First time students to coding from Te Kura Māori o Waatea in South Auckland are learning how to create the computer game Minecraft through its newly created reo Māori tutorial, Voyage Aquatic.
The students are stoked to see the game they enjoy is made in te reo Māori.
“I like it because I'm learning new things,” says Beverley Hemana.
“It's a good game because it's enjoyable to play” says Paigan Tara.
The bilingual class is learning how to code on the latest interactive Minecraft 'Hour of Code' reo Māori by OMGTech and Microsoft NZ.
“They can choose whether to move up or down, go in front, or turn around,” says teacher Awaroa Rapana, “Using the directions in the game to create how they think the game is made.”
The country's first reo Māori coding tutorial for the game, Minecraft: Adventurer, was created two years ago. Last month the Hero's Journey reo Māori coding tutorial was launched.
“It's critical that they get to see creation in te reo Māori, in the space where it currently isn't,” says OMGTech co-founder Zoe Timbill, “So that as they grow older they can keep pushing to have more and more technology with a te āo Māori basis.”
“This is a challenge to the Minister of Education that they should create more technology resources for our children in Māori schools,” says Principal Tania Rangiheuea.
All three reo Māori coding tutorials are accessible free of charge to users online.