A monthly compilation of tips, articles and other resources for teachers

1. March 2012
Volume 6, Issue 3 Inspiring Teachers
Driving educational change through excellence in teaching
also available on the blog.
This month…. teachers must be literally
Teacher Plus is an excellent
It has been a long pending Gods on earth (parents!)
for children who are first magazine for school
initiative, but I think the time
generation learners. I teachers, coming up with a
is right NOW! This is just the
share an experience with special issue on English
first step on the long road to
all of you in this issue. A teaching. Get yourself a
fully on-line content. I guess,
First generation number of new links copy! Enjoy the cartoon
as always, things will happen
learners.….2 caption, the jokes.. and get
in time. Yes, we will be going pointing to resources and
Faculty of the month stories of success are busy with your exams….
on-line this month.
…. . 3 Uma Garimella
Acharya Devo Bhava – being shared. They are
Interesting links …4
Going online with LENSOO – a new direction for Teacher’s Academy
Picture caption and
jokes ……..4
Lensoo
EcoSystem…..5
Teacher Plus double Lensoo is a new online learning marketplace that provides the complete ecosystem for e-
issue on English
learning incorporating social technologies. It provides opportunity for learners, experts
teaching …5
and publishers to create a social technology driven global e-learning marketplace.
Teacher’s Academy has signed up as a publisher on Lensoo and will be shortly offering
training programs online. Both offline and online workshops will be followed by
interaction on the Lensoo platform, in order to get the benefit of continuous collaboration
among the members of Teachers Academy. Read page 5 for benefits of using
Lensoo.
Other than enrolling for courses published by Teacher’s Academy, many of you can
sign up as experts and publishers. All you have to do now is:
1. Register on Lensoo.com
2. Go to the Facebook page of Lensoo and hit the the Like button.
3. Go to Youtube and go to the Lensooinc channel/page and subscribe to the channel.
4. Start using the features of “community”
5. Use the groups feature when it becomes functional shortly!

2. Inspiring Teachers Page 2 of 6
The challenges of first generation learners - Uma Garimella
were changed in any way. As
For want of an appropriate These two are the sincere
a college teacher, I know
word, I have made up the students who came for my
adult students still in that
word schooler. A scholar is Sunday School which I ran for
state.
generally used for a very an year at Sainikpuri, a few
Frustrated at the state of
learned person and the word years back.
affairs, I had gone to a
learner need not mean The parents of these children
school named “Ananda
someone learning in school! are not educated but are very
Bharathi”. Started in 1989
Since I want to write about keen on their children's
by Late Mrs. Janaki Iyer, it
children who go to school – I education. They pay fees and
runs with the support of
will use the word schooler. admit their children in
volunteers and few
My daughter and I were reasonably good schools, but
employees. Ananda
having dinner at an Udupi teachers can’t pay attention to
Bharathi conducts
restaurant on a Saturday every single child in school and
nonformal classes in
night, and due to the crowd, private tutors aren’t doing any
Secunderabad for young
the waiter seated a young better.
domestic workers who live
couple with a three-year old Initially when I looked at their
in a nearby slum. There are
son at our table. The boy school books I was shocked
about 30 students between 5
started looking at the menu that these children couldn’t
and 16 years of age.
card and spelling out all the read individual alphabets
The goals differ from one
items. I-D-L-Y, S-A-M-B-A- quickly and didn’t understand
student to another--those
R etc. He didn't have to be the words in the sentences. For
who have dropped out of
prompted and he wasn't example, they said “Kashmir is
school fairly recently are
doing this to show off! The in the north of India” but
encouraged to give board
moment he saw a book it didn’t understand the meaning
exams privately; others
was his natural instinct to of any word in it. They had
acquire basic literacy in
read from it. division in mathematics but
English, Telugu and Hindi.
I contrasted this scene with didn’t know even subtraction.
The curriculum for all the
the one I used to have every They were literally at nursery
students includes
Sunday. Two children in 4th level but studying in higher
knowledge about the
and 6th standards, and who classes. And they were
environment, health and
have scored good grades and completely relying on some
hygiene, and crafts.
double promotions in their pattern matching technique
One of the teachers there
school, struggle to identify combined with teachers giving
told me not to try correcting
alphabets or understand “important” questions to pass
the education which the
words, while they can reel their exams (with flying
children were receiving in
off answers from memory or colors). They wouldn’t know
school in the four hours I
even write them down. the answers if the questions
spend on Sundays.Cont’d

