April 15, 2024 • 18 mins
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Have you ever sat in a classroom, eyes glazed over, wondering if there's a better way to learn? Dr. Swathi Karamcheti, with her vibrant storytelling and rich experiences, is transforming the educational landscape, one engaging lecture at a time. In this episode, we welcome this passionate educator who reveals how she captures the imagination of her students in the realm of environment and sustainability at the University of Buffalo. Swathi's journey is a testament to her commitment to adapting and evolving her teaching craft, ensuring that every student feels seen, heard and inspired.
By sharing strategies to break the classroom silence and turn tentative voices into confident discussions, she illustrates the importance of experiential learning. Imagine stepping out of the textbook and into the real world, where field visits to businesses illuminate the abstract concepts of sustainability. Join us, and become part of a conversation that's not just about learning but about experiencing a more mindful way of living and educating.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Maggie Grady (00:05):
Welcome to the Teaching Table, a monthly
podcast where we'll engage ininsightful conversations about
the dynamic world of teaching,learning and technology within
higher education.
Brought to you by theUniversity of Buffalo Office of
Curriculum Assessment andTeaching Transformation, and
made possible by the generoussupport of the Genteels'
Excellence in Teaching Fund,this podcast aims to shed light
(00:27):
on the pathways to educationalexcellence.
I'm your host, Maggie Grady, alearning designer in CATT.
Today, I'm delighted to bejoined by Dr.
Swathi Karamcheti, AssistantTeaching Professor in
Environment and Sustainability,as we delve into best practices
and recommendations for facultyto engage students through
technology, active learning andexperiences.
(00:49):
Welcome, Swathi, and thank youfor joining me.
Swathi Karamcheti (00:52):
Hey, Maggie, thank you so much for inviting
me to participate in thispodcast.
The room looks beautiful, it'svery cozy and I'm so happy and
delighted to be here, and I amlooking forward to sharing any
insights I have about teachingwith UB with our listeners.
Maggie Grady (01:08):
Swathi, we first met through the new faculty
academy offered last fall.
For those that do not know, thenew faculty academy is a
collaboration between the Officeof the Vice Provost for Faculty
Affairs and the TeachingTransformation Team from the
Office of Curriculum, Assessmentand Teaching Transformation,
along with the UniversityLibraries.
This collaboration aims toprovide all new faculty members
(01:32):
with support as they grow intoeffective educators and
productive scholars.
Can you please share with ouraudience a little bit about your
experience with the new facultyacademy?
Swathi Karamcheti (01:43):
Absolutely, so to start with, I joined UB in
spring 2023.
So it's been a year since I'mhere and I did teach before at
college level, at communitycollege level and, of course, by
my accent and my name, you canfigure out that I'm from India,
so I did teach in India as well.
But teaching in university orbeing part of a big university
(02:06):
is entirely a differentexperience.
Every student is different andevery institution is different,
and we can only share part ofour experiences, but there is
always so much to learn andexplore.
So when I heard about the newfaculty academy, I was so
hopeful to learn the nuances ofteaching at the university level
(02:26):
.
I was like this is it! You know?
So what happened is I joined inspring 2023 and the NFA
happened in fall 2023.
So I did teach one wholesemester without any university
teaching experience, but thenthat helped me when I became
part of NFA, because I couldbring in some experiences and I
(02:48):
could even share during NewFaculty Academy classes and say
that, oh, what I did wasprobably not the way I was
supposed to or probably, likeyou know, I could have done it
differently or I didn't know,but I did it so well.
Right, so you know when youjust head dive into a big pool,
(03:09):
you learn by experiences.
And I had absolutely zero ideawhat was to be offered at New
Faculty Academy.
But once I jumped in I was morethan happy to interact with
everyone from CATT, you andeveryone and Kevin and you know
and learn and explore themethodologies, tricks and tips
on teaching and learning, so itwas a wonderful experience.
Maggie Grady (03:30):
Oh, good, good, I'm glad to hear that.
