Digital Sovereignty & Youth Voice: Navigating Online Spaces with Mana
Duration: 75 minutes
Year Level: 9-13
Curriculum Areas: Digital Technologies, Civics, Te Ao Māori
🌅 Karakia & Cultural Opening
"Kia māia te whakaro" - Be brave in your thinking
Opening Protocol (5 minutes)
- Digital Acknowledgment: Recognizing the virtual spaces we inhabit
- Values Check: How do we carry our values into digital spaces?
- Community Connection: Who are we responsible to online and offline?
🎯 Learning Objectives & Success Criteria
By the end of this lesson, ākonga will be able to:
- Analyze: Examine digital rights and sovereignty issues affecting Māori communities
- Design: Create digital platforms that center youth voice and cultural values
- Strategize: Develop approaches for effective digital activism and advocacy
- Evaluate: Assess how digital tools can support or hinder rangatiratanga
Success Criteria - Ākonga will demonstrate:
- ✓ Understanding of digital sovereignty as extension of tino rangatiratanga
- ✓ Critical analysis of current digital platforms and their limitations
- ✓ Creative solutions for youth-centered digital engagement
- ✓ Strategic thinking about digital activism and social change
Phase 1: Digital Rights & Sovereignty Investigation (25 minutes)
Case Study Analysis: Digital Rights in Practice
15 minutes investigation + 10 minutes sharingInvestigation Setup:
Students work in pairs to investigate one of the following digital sovereignty issues:
Case 1: Māori Data Sovereignty
- What is the Māori Data Sovereignty Network?
- Why is control over Māori data important for rangatiratanga?
- How might data sovereignty affect young Māori in the future?
Case 2: Te Reo Māori in Digital Spaces
- How do major platforms support (or fail to support) te reo Māori?
- What challenges do Māori content creators face online?
- How might better digital te reo support strengthen cultural identity?
Case 3: Algorithm Bias & Cultural Content
- How do platform algorithms affect visibility of Māori content?
- What examples exist of cultural bias in AI/automated systems?
- How might algorithmic justice support digital equity?
Case 4: Youth Digital Participation
- How are young people currently excluded from digital decision-making?
- What barriers prevent youth from accessing digital opportunities?
- How might digital participation rights benefit rangatahi?
Investigation Process:
- Research (8 mins): Use provided resources and devices to investigate your case
- Analysis (4 mins): Identify the core issue and its impact on rangatiratanga
- Solutions (3 mins): Brainstorm 2-3 ways this issue could be addressed
Knowledge Sharing (10 minutes):
Each pair presents their case study findings in 2 minutes, focusing on:
- The issue and why it matters
- Connection to rangatiratanga and self-determination
- One concrete solution they would propose
Phase 2: Youth Voice Platform Design Lab (25 minutes)
Design Challenge: Creating Spaces for Rangatahi Voice
Design Brief:
Working in groups of 3-4, students design a digital platform that amplifies youth voice in their community while supporting cultural values and digital sovereignty.
Design Constraints:
- Cultural Values: Platform must reflect Te Ao Māori principles
- Youth-Centered: Designed by and for young people
- Community Impact: Addresses real local issues or opportunities
- Digital Rights: Respects user data sovereignty and privacy
- Accessibility: Usable by people with different abilities and resources
Phase 1: Community Need Identification (5 minutes)
Choose a community issue your platform will address:
- Local environmental concerns
- Education and learning opportunities
- Mental health and wellbeing support
- Cultural preservation and celebration
- Economic opportunities for youth
- Civic engagement and decision-making
Phase 2: Values Integration (5 minutes)
Select 2-3 Te Ao Māori values to center in your design:
- Whakapapa: Connecting people and building relationships
- Manaakitanga: Hospitality and care for users
- Kaitiakitanga: Guardianship of information and community
- Kotahitanga: Unity and collective action
- Whakatōhea: Collective responsibility and support
Phase 3: Platform Features Design (10 minutes)
Design your platform including:
- Core Function: What is the main purpose/activity?
