Using Aboriginal traditions to teach tech | Michael Mieni | TED Institute

Summary

The script highlights the historical ingenuity of Aboriginal people, from ancient engineering feats to modern inventors like David Unaipon. It underscores the current digital divide faced by Aboriginal students in Australia, with few enrolled in IT and lacking access to technology. The speaker shares personal experiences from a remote community and emphasizes the importance of digital literacy for future opportunities. A workshop demonstrates Aboriginal students' creativity and potential to contribute to a digital future, urging the audience to address the digital divide to empower and include Australia's first people.

Takeaways

• 📚 Aboriginal people have a rich history of innovation and creativity, with individuals like David Unaipon and Bree Warner contributing significantly to technology and engineering.
• 🎓 The speaker was one of few Aboriginal students studying IT at university, highlighting the underrepresentation of Aboriginal people in the field of information technology.
• 🔢 There is a concerningly low number of Aboriginal students enrolled in IT courses across Australian universities, with only two enrolled in the speaker's university at the time of speaking.
• 🌐 The importance of digital literacy is emphasized, as it is considered crucial for success in the modern world, yet many Aboriginal communities lack this basic understanding.
• 🏞️ The speaker visited a remote Aboriginal community and found a lack of understanding of modern technology, as well as insufficient resources for learning and development.
• 💻 Efforts to improve the situation include a local art gallery with desktop PCs, but the resources are still insufficient to meet the community's needs.
• 🌐 The community struggles with limited internet access, which hampers their ability to learn and utilize technology effectively.
• 🤔 There is a lack of tertiary-qualified Aboriginal role models to guide the community in understanding and leveraging technology.
• 💡 The speaker believes that promoting digital literacy is a step towards overcoming exclusion and disadvantage for Aboriginal people.
• 🛠️ The speaker conducted a workshop to inspire young Aboriginal students, demonstrating their potential to create innovative ideas and businesses.
• 🌟 The students showed great potential and creativity, proposing a visionary cultural center that integrates technology with Aboriginal culture and history.

Q & A

Who is David Unaipon and why is he significant in the script?

David Unaipon is an Aboriginal man featured on the Australian $50 note, known as the Australian Leonardo da Vinci for his 19 separate inventions, including a breakthrough tool that revolutionized sheep shearing in Australia.

What is the Aboriginal flag and who designed it?

The Aboriginal flag is a symbol of the Aboriginal people of Australia, designed by Harold Thomas, which represents their identity and history.

Why is the speaker concerned about the number of Aboriginal students studying IT?

The speaker is concerned because the number of Aboriginal students studying IT is very low, with only two enrolled in the IT honors course at the speaker's university, reflecting a significant underrepresentation in the field.

What is the importance of digital literacy according to Wayne Denning, the creator of STEM I am?

According to Wayne Denning, having a reasonable degree of digital literacy by the age of 20 is crucial, as it provides a distinct advantage for any path one wishes to take in life.

What did the speaker find during their visit to Nolanboy, a remote Aboriginal community?

The speaker found that many locals lacked a basic understanding of the internet and modern technologies like 3D printing, virtualization, and blockchain, indicating a significant digital divide.

What challenges did the speaker identify regarding the availability of technology in Nolanboy?

The speaker identified that there were insufficient resources such as computers and internet access, with a local art gallery struggling to provide enough PCs and facing issues with their monthly data limit.

What is the speaker's view on the potential of Aboriginal people in the digital age?

The speaker believes that Aboriginal people, with their history of ingenuity and resilience, are not only capable of embracing a digital future but also contributing significantly to the ideas and technologies that will shape it.

What was the purpose of the workshop the speaker designed for the students?

The workshop aimed to inspire the students by showing them the potential of technology, teaching them design thinking, and challenging them to come up with innovative indigenous products or businesses.

What idea did a group of girls propose during the workshop?

The girls proposed 'Black - The Future,' a cultural center in the shape of a boomerang with virtual reality experiences that depict the past, present, and a future vision of Australia with high digital literacy among Aboriginal people.

How does the speaker believe we can inspire students to learn about technology?

The speaker believes that students are inspired by the potential applications and impact of technology on their communities, rather than the technical details, and that showing them this potential can motivate them to learn more.

What is the speaker's call to action for addressing the digital divide?

The speaker calls for collective action to remove barriers and support communities in prospering and growing, emphasizing the choice to either continue with digital divide and exclusion or to work towards a more inclusive future.