So during our classes in thenew faculty academy, you
discussed your teachingexperiences with the class.
Very wonderful information andinsightful knowledge,
particularly focusing on methodsfor reaching and captivating
students.
Could you kindly share some ofyour insights with our audience?
Swathi Karamcheti (03:51):
Yes.
So I'm a person who firmlybelieves that every student
that's in your class brings withthem very rich cultural, native
and grassroots experience.
So I always encourage them toshare their stories according to
the context, like if I'mteaching about, let's say,
clouds.
Clouds are everywhere, but ifyou're from a dry state, you
(04:12):
hardly see them.
If you're from a state likeBuffalo or New York and a place
like Buffalo or Seattle, they'realways over your head.
So as simple as clouds, everystudent has very different
experience even looking at theclouds.
So I asked them, like you know,when did you see the clouds?
What kind of clouds did you see?
Were they far, were they thick?
(04:32):
Were they, like you know,scattered?
So every student then raisestheir hand and they share their
experiences and that actually,you know, gives a platform for
students to understand that,okay, the number of clouds that
I saw in a day is probably equalto the number of clouds that my
friend who is sitting rightacross to me saw in a whole year
.
Right, so it's very, verydifferent.
(04:54):
So I always encourage them toshare their experiences and this
brings in a smile to their faceand they get very excited.
You know, they always come upwith these stories.
They always tell me, like wherethey traveled, what they saw,
and it's not just about clouds.
I teach sustainability as well.
So for me, coming from India,sustainability was inherent, you
know, even though the conceptnever existed in 80s.
(05:16):
Okay, I'm not going to revealmy age at this point, but still,
you know, growing up in 80s and90s, you know sustainability
was part of my house.
My parents were very strict onwasting water.
We had no plastic bags.
Can you believe it, Maggie?
I never saw plastic bagsgrowing up.
Yeah, the first time I ever sawa plastic bag was in mid 90s.
(05:37):
Until then, we used to have acloth bag that we would carry
everywhere.
We used to have a separate bagfor vegetables because, you know
, it becomes dirty and then it'sdifficult to wash.
We used to have a separate bagfor vegetables because, you know
, it becomes dirty and then it'sdifficult to wash, and then we
have separate bag for othergroceries.
So for me, sustainabilityexisted before, and probably
along the way we spoiled it andthen we are getting back.
(05:58):
So I share my personalexperiences as well.
I ask students to tell me whattheir parents felt like.
You know what they felt like.
So when they come up with thesestories, narratives and
experiences, it's like it justbrings a smile on their face.
And for me, you know, as ateacher, I also firmly believe
in experiential learning.
(06:19):
It's not just experiences.
So for me, when I talk about,let's say, in the last semester,
I talk about business,sustainability and society.
It was actually taught byanother professor, but since he
was on a break, I taught it.
I took students to three or fourdifferent business locations.
(06:39):
I was very new to Buffalo I wasonly two months old in Buffalo
by that point.
But then you have Google atyour disposal, you have
information at your disposal.
So I used to make cold callsand I used to tell like, hey, I
teach this.
Would you be willing to youknow, accept my students.
I have like 25 students.
Can I bring them in?
Not even once any business thatI called said no, yes! So I
(07:03):
would just put it on the mapsand then go and show it to
students.
So for me, when students get togo to the fields and experience
it, rather than you know meshowing it on YouTube or in the
class, that brings, you know, alot of difference.
You know that brings adifferent experience to them.
Maggie Grady (07:23):
I love all of the real-world examples and bringing
in the community and gettingthe students to help.
I want to take your course.
So what are the primarychallenges you encounter when
attempting to engage students indiscussion and activities?
It doesn't sound like you havemany, but what challenges are
(07:46):
you facing and, furthermore,what specific strategies or
approaches do you use toovercome these challenges and
effectively encourage studentparticipation and enthusiasm in
class?
Swathi Karamcheti (07:57):
Okay, so first I'll talk about the
challenges.
