Newsletter for trainers and teachers with articles and resources for learning and development

1. Jan-Mar 2014 Page 1 of 4 VOL. # 8 ISSUE #1
Inspiring Teachers
Human Excellence
From the editor…..
A very very happy new year to you all! Some of you are also
celebrating Sankranti, Lohri, Pongal, Id etc. Basically a season
and mood for celebration.
And you see a greeting in Braille Script here! Why? Read on…
In this issue, I hope to give you a new direction for thinking.
Only few of you may be dealing with differently abled students
in your classes. When we talk of ‘differentiated teaching’
methods, one of the considerations is how to make the learning
accessible to all types of students. Indian society, in general,
has not paid sufficient attention to accessibility issues. But let
us talk about education and we will focus our attention to
visually impaired (VI) students.
For a few years, I was part of an organization that developed
study material for VI students. I have written briefly about the
commendable work of this NGO.
I had also been to a workshop held at “Dialog in the Dark” that
was facilitated in pitch dark by blind persons. This workshop
gave me new insights into inclusiveness. It sent home the
message that more than charity, creating an environment, both
physical and social, to enable differently abled people to live
with dignity is needed.
Just as there are millions of things that I cannot do, some
people cannot do things that I and people like me have termed
normal. They just have a different way of living and they need
a space to be.
In the workshop of about 2 hrs, in pitch dark, some activities
are conducted. For the first few minutes, there is utter chaos
because we are so used to visual cues. But after a while the
groups settled down to some norms and could complete the
activities. This shows that being different doesn’t mean they
are deprived. They just do things differently.
The text is above reads “Happy Holidays”
Another article which is reproduced from one of the older
issues is on explanation skills.
From next issue onwards, we will try to have a book review.
I invite all of you to share your views on any book that you
have recently read and found valuable.
A word about the interesting links:
People think that Google search is the best method to search
for academic resources. But to come in the first few results
of Google search, a website needs to spend lot of resources
on search engine optimization. Usually academic sites don’t
do that. So the resources given in these columns (or other
resource compilations are really very valuable).
This issue also has some humour, so read and enjoy!
--Uma Garimella
Contact us: inspiringteachers@gmail.com
In this issue:
Editorial
Feature: Samrita Trust …….………………… 2
Effective Explanations ………… 3
Humour ……………… 4
Interetsing Links …………….. 4

2. Jan-Mar 2014 Page 2 of 4 VOL. #8 ISSUE #1
Featured Organization – Samrita Trust
Education for the visually impaired
Audio Books
Initially volunteers of the Trust started reading books and creating
CDs. Telugu and English medium books in History, Political
Science, Economics, Civics, Commerce, Public Administration were
read for BA and Intermediate. Using software called Goldwave,
almost 12 books could be read and put on a DVD. Now these
students needed CD players. The Trust donated hundreds of
players initially. But the significant philosophy of Mr Sastry is to
make a self sustaining model and to involve government in
creating systems for it. So after several trips to the concerned
departments, DVD players were distributed through government
also. Same story was repeated a couple of years later once mp3
players were affordable and more convenient. Now an entire BA
syllabus could be put on a single mp3 player and carried in one’s
pocket. This is a huge empowerment for VI students who are also
poor and cannot afford latest gadgets.
Moving to competitive exams
Once they got a taste of audio books, the college graduates
started asking for more. They wanted to get jobs by writing
competitive exams. So Samrita promptly recorded material and
model papers for Bank exams, Group II and IV, RRB etc and
supplied at hostels and colleges. Several candidates could qualify
and get jobs.
Online tests
Many competitive tests have become on-line and just practicing
with audio books wouldn’t help. So Samrita promptly set up mock
on-line tests for them.
Braile Kits for young children
Partnering with Vidya Vriskhah, an NGO who manufacture Braille
Kits, and Worth Trust that also trains differently abled people,
Samrita distributed hundreds of kits to VI children in several
districts of AP with the help of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan team. In fact,
Samrita initiated Vidya Vriksh to make the kit for Telugu.
