Report on the Session with Dr Geetha Narayanan
On the 15th of June, the students of grade 12 had the privilege to acquaint themselves with Dr. Geetha Narayanan. Dr. Geetha is a renowned administrator, researcher, teacher, facilitator and author, and what is more is that she began her journey, first, as student and then, as a teacher at Sophia – a badge she wears with pride.
The session began with an invocation of God’s blessings, which was followed by a warm welcome on behalf of Sr. Alpana and all the other attendees. The welcome address elucidated Dr. Geetha’s aspirations that have evolved into achievements through remarkable magnitudes of faith, fortitude and fidelity.
This visionary educationalist founded the Ujwal Trust which initiated the Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology in 1996, with the mission of embarking into creative professional and vocational spheres of education. “Education today is not put into the four walls of being a teacher; it is present like air everywhere,” says Dr. Geetha.
Dr. Geetha’s inimitability was mirrored perfectly by her lecture, which began with a parable that captured the essence of Heraclitus’s famous quote: “Change is the only constant.” As the founder-director of this pioneering institution, she expounded on the importance of adapting with the dynamical times, which Srishti has accomplished using a range of unique untraditional instructional strategies, which she calls “a three hundred and sixty degree fusion approach.” These include elements of experiential learning, practical teaching, internships, workshops and blending disciplines.
Along with Dr. Geetha, a team of teachers from Srishti gave the gathering a glimpse into the ways in which these approaches are employed in their respective domains using interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary foci, along with an emphasis on holistic education. The floor was then open to questions, where the students were given a chance to interact directly with the teacher as well as Dr. Geetha.
To conclude the session, Dr. Geetha thanked Sr. Alpana, the teachers and the students for their time. The attendees expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Geetha for her presence and her inspiring discussion and to Sr. Alpana for exposing the students to a wide range of educational options.