TED Talk Analysis - The Best Kindergarten You've Ever Seen

As the popular saying goes, kids will be kids. It is a universal fact that children love to have fun, and that they have more energy in their tiny bodies than most adults know possible. They are tactile. I have learned this firsthand by volunteering at Step By Step over the course of this semester; because no matter how hard you try, kids with access to toys and playmates cannot be (and perhaps should not be) tamed. In his TED Talk for TEDxKyoto, speaker and architect Takaharu Tezuka describes his design and implementation of what he claims to be "the best kindergarten you've ever seen". Located with no primary barriers between classrooms or the outdoors, this kindergarten caters to the rambunctious and curious nature of young children. It is circular, allows for optimal socialization and noise between students, and even has areas where the youngsters can climb on trees without abandon or repercussions. Essentially, this format is every excitable five year old's dream.

Tezuka's reasoning for such a fluid kindergarten format is that children learn and develop best when given the opportunity for hands-on trial and error. He has observed the kids in action in this environment; societally, people complain that humanity as a whole has become too detached from one another, but Tezuka claims that this detachment stems from one's childhood. School children are placed in quiet and restrictive rectangular classrooms, which causes nervousness and discomfort for many. It is against their nature to be so reserved. By being flexible and understanding to the energetic needs of young kids, this open kindergarten allows the children to blossom socially. When one child is in need, oftentimes other children will come to their assistance. These lessons and life skills are crucial to bridging the gap between the current societal detachment being experienced across the border. There needs to be change in the way school settings are constructed.

Above: Kids rough house in the cutest kindergarten in the world

For this topic, the audience knew what "regular" kindergarten was like, as most had likely experienced it as children themselves. The audience - myself included - probably expected a talk about an innovative kindergarten setting, which is what was delivered. I was unsure of the logistics of this innovation at first, but once the speaker explained the functions behind each aspect of the architecture, the bigger picture became much more clear. I believe that he was effective in sharing his ideas in this speech. He could have used a bit more nonverbal gestures, as I feel he was a bit stagnant throughout his talk, but his verbal communication seemed consistent. He added humor, occasionally and lovingly calling the children monkeys, which lightened the topic and helped to keep the audience's attention. When talking about kids being silly kids, it's appropriate to not be too formal. Additionally, an area of improvement for this speaker would be to decrease the amount of slides/pictures shared. While many served as good visual aids of the architecture and the enjoyment the kids experience as a result, some of the photographs were unnecessary and didn't contribute much to the presentation (for example, the photos of the children playing in the wooden boxes).

For more information and examples of Tezuka's work, click the following link: here.