There are always challenges, nomatter how good you are at
teaching or how experienced youare, whether you are only, like,
fresher, one year old or you're20 years old, students are
always there and they willalways, like you know, have
their own personalities thatthey bring in.
So most of the times, like Ihave a class that has 45
(08:20):
students and I ask a questionand there is pin drop silence.
They just don't want to talk.
You know, nobody wants torespond because they're like
okay, you know, why should I?
There are 44 other students.
And that's the same mentalitythat goes in.
Most of the times when you aska question and they're
unresponsive.
So when I ask a question andstudents don't respond, probably
(08:41):
five or six years ago I used totake it very personally and I'm
like why are students nottalking to me?
You know what did I do?
But then slowly I understoodthat it's not me, it's just the
students and they just don'twant to take initiative.
So you, you will always havethis challenge of students not
responding to your question.
Looking at, you know, playingsome game, you have no clue.
(09:03):
So as a professor, I learned tonot take it personally and that
gives me peace.
They're not doing this to meintentionally.
They're just doing it becauseit's part of their personality.
So you will always have thischallenge and you know every
class I try to learn, everyclass I try to overcome.
(09:24):
You know my past experiences.
So for me, as I go forward,this is going to happen.
So this is a pertinentchallenge.
Another challenge that I haveis when I ask a question earlier
so, do you like clouds?
Yes.
D you see clouds today?
No, So yes and no, and thenthat's it.
(09:46):
They stop their answer.
So I learned to have open-endedquestions where I asked them to
speak up rather than justanswering yes or no.
So these are the two thingsthat are still challenging and
that every professor faces.
How I overcome this?
(10:06):
The first thing that I learn isrespect.
I know every student in myclass by name.
It is difficult.
It is difficult but it's notimpossible.
Right?
You know all the Hollywoodactors, right?
Yeah, so you know.
You know them because you likethem, right?
I am in my class, I like mystudents, and they are in my
(10:30):
class because they like thiscourse and probably they heard
that I'm a good professor or I'mbetter, you know, at giving
them some information.
So I give respect to thatthought.
It takes me a couple of classes,or you know a couple of weeks,
to know their names, but atleast by third week I know every
student by name.
Yes, I forget after one year.
That's a different thing.
(10:51):
But I'm like I know you, I knowyou, I know you, I know your
face, but just you know, help me.
So when I call them by name, Isay Maggie, what is your
experience of you knowsustainability?
So Maggie is like oh, you knowwhat she called my name.
And then she responds so that'swhat I do, you know.
I call them by name and I askthem.
(11:13):
It's a lot to process, butstill that's my job.
You know I'm in the class,that's my job.
We are spending 15 weekstogether and two classes per
week.
That's like you know so manyhours together.
You know, at least you knowthis much I can do for my
students.
So this is how I overcome mychallenges.
Maggie Grady (11:32):
Having that passive learner and getting them
to feel that connection withyou is going to help them open
up.
Good job.
Nice going.
So, Swathi, I know yourexpertise is in environmental
and sustainability.
What strategies or activitiesdo you use to actively engage
your students in discussions andprojects related specifically
(11:53):
to environmental andsustainability issues, fostering
both understanding and a senseof responsibility towards these
important topics?
Swathi Karamcheti (12:03):
So, to start with, I always talk about myself
.
I talk about my childhood, Italk about my life, I talk about
my family.
I talk about my life, I talkabout my family.
I'm very transparent, not thatI talk about my finances and
stuff, but there are so manyissues that I share so that
actually tells my students thatshe's transparent and she's
honest and she talks aboutherself.
So experiences right, theymatter a lot.
(12:27):
So I tell them, like you know,there is so much world beyond
these classrooms that you needto learn.
I talk about differentcontinents.
I talk about differentcountries.
I talk about how people live indifferent places water, you
know, sustainability aspects,like so when I share these
experiences about myself, I'm myown critic.
I also tell them what I didwrong and how you know stupid I
(12:49):
was in certain cases.
So they laugh.
