Unit 7: Digital Tech & AI Ethics

Critical Thinking in the Age of AI

1 Digital Sovereignty
2 AI Ethics & Bias
3 Data & Privacy
4 Cultural Protocols
5 Tech for Good

Lesson 5: Digital Futures - Envisioning Māori Digital Sovereignty in 2050

Duration: 75 minutes Year Level: 10-13 Unit: Digital Tech & AI Ethics

šŸŽÆ Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Synthesize learning from Unit 7 to envision positive Māori digital futures
  • Create compelling narratives of technology that serves tino rangatiratanga and whānau well-being
  • Identify pathways from present challenges to desired futures
  • Present visionary proposals for Māori digital sovereignty in accessible, creative formats

šŸ“š Key Concepts

  • Afrofuturism/Indigenous Futurism: Using speculative fiction and imagination to envision Indigenous futures beyond colonial narratives
  • Digital Sovereignty: Māori control over Māori data, digital systems, and technological futures
  • Backcasting: Starting with desired future and working backward to identify steps to get there
  • Utopian vs. Dystopian Futures: Critical imagination of best-case and worst-case technological scenarios

šŸš€ Lesson Structure

Part 1: Tuwhera (Opening) - 10 minutes

Karakia + Whakataukī: "Mā te tamaiti nei hei kawe i tōna nei tipuna" - The child will carry forward their ancestors.

Provocation: Show video clips or images from Indigenous futurism art/media:

  • Maui's Hook: Māori sci-fi/fantasy film
  • Te Hiku Media's Papa Reo (2020-2025): REAL Indigenous AI success story - Māori-owned voice recognition now used globally
  • Indigenous futurism art: Imagining traditional practices in digital spaces
  • Black Panther's Wakanda: Technology rooted in African culture and values

šŸ’” 2025 Reality Check: We're already building Indigenous digital futures! Te Hiku Media proves Māori can lead AI development when given resources and sovereignty. Te Mana Raraunga (Māori Data Sovereignty Network) is influencing global Indigenous data policy. Your generation will expand this work.

Question: If Māori had controlled technology development from the beginning, what would our digital world look like today? What if we controlled it from NOW forward?

Part 2: Dystopian/Utopian Scenarios - 15 minutes

Think-Pair-Share Activity: Students imagine two possible digital futures for Aotearoa in 2050:

Scenario 1: Dystopian Future (worst-case)

Prompt: Imagine 2050 where Māori have lost all digital sovereignty. What does life look like?

  • Who controls data about Māori communities?
  • What happened to te reo Māori in digital spaces?
  • How are AI systems being used against Māori interests?
  • What cultural practices have been lost due to technology?

Scenario 2: Utopian Future (best-case)

Prompt: Imagine 2050 where Māori have achieved full digital sovereignty. What does life look like?

  • How is technology strengthening whānau and community?
  • What role does AI play in revitalizing te reo Māori?
  • How are Māori governance structures using digital tools?
  • What innovations have Māori created that benefit the world?

Class Discussion: Share scenarios, identify common themes, discuss which future feels more likely and why.

Part 3: Vision Creation - 30 minutes

Major Project: Students work individually or in pairs to create a detailed vision of a positive Māori digital future in 2050.

Format Options (student choice):

  • Written Narrative: Short story or news article from 2050
  • Visual Art: Illustration, digital art, or storyboard depicting future scenes
  • Video/Audio: Mock documentary, podcast episode, or TikTok from the future
  • Tech Prototype: Sketch of future app/system with explanation
  • Policy Proposal: Official document outlining digital sovereignty framework

Required Components:

  1. The Vision: What does Māori digital sovereignty look like in 2050?
  2. Key Technologies: What specific technologies exist? How do they work?
  3. Cultural Values: How are tikanga Māori principles embedded in technology?
  4. Impact on Daily Life: How has this changed how Māori live, work, learn, connect?
  5. Pathway: What were 3-5 critical steps taken between now and 2050 to achieve this?
  6. Challenges Overcome: What obstacles were faced? How were they addressed?

Part 4: Gallery Walk / Presentations - 15 minutes

Share + Celebrate: Students present their visions to the class

Format:

  • Visual projects: Gallery walk with students explaining their work to peers who stop by
  • Narrative/Performance projects: 2-3 minute presentations

Peer Appreciation: Students leave positive feedback notes identifying:

  • One aspect of this vision that feels especially powerful or inspiring
  • One technology or innovation they'd love to see become real

Part 5: Call to Action - 10 minutes

Discussion: What can we do NOW to move toward these positive futures?

Individual Commitment: Students identify:

  • One thing I can do as a student (learn coding, study te reo, advocate for data sovereignty)
  • One thing our school could do (tech policy changes, Indigenous tech curriculum)
  • One thing our community could do (support Māori tech businesses, demand data sovereignty)
  • One thing I'll actually commit to doing this month (concrete, specific action)

Part 6: Whakamutunga (Closing) - 5 minutes

Final Reflection: "How has Unit 7 changed the way I think about technology and my role in shaping digital futures?"

Karakia Whakamutunga

Whakataukī for Moving Forward: "Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua" - I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past (bringing our ancestors' wisdom into the future we create).

šŸ“Š Assessment

Formative: Dystopian/utopian scenario contributions, engagement in vision creation

Summative Options:

  1. Option A: Digital Futures Vision Project (described above) - Creative, narrative-focused
  2. Option B: Guided Inquiry Research Project - Students use AI tools to investigate an AI ethics question using the guided inquiry method:

Rubric for Vision Projects (Option A):

  • Imagination & Creativity: Compelling, detailed vision of future possibilities
  • Cultural Grounding: Clear integration of tikanga Māori and tino rangatiratanga
  • Technical Understanding: Demonstrates learning from unit (AI, data, digital systems)
  • Pathway Thinking: Realistic steps from present to envisioned future
  • Presentation Quality: Clear, engaging communication of ideas

Note: Rubrics for Guided Inquiry Projects (Option B) are included in the respective handouts.

šŸŽ“ Teacher Notes

Preparation:

  • Find and prepare Indigenous futurism examples (art, video clips, short stories)
  • Set up space for creative work (art supplies, tech access, quiet areas)
  • Prepare vision project template/guide

Differentiation:

  • Support: Provide more structured template with specific prompts for each vision component
  • Extension: Students create full multimedia presentation or functional prototype
  • Choice: Multiple format options accommodate diverse strengths (writing, visual, audio, tech)

Cultural Considerations:

  • Center Māori students' voices - their visions are particularly valuable
  • Ensure futures are grounded in hope and possibility, not just critique
  • Acknowledge that Māori have always been innovators and futurists
  • Recognize students as architects of the future, not just observers

Extension:

Compile student visions into a class "Digital Futures" publication/exhibition. Share with whānau, community, and local Māori tech organizations.

šŸ”— Connections to NZC

  • Digital Technologies Level 5: Understand how digital systems impact society and the environment
  • Social Studies Level 5: Understand how people seek economic/social growth through innovation
  • Key Competencies: Thinking (creative vision), participating and contributing (action commitments)
  • Values: Innovation, ecological sustainability, cultural diversity

šŸ’¬ Whānau Connection

Students share their 2050 vision with whānau and ask: "What digital future do you hope for our family and our people? What wisdom from our tūpuna should guide how we build technology?"

šŸŽ‰ Unit Celebration

This is the final lesson of Unit 7! Consider celebrating student learning with:

  • Public exhibition of vision projects for whānau/community
  • Sharing selected visions with local Māori tech organizations
  • Unit reflection circle: "One thing I learned, one thing I'll remember, one thing I'll do"