Carry it Forward : Rives: A mockingbird remix of TED2006

Through his idea that mockingbirds, listen, repeat and reveal the truth, Ted Rives describes how everyone, no matter what race, religion, or nationality, is similar in some way. Everyone has faults. When people talk, they often say things that are rude to someone, and they don't realize who they harm because they often don't understand the other side of the argument. Rives believes that the mockingbirds will help to inform people with the problems that others are facing in the world. The mockingbirds provide a way of communicating and witnessing conversations so that everyone can listen to the other point of view. The mockingbirds just repeat, they will say something they heard even if it is hurtful someone that once was oblivious to the information.

One example of different lifestyles colliding is when he mentions towns with a surplus of mocking birds versus places with few. Rives goes on to talk in spanish. This shows the power of words and how there are misunderstandings due to language barries. We don't know necesarily know much about people of different backgrounds, so we judge and assume.

"...the lady at the laudramat who always seems to know what nice is..." represents the ignorant/arrogant person who thinks that they are right and others are wrong. However, that person doesn't realize that they are occasionally bossy. They need to take more time out listen to themselves and to others who might have a more practical perspective.

Rives also mentions the media and how they warp the truth; this teaches us that it is important to find honest sources of information like the mockingbirds who only repeat what has already occured.

From this speech I have learned about the power of words, and how sometimes listening like the mockingbirds is the better option. Instead of blurting out what I feel, I'm going to listen to what others say, process and then speak, so I avoid saying anything hurtful to others.

I can put this lesson to use during class discussions. If everyone listens while others speak, then we may learn something new, a different perspective. I know that I am a listener, and I am amazed when I hear a new insight that I hadn't come up with. I feel that the people who generally talk the most in class should take the time to listen to the quieter people, who should speak up more. Usually the people who generally listen take the time to formulate ideas based off what others have said, rather than diverting the topic to fit with what they want to say (laundramat lady).

The listeners, including myself, need to swap places with the talkers during discussions so that we get a chance to spread our ideas and the talkers get a chance to listen and formulate ideas. I think that I can listen, remix, and voice my thoughts much like the mockingbirds if I hear both sides of the argument. My goal is to speak up once during every social studies, spanish, and english discussion. However, while I am not speaking, I plan to pay close attention and come up with my own insights on the topic so that I am prepared if called on unexpectedly. My hope, after accomplishing this goal, is to be more spontanious and not anticipate every thing I am going to say.