I'm like I'm OK, you know, I'mOK to talk about my life and it
doesn't make me any big or small.
It just puts me in front ofthem, I know makes me vulnerable
in front of them and they theytrust me and it's an honest
approach.
So I am my own critic as well.
And you know, as I said, for meit's all about storytelling and,
(13:13):
at the end of the day, it'sabout awareness.
You know, it's about education,it's about information, it's
about knowledge.
So when I bring in thesestories, they are like, oh my
god, you know this, this is sogood.
So they, they also trust me andthey come up with their stories
as well.
And I also bring in expertsfrom all fields to share
(13:33):
information and knowledge.
Sometimes, you know, there aretopics that I just know, but I'm
not an expert in that.
But I feel that if studentsknow this well enough, you know
they can actually put it intoperspective when they go about
in their careers.
So I bring in experts and thatactually opens their doors and
you know that actually opensmore avenues for students and
(13:57):
you know they're always happy.
So this is how I do and youknow you're calling me an expert
in environmental sustainability, Maggie.
I'm not.
I am a child.
I'm still a child.
You know I'm still learning andI always tell students to be
responsible.
I always tell students to take,you know, accountability for
(14:20):
their actions and they do it,they do it and, most
surprisingly, sometimes I justfeel that you know it's all
about talking, it's all abouttelling them that you're not
doing this right, and it's hightime you do it.
They're like blank pages and wejust have to write the right
script.
Maggie Grady (14:39):
I love the fact that you are open to reflect and
make the changes and are verytransparent with your students.
I love that.
Swathi Karamcheti (14:48):
When I was doing my bachelor's and master's
in India, I visited places, Ihad experiential learning, I had
guest lectures.
It's all good.
I'm doing the same thing evenafter 25 years.
Don't we have to change?
We have to.
We have so much technology inour hands right now.
So if I'm talking aboutstratosphere, if I'm talking
(15:09):
about ozone layer, when I wasgrowing up, when I went to
college, ozone layer issomething that existed in the
sky.
Now we have drones that can fly, we have cameras that can go up
(15:36):
.
So how about I send a 360camera up into the sky, shoot
and then put it in a headset andlet my students travel to ozone
layer and see the troposphereand stratosphere in 360 degrees?
Wow, right, right.
(15:57):
Coral reefs I knew there arecorals.
I went for snorkeling.
I saw the corals, but look atthe picture, how beautiful it is
.
Right?
But how about telling studentsor taking students into the
corals?
Right, give them a camera orgive them a headset.
Let them experience, at leastin you know, the MetaQuest or
(16:22):
other cameras or other you knowheadsets.
Take them to the corals, seethe corals in 360 degrees,
interact with the fish, interactwith the flora and fauna that's
underneath the water.
This is technology that we needto bring in.
You know, the first step to dothis is, like you know, you have
some nice videos on YouTubethat you can still put them in
(16:44):
the headset.
So I went to the libraries, Iborrowed some headsets.
I used to, you know, downloadthose videos onto my phone and
then I would let studentsexperience it.
But it's not giving me thatquality right?
I was not happy with it, I wasOK, but you know there is so
much more to do.
You have you're in UB, you knowyou have so much technology at
(17:04):
your disposal.
So I was like you know what todo?
You know I had this thing.
So I went to Cynthia fromlibraries and I was having some
other discussion, and then this,this whole idea came up and she
said that you know what?
We are buying the 360 camerasand we are also getting headsets
(17:26):
.
How about we do this?
We did it, Maggie.
We did it.
So right now, I'm teachingsustainability and communities.
Yesterday, our project started.
We gave four cameras to fourgroups of our students.
We asked them to shoot nicelocations outside and we are
going to teach them how to editand how to uh, you know generate
(17:49):
sustainable communities withthe help of generative AI and
see them in the headsets,envision sustainable communities
.
You know, and this happenedbecause I was in CATT, NFA and
thanks to you guys.
You know, you guys helped me incoming up till here and I'm so
(18:10):
thankful to you guys, right.
