The document discusses academic initiatives at an engineering college in India to improve the quality of education by reforming how students learn and motivating them beyond just preparing for exams, as well as sharing stories of teachers making a positive impact through establishing libraries and continuing their work to help underprivileged children despite challenges. It also provides details on the Inspiring Teacher Awards to recognize excellent educators.

1. August 2011
Volume 5, Issue 8 Inspiring Teachers
Driving educational change through excellence in teaching
News and more….
The festive season is here we are bidding for bigger This month we will launch
again after the dry months of projects. In this issue, some new programs and
summer. At Teacher’s Dr Divya shares her initiatives…watch out. And
Academy too, the campaign experiences of the long while we are on the topic of
This month: for the third edition of term academic initiatives news, you can read the news
Academic Initiatives Inspiring Teacher Awards has at NMREC in a multi-part coverage of June-July
Dr Divya Nalla.….2
begun. This year the event will article. An appeal by months on the site under
Faculty of the Month- be on 8th Oct at Hyderabad. Fiona Vaz, a book review blog.
Dr Vasu Varma ….3 See box for details. Our ‘Three cups of Tea’ and Send in your feedback and
Picture caption ….4 Academy is now registered as some humour complete articles.
a private limited company and this issue. Uma Garimella
Interesting links …4
July-August 2011 Inspiring Teacher Awards
Updates on site...4
• Sessions at CVR College of This is a unique platform for appreciating your
Three Cups of Tea-
Book Review …..5 Engineering, KG Reddy college of school and college teachers. This year we
Engineering and Prakasam provide a broad framework for your
Two inspiring stories
and an appeal- Engineering College, Kandukur nominations by defining four areas
Fiona Vaz……..6 • Launched Interview/Industry 1. Clarity and expertise in subject, organization
orientation of OS concepts – a 12 and presentation in class, motivation and
session program for BTech IV students interaction in class (exam success)
at NMREC 2. Interpersonal rapport with you as a student,
• Two parallel workshops on 7th August concern and counseling outside class (support
at ACE Engineering Academy, in your personal challenges, believing in you)
Hyderabad as below 3. Intellectual stimulation and motivation to go
o BEST – Building Essential beyond syllabus (projects, applications,
Skills for Teaching for innovation)
beginners 4. Good nature and behavior towards a large
o ITEL – Innovative Teaching section of students (role model)
for Effective Learning for A new form is online with these details on our
experienced teachers site

2. Inspiring Teachers Page 2 of 6
Case Study: Academic Initiatives at an Engineering College – Part I
More and more Engineering Colleges year after year and more and more unskilled engineers
produced by the nation! We are happy being a nation producing huge technical manpower for the
world but at the same time being criticized for not being quality conscious in this activity.
Students who secure distinctions in their qualifying exams enter engineering colleges and expect to
become ENGINEERS of tomorrow. They finally become engineers – but are they really equipped
with the required knowledge? Only a few. Who is responsible for this: the college or the students or
both?
Nowadays, reading of textbooks by students has become a rarity. They depend on ‘model question
paper solutions’ to prepare for the exams. And they pass with flying colors.
The technical depth and
human dynamics in this
whole exercise get
compounded with
shortage of time and the
compliance with
university schedules and
norms. It is like juggling
and balancing many
conflicting requirements.
I will share with you the
initiatives and
experiences in all these
areas in the second part
of this article.
Dr Divya Nalla,
(NMREC) Nalla Malla
Reddy Engineering They even lost the habit of preparing notes by referring a few books. Assignments are done by few
College, Hyderabad students and copied by most. Classes are attended only to fulfill the mandatory attendance
requirement. Whatever pain the teacher takes in teaching the subject is not refreshed or referred to
after reaching home. All this is resulting in engineers with just a degree but no knowledge or skills.
Teachers need to know how to impart their teaching in an engaging and interesting way and also
how to make their teaching more application oriented. They also need to employ mechanisms to
check if students are really learning what they are teaching.
