2 government schoolteachers from Karnataka bag US Fulbright scholarship

BENGALURU: Two teachers have made the state proud by bagging the prestigious US Fulbright scholarship.
Rajesha YN, 39, who teaches mathematics and science at Mallupura government high school near Nanjanagudum and Renuka Krishnagiri, 53, working with Kendriya Vidyalaya, Air Force station, Jalahalli, are known for their innovative teaching modules. They are among the three teachers to be selected from across India. From over 3,000 applications worldwide, 173 have been chosen.

In January 2019, they will fly to the US where they’ll get to know about the education system in schools, colleges and universities for six weeks.

“For the first time, a teacher working in a rural government school in Karnataka has been chosen for the programme. Rajesha is one among the teachers trained by the department of state education research and training (DSERT) for adapting technology in classrooms,” said HN Gopalakrishna, director, DSERT.

The candidates had to write essays, attend interviews and also clear the TOFEL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) during the selection process for the programme. It is sponsored by J William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, United States’ department of state’s bureau of educational and cultural affairs.

Rajesha said Classes 8, 9, 10 students of Mallupura school score full marks in maths and science. “Since 2009, I’ve been utilising my brother’s laptop to explore tools on the internet to improve my classroom teaching. I used a nuclear reactor simulator available on a foreign university website to make students understand the concept. In my classes, there is not much teaching involved in front of a blackboard,” he said. Rajesha also uses free maths app ‘Geogebra’ to teach abstract concepts.

Renuka, who teaches biology, said she uses different teaching models to make learning interesting. “We’ve developed cow dung-based mosquito repellent coils. A year ago, my students presented a paper on Chikkabanavara lake rejuvenation at the National Science Congress,” she added.