Maggie Grady (18:12):
Thank you for joining us today at the teaching
table.
That wraps up this version.
We discussed best practices andrecommendations for faculty to
engage students throughtechnology, active learning and
experiences with Dr.
Swathi Karamcheti.
So be sure to connect with usat buffalo.
edu/catt and that's c-a-t-t, oremail us at ubcatt@buffalo.
(18:33):
edu.
nd And thanks for listening.
Welcome to the Teaching Table, a monthly
podcast where we'll engage ininsightful conversations about
the dynamic world of teaching,learning and technology within
higher education.
Brought to you by theUniversity of Buffalo Office of
Curriculum Assessment andTeaching Transformation, and
made possible by the generoussupport of the Genteels'
Excellence in Teaching Fund,this podcast aims to shed light
(00:27):
on the pathways to educationalexcellence.
I'm your host, Maggie Grady, alearning designer in CATT.
Today, I'm delighted to bejoined by Dr.
Swathi Karamcheti, AssistantTeaching Professor in
Environment and Sustainability,as we delve into best practices
and recommendations for facultyto engage students through
technology, active learning andexperiences.
(00:49):
Welcome, Swathi, and thank youfor joining me.
Swathi Karamcheti (00:52):
Hey, Maggie, thank you so much for inviting
me to participate in thispodcast.
The room looks beautiful, it'svery cozy and I'm so happy and
delighted to be here, and I amlooking forward to sharing any
insights I have about teachingwith UB with our listeners.
Maggie Grady (01:08):
Swathi, we first met through the new faculty
academy offered last fall.
For those that do not know, thenew faculty academy is a
collaboration between the Officeof the Vice Provost for Faculty
Affairs and the TeachingTransformation Team from the
Office of Curriculum, Assessmentand Teaching Transformation,
along with the UniversityLibraries.
This collaboration aims toprovide all new faculty members
(01:32):
with support as they grow intoeffective educators and
productive scholars.
Can you please share with ouraudience a little bit about your
experience with the new facultyacademy?
Swathi Karamcheti (01:43):
Absolutely, so to start with, I joined UB in
spring 2023.
So it's been a year since I'mhere and I did teach before at
college level, at communitycollege level and, of course, by
my accent and my name, you canfigure out that I'm from India,
so I did teach in India as well.
But teaching in university orbeing part of a big university
(02:06):
is entirely a differentexperience.
Every student is different andevery institution is different,
and we can only share part ofour experiences, but there is
always so much to learn andexplore.
So when I heard about the newfaculty academy, I was so
hopeful to learn the nuances ofteaching at the university level
(02:26):
.
I was like this is it! You know?
So what happened is I joined inspring 2023 and the NFA
happened in fall 2023.
So I did teach one wholesemester without any university
teaching experience, but thenthat helped me when I became
part of NFA, because I couldbring in some experiences and I
(02:48):
could even share during NewFaculty Academy classes and say
that, oh, what I did wasprobably not the way I was
supposed to or probably, likeyou know, I could have done it
differently or I didn't know,but I did it so well.
Right, so you know when youjust head dive into a big pool,
(03:09):
you learn by experiences.
And I had absolutely zero ideawhat was to be offered at New
Faculty Academy.
But once I jumped in I was morethan happy to interact with
everyone from CATT, you andeveryone and Kevin and you know
and learn and explore themethodologies, tricks and tips
on teaching and learning, so itwas a wonderful experience.
Maggie Grady (03:30):
Oh, good, good, I'm glad to hear that.
So during our classes in thenew faculty academy, you
discussed your teachingexperiences with the class.
Very wonderful information andinsightful knowledge,
particularly focusing on methodsfor reaching and captivating
students.
Could you kindly share some ofyour insights with our audience?
Swathi Karamcheti (03:51):
Yes.
So I'm a person who firmlybelieves that every student
that's in your class brings withthem very rich cultural, native
and grassroots experience.
