In each edition of this newsletter, I will share some inspiring web resources that I have curated after hours of research to ensure that you have the best education coffee in your inbox. In upcoming editions, I will focus on sharing insights, notes and realizations that I gather from people, ideas, books, films and podcasts each week. I will continue to write about education and learning as well and hope to be more consistent with the publication of this newsletter this year. Please subscribe to this newsletter if you enjoyed reading this edition. We are now 90 subscribers strong!
1. Learning from People
In this video at the INK Conference, Arvind Gupta shares simple yet stunning plans for turning trash into seriously entertaining, well-designed toys that kids can build themselves.
He is an educator, engineer, author and toy builder. He created a website for popularizing science through children's toys. I was so inspired by his vision as an educator. A graduate from IIT Kanpur (1975 batch), Arvind Kumar Gupta took a year's study leave from TELCO (in 1978) to work with the grassroots village science teaching programme for children in the tribal district of Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh called Hoshangabad Science Teaching Programme. While there, he developed many useful low-cost teaching/science teaching aids using locally available materials. The possibilities of using ordinary things for doing science and recycling modern junk into joyous products appealed immensely to children. You can review his website for a list of books and a list of toys.
2. Learning from Ideas
I learn so many great ideas from TED. The website and Youtube channel includes videos from expert speakers on education, business, science, tech and creativity, with subtitles in 100+ languages. Louis Von Ahm created Duolingo with Severin Hacker in 2009. In this TED talk, he spoke about how 2 billion people in the world are currently learning a foreign language, creating Duolingo streaks and notifications to encourage language learning and using technology to make learning as addictive as social media.
3. Learning from Books
I read Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher Mcdougall in Grade 11. It was gifted to me by my sister. It changed my life. It made me a runner. Here is the book cover and description from the author’s website:
Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong. Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.
This book showed me that running was an important human activity since the start of time. We ran to feed to feed ourselves. We ran to to find shelter. We ran to keep our families safe. The Tarahumara community showed me that running does not have to always be a race but can be a way to understand yourself and the world better. I felt this in 2023 when I completed my first half marathon. For me running was a form of meditation and a great way to push and challenge myself on a day to day basis. It is solitary but you also feel a sense of community with other runners. It taught me mental and physical discipline as you have to train for a significant time to run long distances without injury.
4. Learning from Films and Shows
Ricky Gervais created and starred in Derek, a comedy-drama about a loyal nursing home caretaker who sees only the good in his quirky coworkers as they struggle against prejudice and shrinking budgets to care for their elderly residents. This show showed me that kindness is a superpower. It was heart warming in every way possible.
5. Learning from Podcasts
This week I heard a podcast where Steven Bartlett interviewed Frank Lampard about his journey as a professional footballer. Lampard spoke about his early influences, the importance of daily discipline in the life of an athlete and the mental challenges of being a top athlete. As a football fan I loved his stories about playing at Chelsea and working with top managers. He also spoke openly about failure and success and how your reaction to it can affect your mental health in the long run.
I look forward to writing weekly editions of this newsletter this year. I hope to continue to share resources that will add value to your life. Thank you for subscribing to Education Coffee. You can also review the archive of Education Coffee for free at this link (33 past newsletters).
Please do send me your thoughts and resources on any edition of this newsletter through email at abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com or on twitter @AbhishekShetty_. You can find my work online at https://abhishekshetty.carrd.co/. If you would like to read pieces in the future please do consider subscribing to this newsletter by clicking the button below.
I love taking these discussions forward on those platforms.
Abhishek Shetty