Braille Books
While audio books are convenient, compact and useful, spellings,
reading, drawing and writing can be learnt only with Braille script.
Samrita Trust prepares typed version of latest text books
published by AP Govt. One hard copy of the Braille book is
produced and proof read by a blind teacher. Final corrected
version is given to NIVH Chennai, which embosses the Braille
books and supplies to schools which ask for them.
Audio Library
Mr Sastry was always clear that colleges and schools have to play
a pivotal role to sustain this system. He has insisted on the CD
players and audio books to be available in an audio library that
should be maintained by some teacher in the school or college.
Samrita Trust is an NGO started in 2006, that works
for educating the visually challenged. Started by Air
Vice Marshal(Retd) N.S.Sastry and his wife Mrs
Anasuya, this organization has several committed
volunteers who produce learning material for VI
people.
Until recently, the government used to give an
allowance for a reader and a two-in-one (cassette
player and radio) to VI students enrolled in
government colleges. These readers were quite
erratic and the cassettes were also made only by
motivated teachers. In general, these students were
at the mercy of uncertain resources for their learning.
But all that had to change once mp3 technology was
available. Samrita Trust not only created study
material, it worked with the government to change
their policies and enabled students to receive modern
equipment and not depend on readers.
What will surprise you is that this entire technology is
tried, developed and tested by Sri G. Annaji Sarma,
He worked for 34 years in Bhilai steel plant and
retired as Chief Engineer. He and Mr Sastry at 70+
age, are excited with available technology, they figure
out solutions by trial and error and are passionately
spending huge amount of time in this endeavor. Their
wives comment that they are busier than when they
were employed!
The story of Samrita is not as easy as it sounds here.
In spite of sincere efforts it is very difficult to even
reach the needy students. It’s virtually impossible to
get the data about VI students in colleges, schools,
and in applications for employment. Further, donors
need some trace of their donations, so a tracking
system needs to be put in place. Donations have been
raised through individuals, through Give India and
through corporate like banks and private companies.
What strikes you about Samrita Trust is that it is run
very professionally, with commitment and purpose.
You can read more at http://www.samritatrust.org/

3. Jan-Mar 2014
Explanation Skills
(From Mastering Teaching Skills Series – Explaining and
Questioning by Trevor Kerry)
As teachers, most of our professional talking in class is about
explaining something to students. This is by far the most
important skill for a teacher to have. If you get your hands
on this book, you will enjoy because it has examples of
progressively better explanations ons and also has exercises for
you to work on.
Purpose and components of and skills for good explanations:
An explanation means giving understanding to another. It
has three aspects - a content (to explain), a style or type of
explanation and the involvement of the learner in getting the
points across.
Explanations can be of three types based on questions they
try to answer:
What? - Interpretative explanations e.g., what is climate?
What is graph?
How? – Descriptive explanations e.g. how does clim
climate
change in India? How can we construct a graph of our class
scores?
Why? – Reason giving explanations e.g. why does climate
change? Why is this graph of scores useful?
A classroom explanation will have elements from all three
types and you should be able ble to transition between the
three. This is also the essence of Kolb’s learning cycle where
every learner must be taken through why?what?how?
questions in order to complete the understanding. The basic
requirement here is SEQUENCING. If you jump back and
forth between these questions because you have realised
that there were gaps – learners will get confused and worse
still, they will lose interest.
Explanation style also changes with the kind of audience you
are addressing and the purpose of explaining.
Oral
explanation is enhanced by using various stimuli or support
like pictures, diagrams and verbatim texts for definitions.
Here we are not going to explore written explanations but if
a teacher can write down his/her explanations before talking
in class, , it will be an extremely useful exercise.