Keeping in view the current situation, engineering colleges must incorporate regular faculty training
initiatives. But these will fall short of expectations and will not even be deployable if students are
also not simultaneously motivated to learn. Hence many academic reforms have to be made to make
the students not just pass in the exams but LEARN the subject.

3. Page 3 of 6 Inspiring Teachers
Faculty of the month – Dr Vasudeva Varma, IIIT-Hyderabad
India Pvt. Ltd and Chief a portable and personalized
Architect at MediaCognition device which facilitates
Inc. (Cupertino, CA). Earlier smart learning.
he was the director of It is a cost effective device
Engineering and research at with content and tools that
InfoDream Corporation, can be employed by all age-
Santa Clara, CA. He also groups.
Vasudeva Varma is an associate
worked for Citicorp and Using tools developed by
professor at IIIT Hyderabad,
Muze Inc. in New York as a their research lab, the device
India since 2002. His primary
senior consultant. can be pre-loaded with
research and teaching interests .
content across all subjects,
are Information Retrieval, Humour
He published a book on all standards, all syllabi, and
Extraction and Access, Cloud
Software Architecture also out of syllabus. Student: I don't think I
Computing, Software deserved zero on this test!
(Pearson Education) and With a media player filled Teacher: I agree, but that's
Engineering and Reuse in
over seventy technical with video & audio lectures the lowest mark I could give
Software Architecture. you!
papers in journals and delivered by people who
He heads Search and
conferences. In 2004, he CAN, it helps to learn and
Information Extraction Lab
obtained young scientist revise at the student’s own Teacher: How can you make
(SIEL) and Software so many mistakes in just one
award and grant from pace.
Engineering Lab (SERL). He is day?
Department of Science and It doesn’t require a Student: I get up early!
currently the chair of Post
Technology, Government of computer or internet and is
Graduate Programs. He has co-
India, for his proposal on lightweight but sturdy.
founded SETU Software History Teacher: Can you
personalized search engines. It can be used even by adults tell me something important
Systems Pvt Ltd, incubated at that didn't exist 100 years
In 2007, he was given who want to write any
IIIT Hyderabad’s Center for ago?
Research Faculty Award by Competitive Exam like Student: Me!
Innovation and
AOL Labs. TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, IELTS
Entrepreneurship and which
He was visiting professor at or want to learn things like
released a new product
UPV, Valencia, Spain Cooking, Photography,
myDrona that won a special
(Summer 2007), UBO, Musical Instruments, Dance
jury mention at recent ITsAP
Bretagne, France (Summer Tutorials, Languages and so
product awards.
2009) and Language on.
He obtained his Ph.D. from the
Technologies Institute,
Department of Computer and
CMU, Pittsburgh, USA
Information Sciences,
(Summer 2010)
University of Hyderabad in
Incidentally, the product
1996. Prior to joining IIIT
MyDrona is related to
Hyderabad, he was the
education and training. It is
president of MediaCognition

4. Inspiring Teachers Page 4 of 6
Updates on website
♦ Most of the archives of newsletter (2007, 2008 and some 2009) have been
uploaded on the blog
http://www.theprofessor.in/blog/
♦ Newspaper clippings are added at
http://www.theprofessor.in/blog/media-coverage/newspapers-june-july-2011/
♦ The announcement for workshops is at
http://www.theprofessor.in/blog/teachers/workshops-on-7th-august-2011/
♦ A guest column has been started. Read articles at
Picture Caption Contest http://www.theprofessor.in/blog/category/guest-column/
Dolly Sandhu "Audio- Interesting Links
Visual learning"
1. Students and teachers can benefit from these brain teasers
Neelu Vig "Audio-
intensive Learning......" http://www.syvum.com/teasers/
Lalitha Karthik "When http://www.braingle.com/brainteasers/index.php
your ears do the talking; http://www.funandgames.org/index.htm
your brain does no
hearing!!" http://www.billsgames.com/brain-teasers/
Atul Negi " Go ahead
http://www.pedagonet.com/brain/brainers.html
and give the dictation, I 2. Please support this young man with a mission
am all ears!"