So I always encourage them toshare their stories according to
the context, like if I'mteaching about, let's say,
clouds.
Clouds are everywhere, but ifyou're from a dry state, you
(04:12):
hardly see them.
If you're from a state likeBuffalo or New York and a place
like Buffalo or Seattle, they'realways over your head.
So as simple as clouds, everystudent has very different
experience even looking at theclouds.
So I asked them, like you know,when did you see the clouds?
What kind of clouds did you see?
Were they far, were they thick?
(04:32):
Were they, like you know,scattered?
So every student then raisestheir hand and they share their
experiences and that actually,you know, gives a platform for
students to understand that,okay, the number of clouds that
I saw in a day is probably equalto the number of clouds that my
friend who is sitting rightacross to me saw in a whole year
.
Right, so it's very, verydifferent.
(04:54):
So I always encourage them toshare their experiences and this
brings in a smile to their faceand they get very excited.
You know, they always come upwith these stories.
They always tell me, like wherethey traveled, what they saw,
and it's not just about clouds.
I teach sustainability as well.
So for me, coming from India,sustainability was inherent, you
know, even though the conceptnever existed in 80s.
(05:16):
Okay, I'm not going to revealmy age at this point, but still,
you know, growing up in 80s and90s, you know sustainability
was part of my house.
My parents were very strict onwasting water.
We had no plastic bags.
Can you believe it, Maggie?
I never saw plastic bagsgrowing up.
Yeah, the first time I ever sawa plastic bag was in mid 90s.
(05:37):
Until then, we used to have acloth bag that we would carry
everywhere.
We used to have a separate bagfor vegetables because, you know
, it becomes dirty and then it'sdifficult to wash.
We used to have a separate bagfor vegetables because, you know
, it becomes dirty and then it'sdifficult to wash, and then we
have separate bag for othergroceries.
So for me, sustainabilityexisted before, and probably
along the way we spoiled it andthen we are getting back.
(05:58):
So I share my personalexperiences as well.
I ask students to tell me whattheir parents felt like.
You know what they felt like.
So when they come up with thesestories, narratives and
experiences, it's like it justbrings a smile on their face.
And for me, you know, as ateacher, I also firmly believe
in experiential learning.
(06:19):
It's not just experiences.
So for me, when I talk about,let's say, in the last semester,
I talk about business,sustainability and society.
It was actually taught byanother professor, but since he
was on a break, I taught it.
I took students to three or fourdifferent business locations.
(06:39):
I was very new to Buffalo I wasonly two months old in Buffalo
by that point.
But then you have Google atyour disposal, you have
information at your disposal.
So I used to make cold callsand I used to tell like, hey, I
teach this.
Would you be willing to youknow, accept my students.
I have like 25 students.
Can I bring them in?
Not even once any business thatI called said no, yes! So I
(07:03):
would just put it on the mapsand then go and show it to
students.
So for me, when students get togo to the fields and experience
it, rather than you know meshowing it on YouTube or in the
class, that brings, you know, alot of difference.
You know that brings adifferent experience to them.
Maggie Grady (07:23):
I love all of the real-world examples and bringing
in the community and gettingthe students to help.
I want to take your course.
So what are the primarychallenges you encounter when
attempting to engage students indiscussion and activities?
It doesn't sound like you havemany, but what challenges are
(07:46):
you facing and, furthermore,what specific strategies or
approaches do you use toovercome these challenges and
effectively encourage studentparticipation and enthusiasm in
class?
Swathi Karamcheti (07:57):
Okay, so first I'll talk about the
challenges.
There are always challenges, nomatter how good you are at
teaching or how experienced youare, whether you are only, like,
fresher, one year old or you're20 years old, students are
always there and they willalways, like you know, have
their own personalities thatthey bring in.
So most of the times, like Ihave a class that has 45
(08:20):
students and I ask a questionand there is pin drop silence.
They just don't want to talk.
You know, nobody wants torespond because they're like
okay, you know, why should I?
There are 44 other students.
And that's the same mentalitythat goes in.
