Text to Task: Simplifying Education

In this episode of TEXT TO TASK: Simplifying Education, Dr. Qinghua Chen of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore unpacks what happens when AI enters the classroom. His research shows something surprising: if teachers aren't specific with AI. Listen to the full episode — free on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. About the speaker – Dr Qinghua Chen is an Assistant Professor at the National Instit...

Today's learners want flexibility. Working professionals need education that fits into their lives, not the other way around. And with AI and digital tools changing everything, one question matters more than ever: How do we make learning more human, engaging, and effective? To help us answer that, I'm thrilled to welcome Ingrid Hovdar-Stojakovic, Head of Academic Area of Intercultural Communicatio...

Education is changing quickly. Today, technology is doing much more than bringing lessons online. It is helping students and professionals learn by doing, making mistakes safely, and building real-world skills before they step into a classroom or workplace. In today's episode, I'm excited to welcome Professor Charlott Sellberg from the University of Gothenburg. She is an expert in simulation-based...

If the Indian exams still leak. If the Indian colleges still teach a syllabus from another decade. If society still treats anything outside medicine and engineering as a consolation prize, then "explore other skills" isn't reform. It's a distraction dressed as encouragement. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisark...

I'm Gargi Sarkar — a Fulbright Scholar, published author, and international TESOL professor on a mission to transform education globally. This is Text to Task: Simplifying Education — your go-to podcast for making teaching smarter, simpler, and more impactful. This episode explores everything about digital classrooms and how they are reshaping access, language, and learning across borders. In this...

An alien with broken sentences. An astronaut with no Wi-Fi. And three classroom activities that will change how your students learn English — and how they see themselves. Fulbright Fellow Gargi Sarkar shows ESL educators how Project Hail Mary teaches what no textbook can: how to think alone, connect across difference, and break free from the scroll. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, downloa...

Every night in Kota, 150,000 teenagers’ study until they can't think straight — not because they want to, but because a $227 billion coaching industry convinced their parents this is the only way. This episode goes inside the machine — the suicides, the manipulation, the ranking obsession — and asks the one question coaching centers are terrified to answer: at what cost? Like the show? Please subs...

Equal education sounds like justice. It isn't. It's the most expensive lie we keep telling our children—and the data proves it's widening the very gaps it promised to close. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Connect with me : https://www.linkedin.com/in/gargi-sarkar1611/ Follow...

I spoke to 500 teachers about what makes someone unforgettable. Here are the 7 habits they have mentioned. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Connect with me : https://www.linkedin.com/in/gargi-sarkar1611 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gargispeaks/ Contact me:...

Software updates fix bugs and add features. School Books? They stay frozen in time, spreading outdated facts and abandoned theories. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Connect with me : https://www.linkedin.com/in/gargi-sarkar1611/ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.c...

Ever feel guilty about being bored? Think again. Science reveals that those uncomfortable moments of "nothing" are actually your brain's most creative playground. Discover why the world's most successful people embrace boredom. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Connect with me...

It's 9 PM and you're grading papers while worrying about that quiet kid in third period and feeling guilty about snapping at your own family. Sound familiar? In this episode, I talk about the emotional work we rarely discuss but all experience—managing forty different student personalities every day while carrying their feelings home with us. I'll share why teachers absorb emotions like sponges an...

Beaten by Nepotism? Follow These 5 Rules to Fight Back I was blocked by nepotism, but I didn’t quit. These 5 rules took me from rejection to global wins. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Connect with me : https://www.linkedin.com/in/gargi-sarkar1611/ Follow me on Instagram: ht...

In this episode we're joined by Dr. Kashif Raza, a researcher at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Raza is here to share his expertise on a critical issue in English language teaching: racial bias. We’ll be exploring the preference for native speakers over non-native speakers, its impact on teaching practices, and what it means for the future of education. Stay tuned for an interesting discu...

You know that feeling when your students seem to get it in class, but then can't actually do anything with what you taught them? I've been there too. In this episode, I dig into why this happens and share some brain science that can help. Please subscribe, review, and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Follow me on Instagram: https...

What if learning English could be as irresistible as scrolling through your favorite app? Inspired by language learning apps, this episode unpacks practical strategies that work in real classrooms with real students. Learn how to make English the "dessert" instead of the "broccoli" of education. Ready to make your English classroom the place students never want to leave? Press play and let's revol...

Today we are reimagining English teaching! From gamified apps and hands-on activities to role-playing and movement-based techniques, discover how to bring creativity and engagement into your classroom. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Connect with me : https://www.linkedin.com...

Education 5.0 represents the latest step in education. It uses innovative tools to transform and enhance learning experiences. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Connect with me : https://www.linkedin.com/in/gargi-sarkar1611/ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gar...

Shakespeare is iconic but often hard for students to relate to, while Instagram is central to their lives. Should classrooms stick with Shakespeare, or can Instagram teach language, storytelling, and culture just as well? Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Connect with me : http...

For the past few months, I’ve been living with less internet use and have managed to stop doomscrolling—those hours wasted endlessly scrolling through social media. It wasn’t easy. I decided to tackle my phone addiction and explore new ways to manage it. Today, I’m sharing what I’ve learned. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to:...

Today, we’re talking with Dr. Penny Round from Monash University, Australia. She’s an experienced educator and researcher who’s been working with students with special needs. Guest: Dr Penny Round has been working in the area of students with special needs for 35 years. Penny has qualifications in both special education and gifted education. Her primary research has revolved around students with s...

As teachers, we go through many training sessions and professional development programs that can feel too much—especially when deciding which methods or tools to use. In today’s episode, I am discussing how to simplify our teaching approach and stay focused on achieving meaningful learning outcomes, all while reducing stress and anxiety. Let’s make teaching a little easier and a lot more effective...

Happy New Year. Thank you for hanging out with me. I’m so excited to kick off the year with you. Like the show? Please subscribe, review, download and share. Want to know more about me and my work go to: https://gargisarkar1611.wixsite.com/gargi-sarkar Connect with me : https://www.linkedin.com/in/gargi-sarkar1611/ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gargispeaks/ Contact me: gargisar...

In this episode, I sit down with with Dr. Mohammad Ali Heidari-Shahreza to explore practical real life strategies for improving learning through humour and playfulness in the classroom. He explains the psychology behind why humour increases engagement and how playful learning taps into the brain's neuroplasticity, making it easier for students to grasp and remember. Guest - Mohammad Ali Heidari-Sh...

Join me, on this special episode of Text to Task: Simplifying Education, where I have the incredible honour of sitting down with renowned poet and political thinker Peter Dale Scott for his first interview in a decade. I'm thrilled that he chose to share his insights with me, and I can't wait for you to hear this unique conversation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Dale_Scott & https://www...