This past weekend was our third monthly TED Talks viewing and discussion group. Each month, Michael and I open up our (teeny) apartment and (giant) TV to friends of ours, and watch a series of four 18-minute videos centered on a certain theme. The responsibility for picking the theme and videos, and, more recently, the food theme for the potluck, rotates each month. Otherwise I would subject people to countless videos about words and food, and I think people would stop coming. For the February installment, a friend picked an all-out Indian theme. We chowed down on my giant vat of vegan curry along with Paloma’s homemade palak paneer and superb palau rice while watching the following videos.

1. Sunitha Krishnan Fights Against Sex Slavery

2. Mallika Sarabhai: Dance to Change the World

3. Shashi Tharoor: Why Nations Should Pursue “Soft” Power

4. Kiran Bir Sethi Teaches Kids to Take Charge

As is to be expected, some of these talks spoke to me more than others. We had some really interesting discussions about the usefulness and practicality of the ideas presented in the first two videos, and all seemed to enjoy (to varying degrees) the latter two.

If I had to choose, I think the message in the final video resonated the most with me–on both philosophical and practical levels. We wound up having great talks about the essential value of play in education. This is something my sister explores in her inspiring blog, Grow Me a Playground. (She’s a super busy momma and grad student, so it isn’t updated often, but well-worth a spot on your Google Reader so you don’t miss any posts.) It also reminded me of this NYT article about an amazing Forest Kindergarten, which is precisely the type of school the man and I would like to send our little ones to…far far far far in the future when we decide it’s time to enter that phase. (FAR in the future.) And, finally, this great op-ed piece by Susan Engel, director of the teaching program at Williams College, entitled “Playing to Learn“.

Which is what I’m off to do–it’s time for me to sit down for a few hours and play with my poetry homework, which I might finally post about this week. Maybe.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you think about the videos above, the articles I’ve linked to, the importance of play in education, and, of course, any gluten-free vegan Indian recipes you care to share.