Most of the times when you aska question and they're
unresponsive.
So when I ask a question andstudents don't respond, probably
(08:41):
five or six years ago I used totake it very personally and I'm
like why are students nottalking to me?
You know what did I do?
But then slowly I understoodthat it's not me, it's just the
students and they just don'twant to take initiative.
So you, you will always havethis challenge of students not
responding to your question.
Looking at, you know, playingsome game, you have no clue.
(09:03):
So as a professor, I learned tonot take it personally and that
gives me peace.
They're not doing this to meintentionally.
They're just doing it becauseit's part of their personality.
So you will always have thischallenge and you know every
class I try to learn, everyclass I try to overcome.
(09:24):
You know my past experiences.
So for me, as I go forward,this is going to happen.
So this is a pertinentchallenge.
Another challenge that I haveis when I ask a question earlier
so, do you like clouds?
Yes.
D you see clouds today?
No, So yes and no, and thenthat's it.
(09:46):
They stop their answer.
So I learned to have open-endedquestions where I asked them to
speak up rather than justanswering yes or no.
So these are the two thingsthat are still challenging and
that every professor faces.
How I overcome this?
(10:06):
The first thing that I learn isrespect.
I know every student in myclass by name.
It is difficult.
It is difficult but it's notimpossible.
Right?
You know all the Hollywoodactors, right?
Yeah, so you know.
You know them because you likethem, right?
I am in my class, I like mystudents, and they are in my
(10:30):
class because they like thiscourse and probably they heard
that I'm a good professor or I'mbetter, you know, at giving
them some information.
So I give respect to thatthought.
It takes me a couple of classes,or you know a couple of weeks,
to know their names, but atleast by third week I know every
student by name.
Yes, I forget after one year.
That's a different thing.
(10:51):
But I'm like I know you, I knowyou, I know you, I know your
face, but just you know, help me.
So when I call them by name, Isay Maggie, what is your
experience of you knowsustainability?
So Maggie is like oh, you knowwhat she called my name.
And then she responds so that'swhat I do, you know.
I call them by name and I askthem.
(11:13):
It's a lot to process, butstill that's my job.
You know I'm in the class,that's my job.
We are spending 15 weekstogether and two classes per
week.
That's like you know so manyhours together.
You know, at least you knowthis much I can do for my
students.
So this is how I overcome mychallenges.
Maggie Grady (11:32):
Having that passive learner and getting them
to feel that connection withyou is going to help them open
up.
Good job.
Nice going.
So, Swathi, I know yourexpertise is in environmental
and sustainability.
What strategies or activitiesdo you use to actively engage
your students in discussions andprojects related specifically
(11:53):
to environmental andsustainability issues, fostering
both understanding and a senseof responsibility towards these
important topics?
Swathi Karamcheti (12:03):
So, to start with, I always talk about myself
.
I talk about my childhood, Italk about my life, I talk about
my family.
I talk about my life, I talkabout my family.
I'm very transparent, not thatI talk about my finances and
stuff, but there are so manyissues that I share so that
actually tells my students thatshe's transparent and she's
honest and she talks aboutherself.
So experiences right, theymatter a lot.
(12:27):
So I tell them, like you know,there is so much world beyond
these classrooms that you needto learn.
I talk about differentcontinents.
I talk about differentcountries.
I talk about how people live indifferent places water, you
know, sustainability aspects,like so when I share these
experiences about myself, I'm myown critic.
I also tell them what I didwrong and how you know stupid I
(12:49):
was in certain cases.
So they laugh.
I'm like I'm OK, you know, I'mOK to talk about my life and it
doesn't make me any big or small.
It just puts me in front ofthem, I know makes me vulnerable
in front of them and they theytrust me and it's an honest
approach.
So I am my own critic as well.
And you know, as I said, for meit's all about storytelling and,
(13:13):
at the end of the day, it'sabout awareness.
You know, it's about education,it's about information, it's
about knowledge.
So when I bring in thesestories, they are like, oh my
god, you know this, this is sogood.
