Using Slowmation for animated storytelling to represent non-Aboriginal preservice teachers' awareness of "relatedness to country"

In this study, a group (N=15) of final year non-Aboriginal pre ervice teachers participated in an elective subject that aimed to raise their awarene s ab ut Aboriginal ways of knowing. A vital aspect of the course was developing the preservice teachers' awareness of "relatedness to country" which is a key belief for Aboriginal people. The non-Aboriginal pre service teachers s lected their own special place and then experienced Aboriginal ways of knowing throughout the course and vi ited local Aboriginal sites to hear and listen to stories shared by an Aboriginal Elder. At the end of the subject, the preservice teachers created their own animated story about their pecial place using an approach called Slowmation (abbreviated from "Slow animation"), which i a narrated stop-m tion animation that is played slowly at 2 photos/ second to tell a story. It is a simplified way for pre service teachers to make animations that integrat 5 a peet of c1aymation, digital storytelling and object animation. To research this approach, the preservice teachers were interviewed at the beginning and end f the course as well as submitting their animation for assessment. Data collected revealed that all the preservice teachers were ab le to make an animated story explaining their relationship to their" pedal place" and mo t d ve10ped a deeper understanding of what a relational approach to country means. Getting the preservice teachers to make animated stories helped them to reflect upon their pedal place and was a creative way to develop their awareness of cultural diversity, especially about Aboriginal ways of knowing.