3. Page 3 of 6 Inspiring Teachers
Prof Bholanath Dutta – Faculty of the Month
Soldier at the tender age of 16.5 me in every class. For more
years. After putting up of 15 details please read the book
years of dedicated service in written by me: “Teaching
IAF, I left the Job and joined as Learning Process in
a lecturer in MBA Department. Management Education”
This is a platform for
Request please go through my published by ICFAI Book.
all management
autobiography “Making of a 4. How can we get
education related
Teacher- The journey competent post
discussion. The
Continues” for details. graduates/ PhDs to
platform has helped
2. How much of your time choose teaching as a
MTCians in numerous
do you spend in classroom career?
ways through
teaching? Financial benefits are
Prof. Bholanath Dutta is a assignment like guest
I have 13.5 hrs of teaching definitely important and
Management Teacher, lecture, consultancy,
work load per week. I feel as a presently salary is equally
consultant, trainer and MDP, recruitment,
teacher we need to work harder good. We must tell them the
academic leader having 20+ placement, strong
than student to prepare for the wide prospects and
years of experience as varied networking and the
class whether it is online opportunities for a teacher:
as industry, academic, most important is
information search or desk Teaching, Consultancy,
teaching, administration, development of
research or preparing creative Project, Writing Books,
research and consultancy. He knowledge capital and
activities for the class. Paper, Chair professor,
is presently working with social capital through
3. What kind of methods Advisors et al. At the end,
CMR Institute of Technology, knowledge sharing.
do you use to make the prospect must LOVE the
Bangalore. He is the Founder, Our mission is
students participate in profession which is very
President & Convener of ‘Educate, Empower,
class? important.
Management Teachers Elevate’. The platform
I strongly feel the collaborative 5. Tell us something about
Consortium, Global has helped MTCians in
OR participative method is the MTC Global.
(www.mtcglobal.org). IBC, numerous ways
best way of teaching at MBA MTC Global started in a very
Cambridge, England has through assignment
level. I rely on Activity Based small way on 29.06.2010
included his profile amongst like guest lecture,
Learning – case study, student with one member and today
"2000 Outstanding consultancy, MDP,
seminar, role play, is the strongest team of
Intellectuals of the 21st recruitment,
management games, 5000+ management
Century" in the year 2011. placement, strong
simulation exercise, critical educators and executives
networking and the
discussion question, internet from corporate across the
1. Tell us briefly about most important is
based activity, journal/book world.
yourself and your choice of knowledge sharing and
review , panel discussion , Read more at
career knowledge
debate, GD et al. I ensure that http://www.theprofessor.in/b
I started my professional development.
students ask lot of questions to holanath-dutta.shtml
career in Indian Air Force as a

4. Inspiring Teachers Page 4 of 6
Interesting Links
1. A professor from Stanford puts courses free online
http://www.udacity.com/
2. Students connect with community
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/Harsh_Mander/article2840073.ece
3. Running a venture on campus
http://www.livemint.com/2012/01/29225749/Brewing-a-success-story-on-cam.html
4. Invest in reading
http://www.livemint.com/2012/02/16215437/INVESTING-IN-
READING.html?atype=tp
Picture Caption Contest
5. Nice initiative in helping teachers
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_teachers-of-poor-kids-get-free-lessons-
"No child, he wasn't on-innovative-teaching_1653249
imitating Black Eyed
Pees. Its Black Eyed 6. Parenting tips
Peas" http://innerspacetherapy.in/parenting/understanding-aggressive-children-the-
Chrys Cattirisetti victim-behind-the-aggressor/
Humour 7. One man makes it his business to educate girls
http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/indiaawakened/The-Sir-Syed-Ahmed-
Teacher: tell me Khan-of-Sikar/Article1-813913.aspx
something about the
people of 18th century 8. If you want to change the civic life in India, only you can do it
Student: They are all http://theuglyindian.com/
dead!
9. World Read Aloud day - volunteers needed
Teacher: Rahul, A for? http://blog.prathambooks.org/2012/02/looking-for-pratham-books-champions-
Rahul(softly): Apple for.html
Teacher: Jor se bolo
Rahul: Jai Mata Di 10. World over attarcting and retaining students in engineering is a challenge, not in
India though!
http://chronicle.com/blogs/percolator/re-engineering-engineering-education-to-
Teacher: What retain-students/28745
happened in 1869?
Student:Gandhi ji was 11. Even Harvard talks of pedagogy!
born. http://chronicle.com/article/Harvard-Seeks-to-Jolt/130683/
Teacher: Very good!
Now, tell me what 12. Teachers wanting to use newspapers in classroom, here are two excellent
happened in 1873? resources
Student:Gandhiji was World leading newspaper front pages
four years old. http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/default.asp
Lesson plans with newspapers
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/
13. Another magazine for teachers
http://www.nais.org/publications/itmagazine.cfm
My sessions in Grace Hopper Women in Computing Conference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27OYeylWpjI&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Dq75gEn9Q&feature=youtu.be
14. Some causes to current values in education
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article2880065.ece

5. Page 5 of 6 Inspiring Teachers
Lensoo EcoSystem
Collaborative Learning
• Providing next generation learning
Teacher Plus Magazine announces!
experience
• Personalized user experience
• Enhanced learning effectiveness
Multiple learning modes
• Real Time audio/video
communication between a learner
and teacher
• Real time collaboration with
integrated “study group”
• Knowledge Repositories
• Scheduled virtual coaching and
mentoring
• interaction with learning
communities

6. Challenges of first generation learners
Teacher’s Academy Instead, involve them in backgrounds, many of them equipping socially and
educational games that first generation 'schoolers' economically under-
would motivate them to in the family. These children privileged children to join
Hyderabad
study. This was an have no support during their the mainstream as equal
important lesson I learnt homework or anyone to and active members.
PHONE:
97011 41118 and used – I then started check their school work. Sevalaya is another such
encouraging them to draw, So their foundation is not school, located in a village
E-MAIL: solve Sudoku puzzles, play properly laid. With the near Chennai which has
info@inspiring-teachers.com
word building games, examination and assessment transformed 15 villages
identify words in letter system as it is, they move on around it. Offering free
grids, find differences in to higher classes. And they education upto XII, many of
pictures etc. They enjoyed struggle more and more. its students have moved on
the learning and their Centre for Learning, near to good careers.
concentration and Army dairy at Secunderabad (http://sevalaya.org/ )
behaviour changed over a is another effort to help Acharya devo bhava meant
period of time. children acquire academic to look up to your teacher
As education becomes more skills, a zest for learning and as God. But for these
accessible (which is very self-confidence. children, we teachers have
good) we have students (http://www.centreforlearni to become the parents who
coming from diverse ng.org) CFL is recognized in would have sincerely cared
See us at:
for their education with no
www.theprofessor.com Help us reach more people….
www.teachersacademy.co strings attached.
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Uma Garimella