So they, they also trust me andthey come up with their stories
as well.
And I also bring in expertsfrom all fields to share
(13:33):
information and knowledge.
Sometimes, you know, there aretopics that I just know, but I'm
not an expert in that.
But I feel that if studentsknow this well enough, you know
they can actually put it intoperspective when they go about
in their careers.
So I bring in experts and thatactually opens their doors and
you know that actually opensmore avenues for students and
(13:57):
you know they're always happy.
So this is how I do and youknow you're calling me an expert
in environmental sustainability, Maggie.
I'm not.
I am a child.
I'm still a child.
You know I'm still learning andI always tell students to be
responsible.
I always tell students to take,you know, accountability for
(14:20):
their actions and they do it,they do it and, most
surprisingly, sometimes I justfeel that you know it's all
about talking, it's all abouttelling them that you're not
doing this right, and it's hightime you do it.
They're like blank pages and wejust have to write the right
script.
Maggie Grady (14:39):
I love the fact that you are open to reflect and
make the changes and are verytransparent with your students.
I love that.
Swathi Karamcheti (14:48):
When I was doing my bachelor's and master's
in India, I visited places, Ihad experiential learning, I had
guest lectures.
It's all good.
I'm doing the same thing evenafter 25 years.
Don't we have to change?
We have to.
We have so much technology inour hands right now.
So if I'm talking aboutstratosphere, if I'm talking
(15:09):
about ozone layer, when I wasgrowing up, when I went to
college, ozone layer issomething that existed in the
sky.
Now we have drones that can fly, we have cameras that can go up
(15:36):
.
So how about I send a 360camera up into the sky, shoot
and then put it in a headset andlet my students travel to ozone
layer and see the troposphereand stratosphere in 360 degrees?
Wow, right, right.
(15:57):
Coral reefs I knew there arecorals.
I went for snorkeling.
I saw the corals, but look atthe picture, how beautiful it is
.
Right?
But how about telling studentsor taking students into the
corals?
Right, give them a camera orgive them a headset.
Let them experience, at leastin you know, the MetaQuest or
(16:22):
other cameras or other you knowheadsets.
Take them to the corals, seethe corals in 360 degrees,
interact with the fish, interactwith the flora and fauna that's
underneath the water.
This is technology that we needto bring in.
You know, the first step to dothis is, like you know, you have
some nice videos on YouTubethat you can still put them in
(16:44):
the headset.
So I went to the libraries, Iborrowed some headsets.
I used to, you know, downloadthose videos onto my phone and
then I would let studentsexperience it.
But it's not giving me thatquality right?
I was not happy with it, I wasOK, but you know there is so
much more to do.
You have you're in UB, you knowyou have so much technology at
(17:04):
your disposal.
So I was like you know what todo?
You know I had this thing.
So I went to Cynthia fromlibraries and I was having some
other discussion, and then this,this whole idea came up and she
said that you know what?
We are buying the 360 camerasand we are also getting headsets
(17:26):
.
How about we do this?
We did it, Maggie.
We did it.
So right now, I'm teachingsustainability and communities.
Yesterday, our project started.
We gave four cameras to fourgroups of our students.
We asked them to shoot nicelocations outside and we are
going to teach them how to editand how to uh, you know generate
(17:49):
sustainable communities withthe help of generative AI and
see them in the headsets,envision sustainable communities
.
You know, and this happenedbecause I was in CATT, NFA and
thanks to you guys.
You know, you guys helped me incoming up till here and I'm so
(18:10):
thankful to you guys, right.
Maggie Grady (18:12):
Thank you for joining us today at the teaching
table.
That wraps up this version.
We discussed best practices andrecommendations for faculty to
engage students throughtechnology, active learning and
experiences with Dr.
Swathi Karamcheti.
So be sure to connect with usat buffalo.
edu/catt and that's c-a-t-t, oremail us at ubcatt@buffalo.
(18:33):
edu.
nd And thanks for listening.
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