Blog Post #4: Storytelling and Creating Video

7 Storytelling Techniques Used by the Most Inspiring TED Presenters

I enjoyed every single Ted Talk and was impressed by the speakers’ skills, stories, presentation designs, and their ability to captivate people’s attention. As I am not a confident public speaker and usually avoid it, these talks were particularly inspirational and motivating. Selecting a favourite presenter was challenging, but I have three top TED Talks by Richard Turere, Leslie Morgan Steiner, and Dananjaya Hettiarachchi.

Let’s discuss the commonalities among these three TED talks before delving into my favourite TED Talk!

The most noticeable similarity was the use of Mayer’s personalization principle. All three speakers used conversational language as if they were talking to friends and family. The language used was easy to follow, drawing the audience into their stories. Another commonality, especially evident in Leslie Morgan Steiner’s and Dananjaya Hettiarachchi’s talks, was the use of descriptive and sensory words to vividly portray feelings, sounds, air quality, weather, and more. This technique allowed me to imagine the situations and feel present with the speaker.

If I had to choose one favourite TED Talk presenter, it would be Dananjaya Hettiarachchi. His speech was truly remarkable, incorporating techniques I learned in modules 1-3, such as the strategic use of repetition and Mayer’s personalization principle. His speech style was interactive, fun, humorous, and engaging. The modulation of tone and volume was highly effective, particularly when emphasizing key phrases like, ‘I see something in you, but don’t know what it is!’ These emphasized moments were used as signals to the audience, highlighting the importance of specific aspects of his story. The audience knew when the phrase was coming. The effective use of pauses further enhanced the impact of his words. Watching his speech, I was deeply touched by his personal story and the motivational phrases he used.

As mentioned earlier, his use of personalization was impactful. Also, his entire presentation was very cohesive around one central theme: ‘Everyone is special. We all have something in us, but don’t know what it is.’ This theme aligned with Mayer’s coherence principle, as he effectively structured his story around this central concept. Finally, his introduction and conclusion mirrored each other, which made his talk so memorable and impactful. 

A meaningful learning experience that started with a story that I heard

I used to never share my concerns with my dad. I did not want to make him worry about his daughter thousands of miles away. However, now, every time I have a concern, I tend to share it with my dad.

Two years ago, I was very stressed out about receiving a permanent residence invitation. It was amid COVID, and rumours and news were spreading among international students that Canada would be increasing the requirements for PR. Upon hearing this news, I cried for several days and went without eating.

To be fair, I tend to worry a lot even before things happen. During the time I was waiting for my PR invitation, I called my dad crying. He first listened to what was going on and simply said, ‘Why are you crying? What are you crying over? You have your family who loves you. Also, 99% of the things you worry about will never happen. The 1% that does happen will lead you to a better path.’

What made it impactful for me? What senses did it appeal to?

This phrase got stuck in my head because he said it so firmly and shared his personal story about the time when he made a huge mistake as a department head at Hyundai. He spent days worrying about the situation, and in the end, everything was solved naturally. Of course, there was much more to his story.

What made his story so impactful was that he usually never shares his personal stories, as he always wants to be seen as a strong dad. He rarely talks about his feelings. I still remember his eyes and his voice. His story came from the heart, using descriptive and sensory language to immerse me in his situation. He ended the call by repeating, ‘Remember, daughter, 99% of the things you worry about will never happen. The 1% that does happen will lead you to a better path. There is always a better path waiting for you.‘

Since that moment, I have overcome my habit of worrying about things before they happen. Even when challenges arise, I always maintain a positive mindset and remind myself, ‘There is a better path. Everything is meant to be.’

What learning experience does a branched narrative like Twine provide for learners?

A branched narrative tool like Twine empowers learners to exercise creativity and autonomy in crafting their own stories. It nurtures creativity, decision-making, and critical thinking skills, as learners can freely express their ideas while assessing the narrative branches’ coherence and connectivity. Moreover, engaging with a branched narrative prompts learners to consider character development, plot structure, and thematic elements, thereby enhancing their abilities to communicate ideas effectively.

I had so much fun creating my story on Twine! Although it may seem simple, mastering tasks like adding images, formatting their sizes, adjusting font colors and sizes, and more, took me quite a bit of effort to learn.

I couldn’t figure out how to upload my Twine story on GitHub, so instead, I recorded the screen while I went through my story and uploaded on my EDCI 337 YouTube channel 🙂