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Introducing the Teaching and Learning Benefits of the WWW in Aboriginal Schools: Trials and Tribulations

Introducing the Teaching and Learning Benefits of the WWW in Aboriginal Schools: Trials and Tribulations

Judith Rochecouste (Monash University, Australia) and Rhonda Oliver (Curtin University, Australia)
Copyright: © 2017 |Pages: 10
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-0507-5.ch007
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Abstract

In this chapter, projects undertaken at two independent Aboriginal boarding schools in remote Western Australia are described. Both projects have sought to provide instructional advice for teachers and to enhance students' literacy levels through access to the internet. A dedicated website was developed for each school to respond specifically to the students' language and literacy needs. Several positive outcomes resulted from the projects. At the first school, code-switching was accepted throughout the school and even formed part of classroom instruction. At the second school, staff in general showed great interest in supporting their students' use of the online resource. Students who accessed the website were excited by the prospect of having their photos and videos uploaded and even suggested improvements to the site. Despite the above successes, the introduction of the websites at each school did not occur without problems which are described in this chapter.
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Introduction

This chapter reports on the implementation of online learning projects undertaken at two separate independent Aboriginal schools in remote Western Australia. At one site, a vocational education school, a website sought to address student language needs – academic, personal, communicative and vocational. At the second site, a K-12 school, a website for the whole school was developed which included various online material, including class blogs for students to interact with teachers and to serve as an additional tool to enhance literacy.

As the title of this chapter suggests, considerable challenges were involved in the implementation of these projects which, although differing from each other, stemmed from similar attitudes to students accessing the internet and to teachers’ reservations.

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