[CS4HS] [osia-members] Urgent / Important: Is "Computer Science" Science?

[Donna Benjamin]

On Mon, 2012-07-23 at 00:01 +0930, Jack Burton wrote:
> The submission was lodged with ACARA at around 11:30 this evening
> (Adelaide time) and we can only hope and trust that they will consider
> it, notwithstanding the missed deadline.

Thank you - and well done. I think it's a great submission. I am really
excited by and grateful for the effort of all involved. 

Putting the submission on the website ASAP means we can all help promote
the ideas in it and contribute to the ongoing debate. Perhaps putting
out an associated press release is a good idea?  It's all part of the
process.

> For those of you following ACARA's progress, please help the OSIA Board
> out by alerting us as soon as you notice the Phase 3 consultation period
> opening.
> 
> When that time comes, it would be good to bring a group of interested
> OSIA members together to draft our Phase 3 submission collaboratively,
> with enough time to spare to allow for more thorough analysis &
> subsequent review.

Yes the Technologies draft shape paper consultation closed a few weeks
back - but it was just a draft. Which I've saved to google docs and made
public - http://goo.gl/CncXl (it's licensed CC - so why not?)

I particularly like paragraph 80 on page 18.

"While there is a clear relationship between the two the key difference
is that the ICT general capability assists students to become effective
users of ICT, whereas the Digital technologies curriculum assists
students to become confident developers of information solutions by
applying computational thinking."

There will be another round of consultation before the curriculum itself
is finalised. 

The schedule is available here: 
http://www.acara.edu.au/technologies.html

Key dates: 
August 2012 - Publication of shape paper

Aug'12 to Jan'13 - Curriculum writing

March 2013 - Further consultation

End of 2013 - Curriculum Published

Also Note: The ARTS curriculum consultation is open **NOW** until 23
September. Perhaps Don could help suggest an appropriate computing and
open angle to respond on that score given the proximity of Weta?

Perhaps Media Arts might have potential for advocating
 - Use of, and contribution to development of Open Source Software 
 - Use of, and contribution to the Creative Commons and Open Education
Resources?

I urge members to sign up on the consultation website - to participate
in the online surveys and access draft documents.

Because, as I said in an education forum the other day.  There are two
parallel approaches we should adopt.

1. Draft formal responses, well considered, researched, and in
collaboration from interested organisations (which takes time)
2. Encourage many individual submissions singing from the same
songsheet, with variations of anecdote, and personal expression to
reinforce and highlight the formal submissions.

- Donna

-- 
Donna Benjamin - Executive Director
Creative Contingencies - http://cc.com.au
ph +61 3 9326 9985 - mob +61 418 310 414