mLearning project _Kids Indigenous Health (Tales of Soaring Eagles)_Elizabeth Torres-Russell

[ET_Russell (Elizabeth)]

Cross posting form mobiMOOC 2012 Group

Hi Team,

Here is my first draft- project targets Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids(in particular rural and remote communities)

- Focuses on social heath determinants

- Closing the Gap in Indigenous heath outcomes

- Builds capability in the kids and the community

Look forward to feedback, suggestions and comments.

Cheers

ET

Elizabeth 

[Ignatia/Inge de Waard]

Hi Elizabeth,

Thank you for this well-organized and strongly argumented project! Here are some of my thoughts that came to mind when reading your project.

I love the fact that you seem to start from the indigenous pedagogy based on the elders and narratives.
The mix between identity appraisal and health awareness is also quite thrilling, as well-being is so closely related to self-esteem, which for a big part is based on identity.

I can see and read your enthusiasm, but you must also make sure you protect yourself against burn-out by pacing the project. Step by step gets all of us very far J

This has the potential to be a ‘beacon project’ (not sure if beacon is the correct spelling, I mean pioneer with strong light to attract attention), or high-profile project. It has many contemporary factors that seem to attract attention: identity, mobile health, local context and extreme regions. Now, this is thinking with my fundraising cap on. If I were you I would get in contact with a few mobile device making companies and roll out your plan (make sure to ALWAYS stay the lead and have it in writing!). A lot of tablet companies are looking for a way to break into (part) of the iPad market. The iPad market is going well, so Apple might not be willing to give as much as tablet makers looking for eye-catching projects that at the same time can give them a sign of sturdy technology. Any device you will be using, will have to withstand heat and has to be readable in strong sunlight. So play out the companies against each other if possible. Be open about it: what you are looking for, the impact… IF that is something you think the local community can agree with. As you say, ongoing trust is very important.

BUT of course this is a potential start of a project (getting devices in), but as Adele and others (and me) stress, in order for a project to be durable, you need to focus on building content that has the potential to run on BYOD. So that even if the tablets get outdated, the content can still be use.
AND you need to come up with some way that communities can ‘earn’ their device. Like Adele mentioned there is a world of difference between getting a device and earning it, in relation to ownership of the device. A way to earn it could be to be willing to help out setting up the content, that way you have a win-win situation. 

To start the project  you might want to focus on just one part of the complete project. The complete actions to fulfill the project are now multiple: recording stories, providing health information, mobile journalism… it might create a too high threshold, too many things at ones. If I were you I would start with that part that feels the closest to home for your target community.
By focusing on a smaller part, you can more easily draw lessons before taking on a second part.
For instance, you state monthly additions, but this feels very regular and frequent. You could also go for a knowledge gathering twice a year. Where you focus the attention of all populations on getting together for one week, embrazing the internet to exchange resources.
Why I say this gathering frequency of 2 times a year: in my experience community of practice is not an easy thing to keep on going. On the other hand, you can see that people are happy to come together online for short periods of time of they know that on those occasions others they know are joining as well. I feel that by doing less, the community feeling becomes more as the time demand is less strict and feels less ‘pushy’.
By this less frequent, yet more gathering approach, it will also make it easier for teachers to build it into their lesson plan. Which ensures content creation and community discussion.

I would begin with two easy setups, one on identity, one on health and build it from there.

If I look to your connectivity, it might be an idea to provide wifi-routers (you can buy this in any pc shop). This will enable sharing content on devices ad hoc.
There is also a nifty ‘do it yourself wifi antenna’, which makes it fun:
http://blog.jgc.org/2012/02/long-range-wifi-antenna-from-illy.html
This way you also enable kids to take it ‘on tour’, which I always loved when I was a kid (I was a Kristal radio adept J

Best wishes!

[ET_Russell (Elizabeth)]

Hi Inge,

Utterly value your honest feedback and reference to Adele's presentation about earning the device, very true.

As for starting in phases...perfect and your choice of 'identity' and 'health' spot on.

And advise on sponsorship from device companies....thank you, thank you, thank you.

Cheers

ET

[Lutz Siemer]

Hi Elisabeth,

I enjoyed reading your draft. As Inge said, this is really great stuff. Well developed so far .. as I can see. I also got the impression that you want a lot (as I do). So reading Inges comments on starting small is also a good advice for me too.

Keep on going (in a Zen-Mind :-)

Lutz

[karolyn]

I know abit of  the story of Aboriginals and its very sad... I have a kin interest in knowing them deeper, this project would help... Otherwise were you proposing some assistance to expand the sections?