Srinivas Padma: Personal Musings on Life, Growth, and Connections

SURYAVEER SINGH, a geography teacher at SD Public School, was at his wit's end trying to get his students excited about his subject. But ever since he started his blog ( http://mygeographylearningblogspot.com ) in April 2007, not only are students enjoying his classes, they are also performing better. "I was not doing well in Geography But after sir started his blog, I'm coping with it well. The video links are most interesting," says Chirag Singal, a class XI student. From videos on whalewatching in Kaikoura, New Zealand, to slide-shows on volcanoes and natural wonders, the blog is full of interesting visual tours. Singh says: "Students can talk to me by simply posting their queries or comments on the blog." About 36 teachers from six schools including Darbari Lal DAV Model School, Pitampura, Kulachi Hansraj Model School and Ved Vyasa DAV Public School, Vikaspuri- have started such blogs. The idea and technical training came from a voluntary group CII-Shik...

Despite an improved economy, Japan is suffering a crisis of confidence these days about its ability to compete with its emerging Asian rivals, China and India. One result has been a growing craze for Indian education in this fad obsessed nation. The Indian boomlet reflects the insecurity of many Japanese in their schools, which once turned out students who consistently ranked at the top of international tests. But now many people here are looking for lessons from India, the country many see as the world's ascendant education superpower. Bookstores are filled with titles like Extreme Indian Arithmetic Drills and The Unknown Secrets of the Indians . Newspapers carry reports of Indian children memorizing multiplication tables upto 99 times 99, compared to Japan's relatively lax elementary school requirement of knowing nine times nine. And Japan's few Indian international schools are reporting a surge in applications from Japanese families. At the Little Angels English Academ...