Mobile Devices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pre-service Teachers

In his PHD thesis, Philip Townsend (p. 26, 2017), points out there has been rapid adoption of mobile devices in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He found that most Pre-service Teachers interviewed in these communities used, or would like to use, mobile devices for accessing content and self-directed learning and that this would accelerate their studies (Townsend, p. 239, 2017). This challenges assumptions about use of technology in remote indigenous communities.

Recently I took part in a workshop on how to export renewable energy from Australia. The idea is to build large solar farms in outback Australia and send the energy to Asia, either directly via high voltage undersea cables, or as liquid gas in tankers. Along with the major engineering and geopolitical challenges, there is the issue of obtaining permission for use of the land to collect the energy. Negotiating with landholders is normally thought to be something where you send letters and call meetings. However, we now have the Internet to supplement conventional means.

Reference

Townsend, Philip, 2017 Travelling together and sitting alongside: How might the use of mobile devices enhance the professional learning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pre-service teachers in remote communities?, Flinders University, School of Education.  URL https://flex.flinders.edu.au/items/7a690838-1ce2-4a3e-bc1c-510289161e3c/1/?.vi=file&attachment.uuid=eaeb3a0a-8ce3-4dd8-bb3d-33c99a3fa5ef