’s innovation division, i4Education, is revamping its TED-Ed talk event and master class to make them a more inclusive presentation and workshop series.

The new event is called The Shared Experience, and in addition to talks, welcomes spoken word poetry, music, visual art and student voice presentations.

Diane Murray, the district’s assistant director of innovation, said the organization wanted to make sure the event included other forms of expression and presentation, though each speaker will continue to focus on innovation in education.

“Part of the reason for the rebrand was wanting to honor that people have things to say, and not necessarily through the spoken word,” said Murray. “That it does not have to be a TED-style talk, that we can use slam poetry, we can use dance, we can use art, we can use music as a way to convey what’s needed in education.”

The TED-Ed events began during the pandemic, after Murray spoke to the organization and asked about getting involved in the curriculum.

I4Education subsequently ran two TED-Ed events for the Central Oregon community. The second event was sold out last May.

“I really felt like during the pandemic, educators had things to say that were important and also we needed to gather in person in a community once it was safe enough to do so, and hear what these educators had to say,” said Murray.

Preparation for the event will include a workshop series, modeled after the TED-Ed master class.

Up to 15 participants will meet twice a month and create their presentations for the event next May. Educators and anyone in education are included.

The workshop series will be led by Murray, Geraldine Casimiro, the district’s director of language justice and access, and Marcus LeGrand, Central Oregon Community College’s Afrocentric program coordinator and instructor. Participants are given a stipend.

The workshop series will begin in December, and is a six-month process.

“We’re just very aware that we want to give people a great experience, and we want each presentation to be prepared and to be a great experience for both the presenter and the audience,” said Murray.

More Information

Diane Murray and Marcus LeGrand will answer questions about the Shared Experience event at the Amplify Your Voice spoken word workshop Nov. 9. Please email diane.murray@hdesd.org if you’d like to attend due to limited seating.

COCC Afrocentric student club to host spoken word workshop Nov. 9

Not every member of the workshop will be invited to perform May 23. The approximately six presenters for the event will be left up to a community panel voting process.

Murray said she wants to rally the community around educators, and expand the program.

“What I hope to gain is to expand it, and be able to localize it to the Central Oregon region. I think we have unique challenges in Central Oregon, and we also have unique things to learn from each other,” said Murray. “I would love for this annual event to become a place where any educator can express what’s needed in education and have the microphone passed to them.”