Author: Dr. Soumya Sreehari

Dr. Soumya is an Educator and Researcher with a passion for reading, writing and teaching. She holds a PhD in Chemistry (Michigan Technological University, Houghton, USA). Her experience as a student and a teacher in two countries led her to pursue a career in Education. Her core work at NumberNagar® involves quality delivery of product and services at every stage of the customer life cycle. She leads the team that makes this happen. Previously she has taught Chemistry to first year undergraduate students at Michigan Technological University. She is a voracious reader and challenges herself to read 50 books every year.

EdTech NumberNagar Technology

Technology in Education: Boon or Bane?

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 15 February 2019 6 Comments

Technology – in the form of gadgets and applications – has penetrated every aspect of our lives. Young and old alike use technology for every task, from the mundane to the profound. There’s a gadget for this, there’s an app for that – we commonly hear these words in everyday…

5C Clarity Education Learning

Conceptual clarity – why it is important in primary education?

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 25 January 2019 5 Comments

School students are perpetually battered with the burden of ‘syllabus completion’ right from the ‘ripe’ age of 6-7 years. This ‘syllabus-gospel’ that schools and teachers stick to is hugely driven by the content in textbooks. There is no dearth of the number and variety of textbooks available in the market…

5C Connectivity Curiosity Learning Parenting Psychology

Life lessons from the kitchen

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 11 January 2019 4 Comments

I came across this video for the first time about two years ago. Since then, I have found it multiple times in the contexts of life lessons, children’s educational videos, leadership training and most recently on a reality show in a Marathi TV channel. The summary of the video is…

5C Connectivity Education Experience Learning NumberNagar Psychology

Why do we stigmatise mistakes?

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 30 November 2018 10 Comments

I have been teaching my student for more than a year now, I still see confusion and fear in her eyes when I ask her a question and she doesn’t know the answer. I tell her repeatedly that it is okay if her answer is wrong, she needs to speak…

5C Activities Connectivity Curiosity Education Experiential Learning Learning Science

To spoon-feed or to allow flexibility?

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 2 November 2018 No Comments

“I don’t read, I proofread” – this is a boon and bane I live with every day. Little details pop out to me and I feel compelled to correct or change them – not always a pleasant experience, in fact, quite the contrary. Everyone around me – family, friends, colleagues…

Connectivity Curiosity Experience Learning Parenting Psychology

Is obedience a virtue?

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 5 October 2018 No Comments

‘My son/daughter doesn’t listen to me’ I hear this complaint from parents all the time. This is irrespective of whether the son/daughter is 2 years old or 42 years old. At least in the Indian setting, ‘listening to’ and ‘obeying’ parents is seen as a virtue of the highest order.…

Connectivity Curiosity Enjoyment Experience Learning NumberNagar Science

Awesome Asimov – Why Scientists should be Writers

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 24 August 2018 4 Comments

I recently finished reading the book ‘Today and Tomorrow and’ by Isaac Asimov. Asimov needs no introduction to Science Fiction fans – he has been immortalised by his series of Science Fiction novels (none of which I have read, by the way). This book is a collection of essays Asimov…

Education NumberNagar Psychology

The indelible mark of marks

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 25 March 2018 No Comments

Watch the video before reading further. SPOILERS AHEAD! The video features a clearance sale a week before exams, where students are selling their hobby artifacts for free because their parents feel that scoring marks is more important than pursuing their hobbies. Kind of a more permanent version of ‘no TV…

Education Experience Maths NumberNagar

Mathematical musings in art

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 11 March 2018 No Comments

Today during dance practice, I made a mistake. While keeping the beat for a song, I had switched from chaturashra Eka taaLa to aadi taaLa inadvertently. At the end of the song, I was surprised to find that I had not completed the taaLa at the correct position. Later I…

Connectivity Education Science

Why don’t we get high on Idli and Dosa?

Dr. Soumya Sreehari 3 February 2018 11 Comments

Two weeks ago, my 9th-grade student and I were discussing the synthesis of alcohol by the process of fermentation. After going through the synthesis reactions in detail, our discussion moved to other instances of fermentation in our everyday experience. She immediately recognised Idli and Dosa batter formation and we wound…