The aim in the near future is to use a two-way voice, video and data (text and pictures) communication facility that will create a communication network between schools using the Rishi Valley methodology and RIVER.

Benefits of Distance Networking:

The interaction between the Centre and the schools will result in breaking the isolation of schools in the interior of the countryside and help build local capacity in education as well as some major concerns that face the world today:

Teachers at RIVER will be able to confer on a regular basis with teachers in the remote countryside. Enable the Centre to identify areas of difficulty in schools located in remote areas and to remedy the same. Provide access to a common digital library located on a server. The library will consist of text, relevant video clippings, educational cards with text and pictures. Allow the Centre to design programs for new regions of India and countries abroad. As there is an automatic learning and experience building taking place concurrently, replication or up-scaling of the process is much easier and effective without the need for extensive interventions from RIVER for the replication process. Methods of preparation of new teaching-learning materials may be taught from the Resource Centre at RIVER without the need for regular visits of the participants to the Resource Centre. The materials prepared by the trainees may be examined by the resource people and suggestions for improvement may be made interactive and on line.

What RIVER Can Provide:

RIVER is a in a position to interact with 6 to 7 project locations every week during the course of the programme.
It will conduct interactive sessions of one-hour duration at least twice a week at predetermined time with each project site for the duration of project.
Each of these sessions will be used to:

Clarifying doubts raised by the participants
• Explain concepts that have not been well understood
• Assess the quality of materials produced by the teachers
  
  
  Concurrently Rishi Valley will begin the process of:
• Digitization of relevant children’s educational materials
• Gathering and digitizing teacher resource materials
• Production of short expository films that would clarify issues related to classroom organization, handling groups of children, etc
  

A library of the above materials will be established and made available to the participants. After about six months RIVER will be in a position to deliver on-line interactive lectures and demonstrations.

Tasks list to be executed by RIVER:
Requirements for scheduling:

• Contact participating agencies and firm up the time of session (may have been scheduled beforehand)
• Identify the audience and specify the themes/topics of interaction
• Ensure that all personnel from target audience are available
• Ensure that concerned personnel from delivery site are all available
• Identify pre-requisites for the session from the target group and work out ‘lead time’ for preparation/feedback from target group
• Communicate ‘assignment’ in time, for receiving feedback in time

Requirements for Trainer’s preparation:

• Determine the nature of session and its phases; identify theme/topics
• Plan, prepare and organize any new inputs
• Plan for session specific responses to FAQs (these may be sequenced depending on stage of implementation, or may be based on actual queries received, or a combination of both)
• Studying feedback from previous session’s assignment/task
• Preparing responses to the assignment/task feedback
• Preparation of new ‘assignments’, or ‘tasks’ for the target group

Background preparation of material for sessions:
Digital library consisting of:

• Digitized teaching-learning material for all levels of MGML
  • Scanned Documents related to training process
  • Video clips organized for reinforcing basic principles
  • Material for providing new inputs (mother’s stories…)
  • A systematized list of FAQs, organized for easy referencing
  
• Expanding library of shared resources
  • Action research projects
  • Success stories
  • Lesson plans
  • Innovations
  • Video clips from other sites
  • Published material/articles

Manpower available at RIVER:
Education experts required for the purpose

Manpower requirement at Rishi Valley end:

• One Masters degree holder fluent in English and fluent in Telugu (and Hindi) who can assist in production of materials and documentation
• One computer hardware specialist to maintain equipment
• One technical assistant to help out with the process of digitization
• One part-time person for producing short duration films on classroom management etc.
• Two specialists familiar with computer technology/software