Assistant Professor Trevor Maber gave a TED talk at the TEDActive 2012 Conference in Palm Springs in early March. During the TEDUniversity session, Maber spoke on the Johari Window, applying it to personal and professional relationships.

He explains that the Johari window consists of four quadrants that help us understand what is known and not known to ourselves and what is known and not known to others. “The Johari window is a core concept taught in the Comm 402 course and is consistently one of the most well received pieces of learning during the entire term.”  

Maber describes his experience on the TED stage as a bit surreal. “Instead of being in an Edwards classroom in front of 40 friendly and familiar faces, the room was filled with over 600 people, many of whom were strangers,” he says. “It felt a bit like speaking at a really big family reunion, the room being full of like-minded and well-intended individuals I didn’t want to disappoint with my ‘idea worth spreading.’”

He adds that participating in the conference reminded him how much people from all corners of the globe have in common. “The opportunity to interact with countless others from all walks of life was a powerful reminder that we are all on a similar life journey,” he says. “The hundreds of TED talks resonate with pretty much everyone on some level as we all work to create a better world in our own unique way.”

Maber was also asked by TED organizers to prepare a segment for their soon-to-launch sister site TED-ED. The website will feature a number of animated videos from educators around the world. While in Palm Springs, Maber recorded the voice-over for his segment on the ladder of influence. He chose the topic as it is a “powerful tool for understanding how our beliefs and emotional reactions influence our interactions with others.”