ICT Tools:

Kahoot / Pickers:
Within the lesson sequence, both Kahoot and Pickers are used as diagnostic assessment tools during the
introduction to lessons. This allows the teacher to gauge students’ prior learning and their understanding of
the topic so that the lesson can be tailored accordingly. Their position in the lesson sequence (just after the
introductory ‘hook’) allows the teacher channel student interest and energy into productive activities. Whilst
both applications serve a similar purpose, using two different tools prevents boredom and disengagement.

Book Creator:
The Book Creator app serves multiple functions within this module. Throughout the lesson sequence, students
will be adding the products of daily activities into their scrapbook so that over a period of three weeks they
will have built a multimodal resource that will aid in their interpretation and analyses of the main text –
Swallow The Air by Tara June Winch. In other lessons, the application is used to develop students’ analytical
skills. By inserting images and embedding them with text and vocal annotations, students simultaneously
develop written, verbal and visual literacy skills. Furthermore, the multimodal nature of the application allows
various learning styles (visual, auditory, etc) to be accommodated and activities can easily be adapted for at-
risk or gifted and talented students. Finally, the submission of the scrapbooks at the end of each lesson allows
for continuous and detailed formative assessment and provides an opportunity for teacher feedback and
guidance which can be communicated verbally or inserted into the scrapbook itself.

Word it Out / Wordsalad:

Word cloud apps provide a great way for students to canvas their ideas quickly and creatively without the
constraints of formal expression. The use of Word It Out in lesson one allows students to free associate with
the term ‘home’ giving them the opportunity explore their relationships to a place (which are often very subtle
and obscure) without falling into cliché. Furthermore, it provides an accessible way for students that struggle
with nuanced description to participate in an exercise that can be difficult if it is framed as a conventional task
(e.g. In a paragraph, describe your sense of ‘home’ and what it means to you). In the same lesson, it is also
used as a collaborative tool allowing students to build their own understandings and expand upon the work of
others as they move between stations. The use of different word cloud apps during the lesson sequence
minimizes boredom and allows students the opportunity to develop their awareness of different applications.

Wilderquest VR:
Utilising the school’s VR phone/tablet holders and the Wilderquest resource, students are able to gain an in-
depth understanding of the importance of place in indigenous culture. Given the importance of the visual to
our understanding of place, VR allows students to make the connection between the language of place (which
is necessarily abstract) and the ‘reality’ of the locations discussed by indigenous elders. Furthermore, it takes
events and places that are often perceived as fragments from a distant past and makes them ‘real’ to students
that may not otherwise have had the opportunity to engage with them.

Timegraphics:
Timegraphics is used in the 3rd lesson to give students a visual representation of a narrative sequence in
Swallow The Air. Because the novel employs non-linear plot devices such as flashbacks, the visual
representation helps to clarify the event sequence and the ways in which plot is deployed to create intrigue
and tension. By embedding notes and images over the timeline, students build a ‘visual plot synopsis’ that
deepens their understanding of the novel and provides a valuable resource when studying for their end of
semester essay.

Scribblemaps:
Like Timegraphics, Scribblemaps allows students to create a visual representation of the narrative arc or
‘journey’ described in Swallow The Air. However, mapping May’s journey relative to the landscape (instead
of a timeline) allows students to recognise the significance of the ‘place’ within the narrative and highlights
the city vs country dichotomy and the tension May perceives between traditional (country) and contemporary
(urban) aboriginal culture. Furthermore, the site allows students to embed images and text on top of the map,
creating a multimodal text that will be valuable when preparing for the essay.

Lesson sequence and learning theory:

The Social Constructivist Theory of education (SCT) maintains that knowledge is best understood as a
dynamic, context-dependent and highly social phenomenon. As such SCT aims to replace conventional
approaches to education, in which the student is imagined to be a passive receiver of information, with
dynamic, student-focused methods that emphasise the autonomy and responsibility of the student in the
learning process. The lesson sequence described above is based around SCT and thus aims to foster inquiry-
based learning in which students have the freedom (within the constraints of the curriculum) to pursue their
own interests. For the most part, lessons are student-focused with only the introduction and conclusion of the
classes being teacher centred. Furthermore, the lessons begin with a diagnostic assessment designed to gauge
existing student knowledge so that the lessons can be tailored accordingly. Where possible students are
encouraged to understand concepts by applying them to their own experience. For example, lesson one begins
with an inquiry into each student’s sense of place through a word association with the term ‘home’. Students
then use virtual reality tours to investigate indigenous perspectives on place, thereby expanding their existing
knowledge to encompass alternative perspectives. At various stages in each lesson, students are encouraged
to participate in small group activities or entire class discussions, which reflect the SCT imperative that
knowledge is a social artefact. Through communal interaction mediated by the teacher, students synthesize
and consolidate knowledge as they develop communication skills in an engaging environment. Lessons have
also been designed to accommodate a variety of learning styles. By using ICT that incorporates visual, verbal
and written modes of communication, students are able to learn in a manner best suited to them. Finally,
activities have been developed to encourage students to reconfigure knowledge in different ways. For
example, timelines and journey mapping activities support students to create visual and spatial representations
from written information, thereby consolidating knowledge as it is transformed into different representational
structures.
References:
Noonuccal, O. (1976). My people: A Kath Walker collection. Milton, Q: Jacaranda.

Dale, D. (Writer), Doran, L (Writer), Werner, J (Director). (2015). Ready For This [Television series
episode]. Hopkinson, S (Executive producer), Blackfeller Films, Werner Film Productions.