Australian First Nations Peoples snapshots
First Nations communities of Australia maintain a deep connection to, and responsibility for, Country/Place and have holistic belief systems that are connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways. They have sophisticated political, economic, and social organisation systems, which include family and kinship structures, laws, traditions, customs, land tenure systems and protocols for strong governance and authority. First Nations Australians’ ways of life reflect unique ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing.
Through Digital Technologies students can gain insights into how First Nations Australian Peoples are often at the forefront of adopting digital systems. Students can explore how many First Nations Australian communities are embracing digital tools to maintain, control, protect and further develop culture through the digitisation of cultural expressions. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures priority provides opportunities for all students to deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the world’s oldest continuous living cultures.
These snapshots are from DTiF project schools that participated in rich cultural experiences with their students through the Cross-curriculum Priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures and created connections to the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies for their students through language, with community, on Country and through culture. For more information on curriculum connections for these snapshots, please contact the Curriculum specialist, Technologies.
Snapshot 1 - Connection through language
Summary: These snapshots detail ways DTiF schools incorporated storytelling through visual programming. The first 2 snapshots show what can be achieved with Scratch Jr. The examples show what schools and curriculum officers did with students to teach English with non-Indigenous story contexts. The third snapshot details a whole-school bilingual approach to digital storytelling including the use of Scratch and Minecraft.
Snapshot 2 - Connection through community
Summary: These snapshots detail ways DTiF schools rely on the expertise of Australian First Nations Peoples education assistants. The first snapshot shows the valuable way in which education assistants in 3 DTiF schools are supporting student learning, particularly as the students learn new ways of incorporating Digital Technologies through literacy. The second snapshot focuses on the importance of community.
Snapshot 3 - Connection to Country
Summary: These snapshots detail ways DTiF schools incorporated Digital Technologies in on-Country learning. The first snapshot looks at how on-Country learning was embraced through Leonora District High School’s involvement in CSIRO’s Two-way Science program and how it helped create a stronger link between the school and community. The second snapshot looks at how staff at Jabiru Area school used Scratch programming with their students to create interactive tours of Kakadu for visiting students. Through their project, teachers were able to explore the design process with students and helped them apply a growth mindset when learning to program computers.
Snapshot 4 - Connection through culture
Summary: These snapshots detail ways DTiF schools incorporated Digital Technologies into learning activities in culturally accessible ways. The first snapshot shares how Green Hill Public School strengthened numeracy learning through computational thinking activities and whole-body movement. The second snapshot looks at how Shepherdson College used Minecraft to motivate students to learn the computer login process and improve personal and social capability through collaborative learning.
Reflective Podcast
Casino West Public School reflects on learning during the DTiF project
Casino West Public School is a small school on Bundjalung Country in New South Wales that is doing mighty things with Digital Technologies. Dee Taylor, ICT Lead and Stage 2 teacher, and Margie Savins, Stage 2 teacher, have led the school on a journey of discovery and rich learning since they joined the Digital Technologies in focus project in 2017. They began with a focus on improving creative and critical thinking with their Years 3 and 4 students, but soon recognised that the whole school was watching and was eager to participate. Dee upskilled teachers by providing frequent professional learning. The school timetabled regular Digital Technologies lessons that involved all staff. As a result, teachers soon began using digital technologies in their own classrooms more often. Year 2 teacher, Karen Campbell, was excited by the possibilities for enhancing literacy with her students.
