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When my students ask me, “How would I know that I have chosen the right job after I graduated from the university?” My standard answer is always… “Well, when you are happy doing your work and always look forward to do your work then you know you are doing the right job”. This is basically the essence of the book “ Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us ”. This book is written by Daniel Pink (the author of another bestseller - A Whole New Mind). The main idea presented in the book is what truly motivates us and how to harness that knowledge to find greater satisfaction in our lives and our work . The idea is a significant paradigm shift and a surprising insight in what we normally believe, i.e., the best way to motivate ourselves and others is through external rewards like money-the carrot-and-the-stick approach. Pink termed this carrot and stick approach as “Motivation 2.0”. Tangible incentives (carrots) such as bonuses, stock option, and higher salary work well with rou...

A couple of days ago I gave a presentation to graduate students from the School of Management , Universiti Sains Malaysia . The presentation was scheduled to start at 2.30 pm for 2 hours. Giving a lecture or presentation at this time is always very challenging. When I have to give a presentation in the afternoon session I always challenge myself to keep the audience awake and alert for the whole duration of the presentation. To prepare for this presentation, I spent a great deal of time to prepare my PowerPoint and gather the material from books and, of course, internet. It is my habit that while I'm busy working on my project (in this case my presentation) I would switch to another window reading email or blogs. That was when I came across a posting about " Poll Everywhere ". Basically it is an online polling application that tries to simplify the process of holding polls. It allows anyone to participate in the polls by using either a simple text messaging system, ...

In this video , Dr. Paris Butler talks about how  close relationships with faculty, like his relationship with biology professor Dr. Darwin Jorgensen is very useful in enriching his learning experience and helping him to make the right career choice.

The above presentation was voted as the winner of the World's Best Presentation Contest 2010 on Slideshare website. Not only the message is loud and clear but the way it is presented is very engaging. With creativity we can do without the bullet points on the slide! Congratulations to the winner! Watch it here...

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is well known for his electrifying presentations. His presentations are brilliant demonstrations of visual storytelling that turn customers, employees, and the entire computer industry into evangelists. Communications coach Carmine Gallo discusses the various techniques Jobs uses to captivate and inspire his audience — techniques that can easily be applied to your next presentation. Learn more...

My favorite search engine is...Google. In fact I set my homepage to Google in all of my favorite browsers (Firefox, Chrome). Searching for information is a skill that can be developed and honed over time. Google provides several features that allow users to optimize their search, i.e., to search and filter just the right information. Here's a video (in four parts) that explain how to unlock the power of Google in searching for the right information. Secret Google Tips for Researchers : Part 1 ; Part 2 ; Part 3 ; Part 4 .

E-Learning: 21st Century Perspectives on Teaching, Learning, and Technology View more presentations from Kiran Budhrani .

Professor Philip Zimbardo conveys how our individual perspectives of time affect our work, health and well-being. Time influences who we are as a person, how we view relationships and how we act in the world. Apart from the message conveyed in this video, it is interesting to note how the points are translated and summarized in the animation form -- basically another form of mind mapping. I guess visual learners would love this kind of presentation.

This is an animated version of a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award.

Starring Jack Black as Dewey Finn, a hell-raising guitarist with delusions of grandeur. Kicked out of his band and desperate for work, Dewey impersonates a substitute teacher and turns a class of fifth grade high-achievers into high-voltage rock and rollers. The private school's uptight and skeptical head, Principal Mullins, watches on as the 'new sub' preps the kids for Battle of the Bands. The message : teachers can use unconventional approach in the classroom to engage students in the learning process . Watch the trailer...

I believe that learning requires deep understanding that can only come when students understand the concept and principles and actively apply knowledge in creative and meaningful ways. Therefore, the goal of my lectures is generally to acquaint students with the fundamental and applied aspects of physicochemical properties of food systems. My priority is to ensure proper and clear understanding of the concepts, principles and the underlying mechanisms of a process or phenomenon. This is in line with a quote from the great Physicist Albert Einstein: ‘ I do not burden my memory with simple facts that can be looked at in text books, but the true purpose of education is to train the mind to think, for that purpose it is priceless ’. Thus, I spend more time on explaining these aspects in the classroom. Typically, before delivering a new concept to students, I articulate the background information, and ask them to find out the solution. Then I introduce the theory I wanted to communicate...

