[CS4HS] Proposal for a 5/6 study

[Roland Gesthuizen]

Sounds like a great idea Phil, glad your crew is lending their support to
this.

If you don't mind, I'll mention it at the ICTEV dinner tonight and suggest
something similar. A bi-partisan position would lend you further support
towards the goal of ICT education in Victoria.

Regards Roland

On 30 November 2011 14:39, PC <pcallil at me.com> wrote:

> Hi Steve,
>
> Thank you for this.  The VITTA Committee of Management has a 2012 Planning
> Day meeting this weekend.  Are you comfortable with the idea that I table
> the proposal as a draft for consideration?  I'm sure the proposal will be
> one that will one that will promote valuable discussion both as Unit 5/6
> proposal but also of computational thinking in the earlier curriculum.
>
> Best wishes
>
> Phil
>
>
> Phil Callil
> President and Conference Director 2012
> Victorian IT Teachers Association (VITTA)
> Australia's largest IT in Education organization
> www.vitta.org.au
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 30/11/11 11:54 AM, "Steven Bird" <sb at csse.unimelb.edu.au> wrote:
>
> >Dear workshop participants,
> >
> >Thanks for making last week's CS4HS workshop a success!  The
> >presentations and discussions were all really stimulating and
> >productive.  As we reflected on the workshop today, we sensed a real
> >consensus amongst this group that the present state of affairs with IT
> >in the secondary curriculum is in need of renewal, and that we are on
> >the cusp of something quite new and exciting.  There was unanimity in
> >wanting to inject the curriculum with rigorous computational content,
> >and we want to define challenging and meaningful standards for
> >computational thinking in which the curriculum itself is the driver,
> >rather than the technical prowess of particular teachers and students.
> >
> >We think that the workshop format is a good one, and propose a
> >follow-up workshop early in first semester of 2012 to keep up the
> >momentum.  In particular, we would like to explore the possibility of
> >a unit 5 and 6 study in Computer Science, and are starting to talk
> >with the VCAA senior management to seek their backing and lay out a
> >consultative process that could lead to a new secondary curriculum of
> >the kind we have been discussing.
> >
> >The proposal for a new study at the 5/6 level is based on the
> >following considerations:
> >
> >* The Minister of Education's announcement (today), that he has "asked
> >the VCAA to accelerate the development of a new VCE study that will
> >provide students with the opportunity to conduct independent extended
> >research and to work with our universities to investigate new forms of
> >extension studies for our brightest students", and his challenge that:
> >"ICT should be used to build the 21st century capabilities our
> >students will require -- to go beyond given information, to give
> >opportunities to use higher order thinking skills, real time analysis,
> >and predictive and modelling activities" (Victoria as a Learning
> >Community, State of Victoria 2011)
> >
> >* The need to avoid the politics of the national curriculum including
> >uncertainties with the timeline (potentially 2016 before the
> >implementation of a senior secondary curriculum).  We don't need to
> >wait and see, but instead we can work directly with VCAA, and develop
> >a 5/6 sequence starting now.
> >
> >* The likely university-level interest in delivering Computer Science
> >content in the secondary curriculum, and displaying what kinds of
> >aptitudes are desirable for tertiary IT degrees.  Done well, this
> >offers to boost numbers in those degrees at the earliest stage
> >possible, as opposed to innovations in the primary or junior secondary
> >curriculum, or waiting for the implementation of the Australian
> >Curriculum in this field.  This also leaves the 3/4 IT Applications
> >subject in place, since it plays a valid role in helping students who
> >go into business degrees.
> >
> >* The fact that Computer Science is a well-defined body of knowledge
> >(unlike Digital Technology, or Computational Thinking), and that
> >tertiary providers should be able to identify a semester of common
> >content across their degrees.
> >
> >* The likely attractiveness of a 5/6 study in IT that offers
> >accelerated pathways at university, and which students could do
> >instead of an extra 3/4 study (e.g. one 3/4 study at year 11, three
> >3/4 studies and one 5/6 study at year 12).
> >
> >* The opportunity for a 5/6 Computer Science study design to blaze a
> >trail, serving as a model for the later content of a corresponding 3/4
> >study.  In particular, the opportunity to address the stark gender gap
> >by developing content that appeals to female students.
> >
> >If this idea meets with approval, we would seek to run another
> >workshop early in first semester of 2012, focussing on this 5/6 study.
> >
> >In addition to this, we don't want to lose sight of the need for new
> >input on computational thinking in the F-10 curriculum.  Two of our
> >workshop participants will be at the ACARA meeting (National
> >Technologies Forum) in Sydney next Monday, strongly promoting the need
> >for computational thinking in the earlier curriculum.  We would like
> >to wait and see what kind of traction this gets in ACARA, then
> >possibly run a workshop on computational thinking in the F-10
> >curriculum during second semester.
> >
> >Such a workshop could call for contributions of modules at two agreed
> >levels (e.g. year 5 and year 9), designed to connect with the national
> >curriculum in English, Maths, History, and Science.  In the workshop,
> >we would hope to go beyond static content to demonstrations of what
> >computational thinking actually looks like in the classroom.
> >
> >These are our initial ideas about how to keep the ball rolling in
> >2012.  Please let us have your thoughts.
> >
> >Thanks,
> >
> >-Steven & Paula
> >
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-- 
--
Roland Gesthuizen - eLearning Coordinator - Keysborough Secondary College

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret
Mead
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