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Monday, June 15, 2026

ECOLOGY SUNDAY AT CSI CHRIST CHURCH TRIVANDRUM

 


It was Ecology Sunday at CSI Christ Church, Trivandrum on 14 June 2026.

The message at the Worship was delivered by a special guest. He is the son of  a great friend of ours.

We could observe that the young boy we knew was not a boy anymore. Evident was  the wonderful transformation in him. The articulation was flawless.

Since I did not have the contact information on the speaker, a message commending him with an evaluation was sent to  his father  who had promply  forwarded it to his son.

It is placed here.


"We see our children as little children only. We see them as the toddlers who had hung on to us, who had rested their heads over our shoulders and whom  we had led on.

When they grow up, when they come into their own, we fail at times to see that. 

We are afraid they'd falter at each and every step, and it makes us walk with them exerting an extra effort to steady them. 

We don't acknowledge they have grown up, they are grown ups.

If parents assert they are far removed from these emotions, I can only define them as hypocrites.

The youngster was very good in his presentation yesterday. It needed courage to stand at the lectern. It needs superhuman effort to open  the mouth and deliver the address to literally  an august audience whose combined IQ level is unimaginable.

He touched all the parameters effectively. The diction was excellent.

The topic was wide. The boundaries keep on shifting even as you delberate. 

Eco disruption is so familiar to each and everyone as we are reminded of it through events that occur abruptly and discourses that are lively or dull and drab.

Congratulations to the young man for the effort he took to prepare and the courage he displayed to deliver.

A critique has to navigate the horizon. 

The message was long.

10 or 15 minutes is the maximum you can command the attention.

There was no need to read out the verses of the song beginning with "All things bright and beautiful."

The relegation of the presentation of the activities of the ecology forum to the conclusive phase was an error in judgement.  It made the interest of the audience wane.

When you mention you are concluding, you have to wind up in one or two sentences. Unfortunately the conclusion was prolonged beyond that. 

He ought to have modulated the delivery of the message. It was monotone.  Monotone lulls the listeners into deep slumber. To counter this effectively, you have to read out the material you have prepared loudly in the privacy of the four walls of your own room at least four or five times. It makes you present your presentation confidently.

Messages become lively when they are linked to life. Quoting verses from the Bible can only lengthen the speech. It does not convey.

Speakers fail when they fail to convey. What you convey has to reach the audience. 

What normally happens is, we are happy with our own presentation. But we can see with a look at the eyes of the audience or their responses, we are not reaching them. 

The effort goes in vain.

Recently a medical representative, a non Christian, whom I met casually, learning I was from KUTS, told me he passes by that campus everyday. He added the view from the road was beautiful - scenic beauty, something out of the world.

Ecology opens such doors. We just have to observe them and link them to our message. 

It makes the audience to walk with us.

Regret, I have loaded you with a drab discourse. 

Please forgive me for that.

Grateful for  your patience to stay this far."

ADAM GRANT ON THE BEST WAY

 

The best way 

to learn is 

to teach

ADAM GRANT ON GRADES

 

Grades are never 

a strong predictor 

of job performance

ADAM GRANT ON EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATORS

 

Extraordinary educators

foster rethinking cycles 

by instilling intellectual humility. 

It disseminate  doubts 

and cultivate curiosity.

ADAM GRANT ON FOCUS OF LEARNING

 

Learning has to be focussed 

less on being right 

and more on building the skills 

to consider different views 

and argue productively about them.

Saturday, June 13, 2026

ADAM GRANT ON LECTURES

 ADAM GRANT ON LECTURES

IN

THINK AGAIN


Lectures are not always the best method of learning. They are not enough to develop students into lifelong learners.


If you spend all your student days being fed information and are never given the opportunity to question it, you won't develop the tools for rethinking that you need in life.

Valedictorian

 Valedictorian      

             

valɪdɪkˈtɔːriən


A valedictorian is the highest-ranking academic student in graduating class. Typically selected based on having the highest Grade Point Average (GPA), this student is awarded the honor of delivering the farewell speech (the "valedictory" address) at the graduation ceremony.


Etymology and Origin


Latin Roots: 


The term originates from the Latin phrase vale dicere, which simply translates to "to say farewell".


Tradition: 


The practice dates back to 1750 at Harvard University, where the student chosen to deliver the farewell was initially selected for their speaking ability to keep ceremonies entertaining, before it became strictly an academic award.


How They Are Chosen


While GPA is the primary metric in high schools and colleges across North America, the selection process can sometimes factor in other achievements that the Institutions might consider.