Learn while having fun - If learning is about problem-solving and skills mastery, what greater way to accomplish this than by using games and simulations to help us teach and learn? By “doing” and by collaborating, it has been repeatedly shown that people learn more and retain that knowledge longer over time. Students are actively involved in the process of working a problem through to solution. I experiment with this idea using my e-learning portal as a delivery medium. I set up different types of interactive games: crossword, quizzes, matching pairs, groupings, and word game. Through my e-learning portal or my wikis ( Physical Properties of Food  and Food Ingredients ), I add some elements of fun in the form of interactive crossword puzzle, word game (akin to Wheel of Fortune – see picture above – try it out yourself ), interactive quizzes, matching correct pairs, grouping items into correct category, etc.. These add another dimension to my teaching while offering the students a...

Learning beyond a textbook and classroo m —As a teacher, I teach beyond the textbooks. Since I first started my teaching career, I have put tremendous efforts to continuously improve my teaching method. I have taken great pains to ensure that students understand what is being taught. I always go the extra mile to garner interest from the students on the subject being taught. My approach in teaching has always been “hands-on”. I spend a great deal of time with the students during laboratory classes to explain and demonstrate the right techniques in carrying out experiments. I also believe that students should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development. This would make learning more engaging and relevant and allows them to appreciate the wider perspective as well as nurture their creativity. I have found that taking the students out to the real world immensely enhanced their understanding of the course. I put a lot of effort to arr...

Being an educator is a big responsibility. I believe that a good and responsible educator can make an impact to one’s life in a positive way. It is important to have empathy and reaching out to our students, try to understand and help them with their problems. I believe that building close rapport with students is important because it allows the students and teacher to relate to each other. Establishing close rapport with students enable me to engage them in reciprocal conversation about their activities and interests. Talking about making a difference as a teacher, I was touched and inspired when I watched a movie “ Making a Difference ” on the internet. The movie was created from a fictional story written by Elizabeth Silance Ballard published in 1974 by Home Life Magazine as “Three Letters from Teddy”. Here’s the quote from the last scene in the movie: “ You can never tell what type of impact you may have on another’s life by your action’s…or lack of action. Please consider this fac...

Learning is hard and challenging, especially learning a new subject that requires hard thinking. However, as an educator, I believe we can make learning fun, even for a hard subject (for me mathematic and physics). It's easier said than done, but it can be done. The present generation of learners learn differently -- they are digital natives. This becomes a challenge for us to search for ways in which our learners can learn and at the same time enjoy every moment of it, or any approach employed to make that learning process a success. However, to create a classroom environment that is lively and interesting, both teacher and students should demonstrate enthusiasm. I always believe that teaching is an exciting adventure in which both the teacher and the students participate and cooperate to achieve a common goal. It is much like “Explorace”, where the team members have to work hard together to accomplish certain task and finally reach the destination. Learning activities can help tr...

Steve Spangler is a celebrity teacher, science toy designer, speaker, author and an Emmy award-winning television personality. Steve Spangler teaches teachers, and people in general, how to create unforgettable learning experiences with humor and attention-grabbing science demonstrations. Wonder, discovery, and exploration -- these are the elements that all educators should incorporate and integrate in their classroom.  See Steve in action showing teachers how to be amazing with fun science demonstrations. For science teachers, here's some more cool science experiments by Steve Spangler...

I simply love teaching! Teaching, above all else, brings me great joy. My first teaching experience was when I was in the secondary school (Form 3) when my friends asked me to help them with the science subject. In Form four and five, I taught my friends Chemistry and in the school I was known as “chemistry wizard”. When I graduated in 1986 during the economic slump, I took up teaching in private school while waiting to get a permanent job. That experience was very exciting and rewarding and led me to choose teaching as a lifetime career. I genuinely enjoy teaching and cannot imagine myself doing anything else. I still teach every class with excitement and enthusiasm as if I am teaching it for the first time. Passion and patience —I believe these two elements are utmost important in all good educators. Passion and love for the subject is essential and it can do wonders in terms of the tangible benefit for the students! I show my enthusiasm of the subject during teaching from the facial...