Now, want to start with a question: When was the last time you were called “childish”? For kids like me, being called childish be a frequent occurrence. Every time we make irrational demands, exhibit irresponsible behavior, or display any other signs of being normal American citizens, we are called childish. Which bothers me. After all, take a look at these events: Imperialism and colonization, world wars, George W. Bush. Ask yourself, who’s responsible? Adults.
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Now, what have kids done? Well, Anne Frank millions with her powerful account of the Holocaust. Ruby Bridges helped to end segregation in the United States. And, most recently, Charlie Simpson helped to raise 120,000 pounds for Haiti, on his little bike. as you can see evidenced by such examples, age has nothing to do with it. The traits the word “childish” addresses are seen so often in adults, that we should abolish this age-discriminatory word, when it comes to criticizing behavior associated with irresponsibility and irrational thinking.
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(Applause)
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Thank you.
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Then again, who’s to say that certain types of irrational thinking aren’t exactly what the world needs? Maybe you’ve grand plans before, but stopped yourself, thinking, “That’s impossible,” or “That costs too much,” or “That won’t benefit me.” For better or worse, we kids aren’t hampered as much when it comes to thinking about reasons not to do things. Kids can be full of inspiring aspirations and thinking, like my wish that no one went hungry, or that everything were free, a kind of utopia. How many of you still dream like that, and believe in the possibilities? Sometimes a knowledge of history and the past failures of Utopian ideals can be a burden, because you know that if everything were free, then food stocks would become depleted and scarce and lead to chaos. the other hand, we kids still dream about perfection. And that’s a good thing, because in order make anything a reality, you have to dream about it first.
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In many ways, our audacity to imagine helps the boundaries of possibility. For instance, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, my home state — yoohoo, Washington!
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(Applause)
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has a program called Kids Design Glass, and kids draw their own ideas for glass art. The resident artist they got some of their best ideas from the program, because kids don’t think about the limitations of how hard it can be to blow glass into certain shapes, they just think of good ideas. Now, when you think of glass, you might think of colorful designs, or maybe Italian vases, but kids challenge glass artists to go beyond that, the realm of brokenhearted snakes and bacon boys, who you can see has meat vision.
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(Laughter)
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Now, our inherent wisdom doesn’t have to be insider’s knowledge. Kids already do a lot of from adults, and we have a lot to share. I think that adults should start learning from kids. Now, I do most of my speaking in front of an education crowd — teachers and students, and I like this analogy: It shouldn’t be teacher at the head of the class, telling students, “Do this, do that.” The students should teach teachers. Learning between grown-ups and kids should be reciprocal. The reality, unfortunately, is a little different, and it has a to do with trust, or a lack of it.
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Now, if don’t trust someone, you place restrictions on them, right? If doubt my older sister’s ability to pay back the 10 percent interest I established on her loan, I’m going to withhold her ability to get more from me, until she pays it back.
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(Laughter)
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True story, by the way. Now, adults seem to have a restrictive attitude towards kids, from every “Don’t do that, don’t do this” in the school handbook, to restrictions on school Internet use. As history points out, regimes become oppressive when they’re about keeping control. And although adults may not be quite at the of totalitarian regimes, kids have no or very little say in making the rules, when really, the should be reciprocal, meaning that the adult population should learn and take into account the wishes of the younger population.
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Now, what’s even worse restriction, is that adults often underestimate kids’ abilities. We love challenges, but when expectations are low, trust me, we will sink to them. My own had anything but low expectations for me and my sister. Okay, so they didn’t tell us to become doctors or lawyers or anything that, but my dad did read to us about Aristotle and pioneer germ-fighters, when lots of other kids were hearing “The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.” Well, we that one too, but “Pioneer Germ Fighters” totally rules.
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(Laughter)
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I loved to write from the age of four, and when I six, my mom bought me my own laptop equipped with Microsoft Word. Thank you, Bill Gates, and thank you, Ma. I wrote over 300 short stories on little laptop, and I wanted to get published. Instead of just at this heresy that a kid wanted to get published, or saying wait until you’re older, parents were really supportive. Many publishers were not quite so encouraging. One large children’s publisher ironically that they didn’t work with children. Children’s publisher not working with children? I don’t know, you’re kind of alienating a large client there.
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(Laughter)
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One publisher, Action Publishing, willing to take that leap and trust me, and to listen to what I had to say. They published my first book, “Flying Fingers,” you see it here. And from there on, it’s gone to speaking at hundreds of schools, keynoting to thousands of educators, and finally, today, speaking to you.
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I appreciate your attention today, because to show that truly care, you listen. But there’s a problem with this rosy picture of kids so much better than adults. Kids grow up and become adults just like you.
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(Laughter)
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Or just like you? Really? The goal is not to turn kids into your kind of adult, but rather, better adults than have been, which may be a little challenging, considering your guys’ credentials.
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(Laughter)
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But the way progress happens, is because new generations and new eras grow and develop and become better than the ones. It’s the reason we’re not in the Dark Ages anymore. No matter your position or place in life, it is imperative to create opportunities for children, so we can grow up to blow you away.
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(Laughter)
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and fellow TEDsters, you need to listen and learn from kids, and trust us and more from us. You must lend an ear today, because we are the leaders of tomorrow, which means we’re going to take care of you when you’re old and senile. No, just kidding.
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(Laughter)
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No, really, we are going to be the next generation, the ones who will bring this world forward. And case you don’t think that this really has meaning for you, remember that cloning is possible, and that involves through childhood again, in which case you’ll want to be heard, just my generation. Now, the world needs opportunities for new leaders and ideas. Kids need opportunities to lead and succeed. Are ready to make the match? Because the world’s problems shouldn’t be the human family’s heirloom.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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Thank you. Thank you.