On Monday Oct 21, the Year 5 Learning Community had a day with NO technology at all.

The students found it very strange when they arrived in the classroom and found the teachers working in the dark with a few candles burning. Then the fun began.

We were extremely impressed with how co-operatively the students worked together to build a shelter from pieces of bamboo, and branches with leaves. The students demonstrated a lot of creativity when required to play and invent games only using natural materials. They were also able to demonstrate great imagination when teaching other students the games they invented.

The rock painting activity was the chance for the students to work on their own and focus on painting a picture using the dot technique common in Aboriginal art. During the basket weaving activity the students were required to work in groups of three to help each other hold the flax and weave in and out.

The activity that challenged the students the greatest, but which they enjoyed the most, was fire lighting. By only using flints, the students worked into groups to get enough of a spark to catch tissue paper alight. This proved very difficult, but the students showed great persistence.

During lunch time the students were required to make their own lunch as the canteen (with its electric powered ovens) was out of bounds. Each student made themselves a very healthy sandwich with many coming back for more.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the day and were inspired with a new appreciation for the amount of technology around them.