http://ngopost.org/story/funds-room-rent-and-musical-poor-kids-pune
Sushma Sapphire "all 3. Online vs. face-to-face teaching – some findings
ears and no talk makes
Sushma a dull girl!!" http://chronicle.com/article/Community-College-Students/128281/
Venkat "Hear just with 4. Dr Uma Garimella’s interview on FM-Rainbow, AIR, Hyderabad (2009)
your ears, because you http://chirb.it/Pxt1Cb
can not write without
Pencil and Paper" 5. Excellent site for teaching science and maths
Arun Shetty "No, it’s not http://www.teachengineering.org/index.php
elephantiasis..." 6. Some thought provoking articles on technical education in India by Prof
Uma Garimella Dheeraj Sanghi, IIT-Kanpur
News in 3050: http://dsanghi.blogspot.com/
Scientists solve the
mystery of huge ears: 7. A global community of professors, with the ability to organize their individual
education and coaching
experiences and expertise into a greater effort wherever there is a recognized
system of the 19th to
21st century to blame. need and workable problem set
http://www.professorsbeyondborders.org/

5. Page 5 of 6 Inspiring Teachers
Making a difference- one school at a time Book Review
Three Cups of Tea” is a Here, he discovers that the build schools in rural
New York Times bestseller village had no school and Pakistan and Afghanistan. He
first published in 2006. The children were learning in believed that educating the
book's title comes from a open air – exposed to the girls would reform the
Balti proverb: "The first cruel weather. As a villages, because boys go
time you share tea with a gesture of compassion and away in search of greener
Balti, you are a stranger. gratitude for saving his pastures. CAI has built over
The second time you take life, he promises to build a 78 schools in the most remote
tea, you are an honoured school for them. areas of the countries.
guest. The third time you Back home in the US, after The first fifty pages were
share a cup of tea, you a frustrating time difficult to read – the
become family." Baltis are (sleeping in his car and language and territory where
By Greg Mortenson and
Muslims of living out of a storage it is set were so difficult to
David Oliver Relin
Ladakhi/Tibetan origin locker while working as a understand – I almost gave
from Baltistan, Pakistan. nurse in America) trying up. But when I crossed this
The book describes to raise money, hurdle, I fell in love with the
Mortenson's transition from Mortenson was book and the characters.
a mountain-climber to a introduced by chance to Credit goes to co-author and
humanitarian committed to Jean Hoerni, a Silicon award winning journalist
reducing poverty and Valley pioneer who Relin who recounts
educating girls in Pakistan donated the money Greg Mortenson's efforts in
and Afghanistan. In 1993, needed for his school, fascinating detail, presenting
after more than 70 days on insisting that he show him gripping portraits of the
the mountain, on one of his the picture after village elders, con men,
expeditions to scale K2, his completing the project. philanthropists, mujahideen,
group’s ascent is Almost half the book is Taliban officials, ambitious
interrupted by the rescue devoted to the Herculean schoolgirls and upright
mission of a fellow climber. task of building the first Muslims. Reading the book, I
(Un)fortunately he gets lost school and showing its felt if one man can do so
on the way down, and is picture to Jean, now much what am I doing to
make a difference? A must-
Greg Mortenson is the co-
almost given up for dead. By terminally ill with cancer.
founder and executive
a chance encounter, he gets Greg, by now is so bitten read for anyone who is
director of the non-profit
a second life and by the bug of social reform interested in social change
Central Asia Institute as
convalesces in Korphe, a through education, went and responsibility.
well as the founder of the
small and unremarkable on to co-found the Central http://www.threecupsoftea.com/ educational charity Pennies
village, and is cared for by Asia Institute with Jean, ---Editor for Peace.
the chief of Korphe, Haji Ali. who endowed the CAI to

6. Two inspiring stories and an appeal – Fiona Vaz
Do you remember how you of his most difficult kids that he is doing from next
Teacher’s Academy helped me when I wanted to began to blossom, even year on I find it hard to ask
set up a library for my academically because of the you to help him- what if I
kids? Do you remember drama sessions. He need your help next year?
