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. 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 89 subscribers strong!
1. Learning from People
Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born and raised in Athens to Nigerian parents, Antetokounmpo began playing basketball for the youth teams of Filathlitikos in Athens. In 2011, he began playing for the club's senior team before entering the 2013 NBA draft, where he was selected 15th overall by the Bucks. He helped his team win the NBA championship in the 2020-21 season. This movie was about his journey. It was inspirational because he face a lot of poverty and uncertainty growing up as a refugee and immigrant. He always put his family first and used sports as a way to help his family out of their dire straits. He lost his father at a young age but continued to support his family. He is an amazing sportsperson but an even more amazing human being according to me.
2. Learning from Ideas
I started playing chess again recently and was curious about the historical origins of this game. I found an amazing TED-ED video to guide my exploration.
3. Learning from Books, Websites and Blogs
The software entrepreneur, Bill Gates maintains an active blog called Gates Notes where he shares detailed reviews and video updates on the books he is reading and the things he learns from them. He publishes an annual list of his best books of the year (list for 2017, 2021 and 2022). He is an avid reader and does a great job sharing his reading experience according to me. He reads in a wide variety of different fields like engineering, climate, education and health. He also does interviews with authors like Tara Westover and Siddhartha Mukherjee. I found some great recommendations on this website. Here is a video of his most recent recommendations.
4. Learning from Films, Videos and Shows
Einzelgänger is a Youtube Channel by the Dutch Regulatory Media Authority that explores a wide range of topics and ideas, with a dose of "as I see it," out of curiosity and creative urge. It has videos about philosophy and living life. My favorite videos in their series are When Life Hurts, Care Less About it, The Deep Meaning of Yin & Yang and When to Walk Away. Watch this video to experience their unique style of creating video essays.
5. Learning from Podcasts and Music
I created a video about my five favorite music bands which are Coldplay, The Local Train, The Lumineers, The Beatles and Kodaline. I think Music is a unique way for humans to share their emotions and experiences. I enjoy reading music lyrics and am slowly coming to appreciate the composition side of these songs. I love how every song or album is a story about a specific human experience or a way of looking at the world. I look forward to share more such short music reviews on my channel.
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 (36 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 and look forward to hearing your feedback.
Abhishek Shetty