- Key Features: What can users do? (3-5 main features)
- Cultural Elements: How are Māori values reflected in design?
- Youth Leadership: How do young people control/guide the platform?
- Privacy/Safety: How is user data protected and sovereignty respected?
Phase 4: Visual Design & Presentation Prep (5 minutes)
Create a visual representation of your platform (sketch, wireframe, or concept map) and prepare a 2-minute pitch.
Facilitation Note: Encourage creative thinking about digital possibilities beyond current social media models. Emphasize community benefit over commercial success.
Phase 3: Digital Activism Strategy Session (20 minutes)
Platform Presentations & Activism Strategy Development
Platform Presentations (12 minutes):
Each group presents their platform design (2 minutes each + 1 minute feedback):
Presentation Format:
- Problem & Vision (30 seconds): What issue does this address and what change does it create?
- Cultural Values (30 seconds): How are Te Ao Māori principles embedded?
- Youth Power (30 seconds): How does it empower young people specifically?
- Key Innovation (30 seconds): What makes this platform unique/special?
Collective Strategy Building (8 minutes):
After presentations, facilitate whole-class discussion on digital activism strategies:
Discussion Questions:
- Platform Power: What themes emerged across our platform designs? What does this tell us about youth priorities?
- Change Strategies: How might these platforms work together to support rangatiratanga?
- Implementation: What would it take to make one of these platforms real?
- Coalition Building: How might youth work with older generations and institutions to advance digital sovereignty?
Strategy Documentation:
Create collective list on whiteboard:
- Digital Activism Tools: Platforms, apps, strategies that can advance rangatiratanga
- Coalition Partners: Who might support youth-led digital initiatives?
- Next Steps: Concrete actions students could take to advance digital sovereignty
🌅 Whakamutunga - Reflection & Closing
Digital Mana Commitment & Closing (5 minutes)
Personal Digital Mana Reflection:
Students write brief responses to:
- How will you carry mana into digital spaces?
- What is one way you can support digital sovereignty in your daily online activity?
- How might your generation lead digital change differently than previous generations?
Closing Circle - Digital Whakataukī:
Students share one word representing how they want to show up in digital spaces, then teacher offers closing reflection:
"Kōrero ai, whakarongo ai, titiro ai"
In digital spaces, as in physical ones, we speak with purpose, listen with respect, and observe with wisdom. Your voices matter. Your leadership is needed. Your digital mana can create the change you wish to see.
📊 Assessment & Next Steps
Formative Assessment - Today's Evidence:
- Critical Analysis: Depth of understanding in digital rights investigation
- Creative Design: Innovation and cultural integration in platform design
- Strategic Thinking: Quality of activism strategies and coalition ideas
- Cultural Grounding: Consistent integration of Te Ao Māori values
Preparation for Lesson 4:
- Community Research: Identify one local organization or group working on community issues
- Leadership Examples: Find an example of youth leadership you admire (local, national, or international)
- Skills Inventory: List 3 skills you have that could contribute to community change
🛠️ Teacher Resources & Adaptations
Digital Resources:
- Māori Data Sovereignty Network: Research reports and case studies
- Te Mana Raraunga: Indigenous data rights framework
- Digital Council for Aotearoa: Digital inclusion reports
- Platform Analysis Tools: Framework for evaluating digital platforms
Differentiation Strategies:
- Tech Experience Levels: Pair students with different digital skills
- Platform Familiarity: Draw on students' existing platform knowledge
- Expression Modes: Allow visual, written, or verbal presentation options
- Group Roles: Clear roles for collaboration (researcher, designer, presenter, cultural advisor)
Extension Opportunities:
- Platform Prototyping: Use design tools to create actual mockups
- Expert Interviews: Connect with digital rights advocates
- Policy Research: Investigate digital rights legislation
- Community Presentation: Present platform ideas to local groups