Purpose: An explanation can be given to explore or solve a
problem, to operate an instrument or conduct an experiment,
to tell a story, to analyse a situation, to defend or argue a
point of view, to offer conclusion. It is important to realise
what is important in each of these contexts. While it is critical
to follow exact steps sequentially in learning to conduct an
experiment or operate an instrument, ment, generating interest
may be more important in story telling. Similarly, analyzing a
situation requires a balanced view while defending needs a
strong supporting evidence for one particular view.
Page 3 of 4 VOL. # 8 ISSUE #1
Summarising or concluding explanations are as important
as the introductions because it is here a learner knows the
topic is coming to an end and will pay attention to any
significant points. Further, as we will see later in
“connectives” – the language you use enhan
meaning conveyed to the learner including sequence and
summary. For example, “finally”, “before this”, “as soon as
we finish this step”, “to recap” etc.
An effective explanation spanning these three types needs
the following skills:
1. Making a dynamic introduction
2. Defining key terms/concepts that will be explained
3. Linking the concept with concrete examples
4. Using both positive and negative examples
5. Creating tasks that learners can do to enhance learning
(active learning)
6. Familiarizing students with th
the subject)
7. Developing rules and principles from explanations
8. Using connectives to enhance learning
9. Using language effectively
10. Using repetition and emphasis (multiple types not just
rote)
11. Adopting an appropriate pace
12. Numbering points
13. Using appropriate humour
14. Linking the explanation to other knowledge
15. Building the feedback loop –
understanding
enhances the
ic the technical language (of
assessing learner’s

4. June 2013 Page 4 of 4 VOL. #7 ISSUE #6
Humour
What the professor says and what he means. True isn’t it? Honestly!
The answer to your question is beyond the scope of this class. ----I don't know.
You'll have to see me in my office for a thorough answer to your question.----- I don't know.
In answer to your question, you must recognize that there are several different points of view. --
-I really don't know.
We can continue this discussion outside of class.--- You're winning the argument - let's quit
Today we'll let a member of the class lead the discussion. It will be a good educational
experience --- I didn't have time to prepare a lecture
Any questions? -------I'm ready to finish the class
Some funny interpretations of science:
"When you breath, you inspire. When you do not breath, you expire."
"H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water"
"When you smell an oderless gas, it is probably carbon monoxide"
"Three kinds of blood vessels are arteries, vanes and caterpillars."
"Blood flows down one leg and up the other."
"The moon is a planet just like the earth, only it is even deader."
"A fossil is an extinct animal. The older it is, the more extinct it is.”
Interesting Links
You can't improve your teaching without changing it. This is the punch line on Geoff Petty's site. Geoff Petty is author
of Britain's best selling teacher training text: 'Teaching Today: a practical guide'. His new book is: ' Evidence Based Teaching'
He has built a website that has valuable downloads and material on active learning. He says there are two main steps for
improvement in teaching (and which happen to be the same at Teacher's Academy) http://geoffpetty.com/
1. Find your areas of strength and weakness and work on these.
2. You can work on the main factors that make the biggest difference to student learning - Active Learning and Feedback -
learners need information on what they do well, and how to improve, then they need to act on this. Professor John Hattie has
synthesized over half a million of the most effective research studies on teaching methods, and the other variables that affect
achievement. This is the biggest and most authoritative review of classroom-based educational research ever undertaken. He
concludes that the factors that make students learn best are student activity towards a challenging goal, and informative
feedback on this activity. Experiments show that some active learning methods prove students' attainment by more than two
grades.
ERIC - the Education Resources Information Center - is an online digital library of education research and information. It
provides ready access to education literature to support and improve practice in learning, teaching, educational decision-making,
and research. http://eric.ed.gov/
The most valuable part of this searchable database is that the results are tagged by author, type of publication, source, date,
level of education, audience and descriptor keywords.
Gateway to Educational Materials Information on Teaching and Learning - http://www.thegateway.org/
People think that Google search is the best method to search for academic resources. But to come in the first few results of
Google search, a website needs to spend lot of resources on search engine optimization. Usually academic sites don’t do that.
So the resources given in these columns (or other resource compilations are really very valuable).