• Posted on 11 Aug 2016
  • 4-minute read

Encouraging school children to tell their own stories, and those of their communities, is at the heart of an innovative online educational resource recently launched by the NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli.

Premier Mike Baird speaks that the Australopedia launch

" alt="Premier Mike Baird speaks that the Australopedia launch" title="">

Australopedia, a digital, multimedia encyclopedia built by students as part of their normal school work has been developed by the UTS International Research Centre for Youth Futures to be introduced initially in a group of Sydney high schools along with remote Indigenous schools in Western Australia and Queensland.

“Australopedia gives these schools the opportunity to model what will become a national endeavour,” said Director of the International Research Centre for Youth Futures and creator of Australopedia, Professor Rosemary Johnston, who has been developing the idea for several years.

“This is a new model for project-based, interdisciplinary, self-directed learning and real-world collaborations with families, local school communities, businesses and organisations,” Professor Johnston said.

“It will encompass stories and oral histories from local citizens and local heroes, explore the local impact of real-life issues and apply STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and STEAM (STEM+arts) knowledge to possible solutions.

Premier Mike Baird interviewed at the Australopedia launch by UTS journalism student Han Nguyen. Interview recorded by Media Arts and Production student Eugene Wong.

OQjvswzkaQU

Premier Mike Baird interviewed at the Australopedia launch by UTS journalism student Han Nguyen.

0:00HAN NGUYEN: What do you think about this program?0:01MIKE BAIRD: Look it's an incredibly exciting program because one of the challenges with0:08kids, particularly in remote communities, is how do you inspire them to be connected?0:13How do you remind them that their community is just as important as any other community0:19and their stories are as important as the kiddies, obviously, in the middle of the city,0:24and I think this program has the capacity to connect them, to promote their story, their0:31community, their organisations and connect it, obviously, into the wider audience…0:35and I think through that the kids will enjoy school more and be inspired to keep going.0:40HAN NGUYEN: Do you think this will improve the state's education levels, because I believe0:45the NAPLAN results were not as pleasing this year?0:47MIKE BAIRD: Undoubtedly the results are a little bit disappointing this year, so we0:51have to look at that, but look, I think what it will do, particularly in the focus of the0:57regional and remote communities, it will provide an additional incentive or mechanism for those1:05kids to enjoy being at school, to connect them into school, to connect them into other1:10students and other schools and I think that's a great thing.1:13HAN NGUYEN: And what makes you think this project is going to work, because surely 501:17years ago… say, when I was in school we didn't have anything like this, what makes1:20you think this might be able to work?1:21MIKE BAIRD: Well obviously experts have put it together, and I wouldn't call myself an1:25expert in this field, but I certainly can see the potential intuitively.1:30You can imagine…1:31I mean kids these days are doing much more themselves, whether they be with games or1:35with IT… they're connected in ways that certainly weren't when I was growing up.1:42So extending that into a classroom way, so using that interest in technology and connecting1:50as part of an overall curriculum, I mean it makes sense.1:52And I certainly think that focusing in on, those communities that are remote; obviously1:59they naturally feel away from other schools and what is going on elsewhere across the2:05state… and I think that this is a way to connect them in, so, I think that it's really2:10important and a great tool for our schools to use.2:13HAN NGUYEN: Awesome, thank you so much.

Share

Facebook LinkedIn X Email