Rivertide

It was easily the hottest days of the year.

And that too in Madanapalli, Andhra Pradesh.

Shifft was assigned the task of developing over 30 teacher-training 1st and 2nd grade video-lesson plans for RIVERTIDE last year. One of the most meaningful projects I have worked on

A little bit about this program; The RIVER pedagogy has been developed by the Rishi Valley School to teach marginalized children in rural India while TIDE provides the technology to automate the RIVER methodology using low cost tabs for teachers and Students. What goes onto these tabs are the rich videos (created by Shifft) using motion graphics, animation, talkies and music for the Math, English, Telugu and EVS subjects

What hit us when we set up at the school, apart from the heat, was this highly-charged learning environment. Who would have thought that you would find a bastion of creativity and wonder in this tiny school in a tiny place called Madanappali!

If you ask me, it is the perfect example of what is referred to as design thinking. I was awestruck by all the curriculum maps, innovative mobiles, the running blackboards that were used to teach the standards of every subject. The limited resources and innovation actually allowed for a process designed specifically to boost creativity and bring out the maker in every student. We saw how it tapped into the curiosity of the little minds allowing them to create, take risks, test and re-create until they eventually grasped the concept.

I don’t think I am allowed to discuss too much of their process but I know how these children are made to thrive intellectually and emotionally and that’s what is so commendable.

Today design thinking is used in the arts, in engineering, in the corporate world, and in social and civic spaces as a learning technique. Imagine then what will be the future of these children in the coming years.

This program has already been launched in 300 more schools in the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh through the RIVER-TIDE partnership. It is going to help build scale and reach of the RIVER methodology across the country and world