News & Events

Grade 11 IB Psychology students showcased their understanding of cognitive functions January 17 and 18 through “Ted Talk” presentations open to parents and the school community. ACS IB Psychology teachers Becky Naughton and Jordi Blanco organized the presentations, giving students the liberty to pick their topics as long as it encompassed the themes of memory and cognition.

Students were asked to be creative and interested in the material, which spawned topics such as “How Short Term and Long Term Memory Affect Happiness,” by students Leen Farouki and Alma Saddi; “Does Being Bilingual Make You Smarter?” by Stephen Bouri; “Does Depression Have Effects on Memory,” by Aya Haykel and Sarah Azar; “Why Our Minds Resist Change” by Ali Ghaddar and Nizar Salam; and “Dreaming and Lucid Dreaming,” by Saad Samhoun and Karim Barada.

Much in the fashion of the popular “TED Talks” that receive millions of viewers worldwide, the Grade 11 IB Psychology “talks” presented information believed to be of interest to a diverse audience of varying age ranges. “Self Smarts – How Well Do You Know Yourself” by student Haya Ghandour enlightened the audience by describing the eight human intelligences and the importance of knowing which one an individual falls into. “You must train yourself to be more reflective, and know your strengths and weaknesses in order to create realistic goals for yourself,” she relayed. Indeed, the talks piqued the curiosity of the audience members and inspired parents, teachers, and peers alike to seek more information about the subjects after watching the presentations.

You can check out the ACS Ted Talk videos at this link.