With globalization
and the digital revolution, being multi-literate encompasses a great range of
knowledge and skills and an ability to
This philosophy
has been espoused in educational circles for quite some time. Like the ‘slow food’ movement, rather than
focusing on fast and convenient learning outcomes, slow learning is about the
connection to real learning and enabling students to learn how to learn. With its emphasis on sustainability, ‘otherness’ and ethical
perspectives, the new curriculum lends itself much more to the ‘slow learning’
concept.
Slow learning, Objects and Multiliteracies….
Take an object of cultural significance and study it closely, slowly and
in tremendous detail. What stories does it reveal? What does it tell us about
its creator?
In her lecture, the CEO of the Asia Education Foundation, Kathe Kirby
used a digital photograph of a sculpture by Chinese artist Ah Xian (China China bust no. 3)
to demonstrate how Asian perspectives can be explored with a close examination
of the sculpture.
Cameron Paterson of the Shore School used the example of
students collaborating in their learning with their overseas counterparts and
using multiple literacies – a single photo of an object in their local
neighbourhood being the source of discussion, differing cultural perspectives
and engagement.
Objects from Australia’s National Archives and the National Museum through their
digitized collections and virtual tours,
offer an amazing array of objects that shed light on our cultural heritage and
history.
Showing two objects from the same period can lead to a
deeper understanding of cultural perspective. Presenting students with the
contrasting images of a Red Coat uniform and an Aboriginal possum skin coat is
a wonderful example of using two objects to shift perspective.
‘Oscar’s Sketchbook’ (pictorial recollections of an Aboriginal
child in the 1800’s) is an amazing resource available to all through The National
Museum’s online collection.
For our visual learners this method of engaging in a slower, detailed
look at objects also presents opportunities for a more authentic assessment of
understanding.