Hyderabad how you emptied your conducted a drama class for What if you write me off as
shelves and gave me all your my kids- praised them someone who is always
books? And how you generously and bolstered asking?
PHONE: arranged workshops for my their self confidence. I But after speaking to
97011 41118 kids and offered some of witnessed his magic. someone who decided to
them scholarships? And At the end of the fellowship, change his life’s decisions
how you came to see them he had to decide what to do out of compassion for 200
E-MAIL: and made partnerships next. 80 fellows chose 80 parents and children,
info@inspiring-teachers.com
available, spoke to them and different things. Some went someone who did not shut
conducted workshops for on to study further, some the door on 100 additional
them? went back to the corporate, faces and someone who
I hope you do. I hope you and some worked in public chose not to hang up despite
remember seeing my face schools. But one decided to the clouds in his head- I
how it radiated with stay back with the kids in realized I could not be so
happiness when I received Wadgaon Sheri. He declined selfish.
the books. I hope you not one but two job offers- You could send him books
remember how I told you one of which was not only (but he won’t be able to pay
that one of the reasons why lucrative but also for transport nor will
I feel like going on is prestigious. I was filled with he be able to come to pick
because you make it goose bumps when he told them up), anything that he
possible for me with your me that he planned to stay might need or just some
encouragement. And how I back because the parents money. He plans to have an
was filled with so much of his kids want him to end of year musical for his
pride when I told my kids continue imparting excellent kids which will cost him
that we have 3000 books in education to their kids. He about 1 lakh (No we are not
the library and that they will decided to give his kids an afraid to dream big- our
See us at: never fall short of books and excellent education- kids see what is possible for
www.theprofessor.com I actually doubted that UtkarShiksha is what he them through our eyes.) I
www.teachersacademy.co when the kids read an calls it. want you to know that it is
average of 171 books in one He charges them a fee, 200 not an organization that
year. a month and runs the class does charity but it is a
I hope I thanked you from his home. He had business venture. I also
enough. I hope I did justice space for only 100 kids but assure you that the
to your generosity. I hope did not know how to refuse education he is imparting is
I lived up to your the additional 100, and so worth more than the 200
expectations and fulfilled he welcomed them all. He rupees that the kids are
Aditya’s email address the promise I made to my wants to rent a place but paying him. Please speak to
adityaprasad.sadangi2009@ kids. I want to now tell you says he has no money. He him or write to him to know
teachforindia.org about Aditya. cannot hire teachers and how you can help him or
Aditya Prasad Sadangi is a hence teaches 12 hours a just to say that you are
Mobile 09096554057 friend and was a Fellow day. It is tough he says, but proud of him.
And to know more about his with Teach For India he is convinced that this is And if you are still reading,
musical you could check this (2009) and taught in a what he wants to do. let me just thank you for
http://www.ncamusical.wedsite. school in Pune. He not only I spoke to him today. I have putting your faith
com/ taught his kids the a dream too and have no in me. For giving me and
Please circulate this appeal curriculum, he trained them courage and no clarity. my appeal your time. I also
widely. Post it on your blogs, in drama. His kids put up a I spoke to him to see if he want to tell you that I
your social network pages or show at the end of 2 years, could help me. He is down am not entirely capable of
internet groups that you are which was considered with viral fever but didn’t helping Aditya on my own
part of. Do what you did to excellent. Everyone who ask me to call him back and it will mean a lot
help me. My inbox was flooded watched the musical some other day. He spoke to me if you help me help
when I wanted to help 50 concurred that he and his amidst the cough and him. And because I believe
children and because team had raised the bar for sniffles. that Aditya, you and I
of you we reached 6 schools! every fellow, every teacher I need you to help Aditya want only the best for our
Let’s recreate the magic. and every student. out. In whatever way you children, we are in this
Throughout the year he can. together.
Fiona Vaz documented how drama It is difficult to keep asking, And I find strength in our
aided some of his most and because I see myself togetherness.
Love, Gratitude and struggling kids. How some doing almost the same thing