230 likes | 321 Views
OUTREACH COMMITTEE REPORT 2012-13. Danny Silver – Acadia University Daryl Hepting – University of Regina. OUTLINE. Purpose and Mandate of the Committee Progress in 2012-13 Election of 2013-15 Chair Opportunities Requests/Recommendations for coming year Discussion.
E N D
OUTREACH COMMITTEE REPORT 2012-13 Danny Silver – Acadia University Daryl Hepting – University of Regina
OUTLINE • Purpose and Mandate of the Committee • Progress in 2012-13 • Election of 2013-15 Chair • Opportunities • Requests/Recommendations for coming year • Discussion
PURPOSE OF THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE • To increase Canadian youth interest in the study of Computer Science and its many areas of research and application
2011-13 MANDATE OF THE COMMITTEE • To shift the CS perspective of teachers, counselors, administrators, and policy makers in the educational systems of our provinces & territories • To encourage formal teaching of computer science and growth of Computer Science Teachers Association or CSTA-like organizations • CSTAs provides opportunities for K-12 teachers and students to better understand computing disciplines and to more successfully prepare them to teach and learn. http://csta.acm.org/
CS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS IS HEATING UP • UK: Computing in Schools has made great strides in this regard • http://royalsociety.org/education/policy/computing-in-schools/ • http://www.computingatschool.org.uk • USA: Computing in the Core program is starting to have an impact • http://www.computinginthecore.org
PROGRESSSIGITE 2012 PANEL DISCUSSION OCTOBER, 2012 • CACS/AIC (with encouragement from CSTA) organized a Panel Discussion at the 13th Annual SIGITE (Information Technology Education) conference in Calgary in October, 2012, entitled "CS/IT Outreach from a Canadian Perspective". • Daryl Hepting (moderator), University of Regina • Gerry Donaldson, University of Calgary • Rick Gee, Okanagan College • The panel gave a representation of very encouraging CS/IT outreach efforts in Canada offered by various organizations working in this space: • Canadian Association of Computer Science/Association d’Informatique Canadienne (CACS/AIC) • Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) • Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow’s ICT Skills (CCICT) • Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA – international, with chapters forming across Canada)
PROGRESSCSEDWEEKDEC, 2012 • Several universities reported events during this period: • UBC, Calgary - Lab tours by students • Lethbridge - Robotics Day • Saskatchewan – Connect 2012 for female secondary students • Regina – co-organized luncheon with CIPS • Brock – Annual CS Fair • Queens – Open house • Waterloo – CS4U Day 2012 • U of T Mississauga – School visits by faculty • Preference over CanCompEd in February: • Late start for CanCompEd.ca marketing • Some say that access to faculty and university students better in December
PROGRESS CANCOMPED.CAFEB 22, 2013 • 16 universities reported events: • Acadia – Robot Programming Competitions • Dalhousie – Computational Linguistics Olympics • UNB – CS Unplugged events, Teaching for the future • McGill – Technology Career Fair • Guelph – Tech Showcase • Windsor, York – Open house • Manitoba – integrated with INFO DAYS • Regina – Interactive sessions with students • CIPS Alberta – Women in Technology • U of A – Growing the High Tech Sector • Lethbridge – Reading Week Camps • UBC – TeckTrek • Need to capture greater media attention in 2014
PROGRESS SCRATCH DAY CANADAFEB 22, 2013 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqDkqYEwTgA • In Regina, busy from start to finish: • Scratch • LEGO WeDo • Makey Makey • S4A (Scratch for Arduino) • Enchanting (Scratch/BYOB modified for control of LEGO Mindstorm robots) • Media coverage: • http://www.leaderpost.com/technology/welcomes+elementary+students/8005566/story.html • http://www.leaderpost.com/opinion/Computer+literacy/7988359/story.html
PROGRESSFORMATION OF CSTA CHAPTERS • PEI and Newfoundland – Efforts have been made to work with Ministry of Education • Nova Scotia – Committee formed, CSTA chapter submission by end of June! • New Brunswick – Working to form a committee • Quebec – Youth Fusion Quebec, since 2008 • Ontario – Assoc. for Computer Studies Educators (ACSE) • Manitoba - ?U of Manitoba? • Saskatchewan – CSTA formed in 2012 • Alberta – CSTA formed in 2011 • British Columbia – CSTA formed in 2012 • Northwest Territories - ?Aurora College? • Nunavut - ?Nunavut Arctic College? • Yukon - ?Yukon College?
EXPERIENCES IN REGINA • Summer Camp • CSEdWeek luncheon with CIPS (panel: “Making IT for Everyone”): now Education is on CIPS radar, committee to meet in Regina • Technovation Challenge (Hack Day, competition) • CanCompEd Day / Scratch Day: good turnout & interest amongst 8-12 yr. olds • http://scratched.media.mit.edu/resources/binary-guessing-game-activity • Science Rendezvous: Digital Rockstar Bootcamp • Reprised CanCompEd Day activities • Presented to Sciematics (Science/Math Teachers) • UCOSP • Blog about it: http://www2.uregina.ca/yourblog/?s=computer
ELECTION OF OUTREACH CHAIR 2013-15 • Call for Nominations: • Chair – Daryl Hepting, U of Regina • All current members willing to continue: • Vice-Chair – Danny Silver, Acadia U • Secretary – Debbie McAnany, UNB
OPPORTUNITIES • Awards for High School students • Modelled after US-based scholarships • http://ww2.ncwit.org/award/award.index.php [HS] • http://www.cra.org/ [undergrad] • Local & National competitions and awards • national could be (more) symbolic • local could have scholarships (alumni, local business contributions)? • Opportunity for publicity • Define terms, process
OPPORTUNITIES • Schools of Education: CS Teacher education • Development of Certificates and Masters in CS Education • CSTA workshop: instructional methods course based on “Exploring Computer Science” • Get free, ready-to-use, resources for teachers (Scratch 2.0 is web-based) • CSTA benefit: Oracle Academy, free of charge
OPPORTUNITIES • Provinces: Make CS “teachable subject” • Create CS beyond 20/30 (Grade 11&12) levels • Move CS into Science from “Practical & Applied Arts”, “Tech Ed”, etc.
OPPORTUNITIES • Survey Schools and Teachers (Nationally): • http://csta.acm.org/Research/sub/HighSchoolSurveys.html • http://ce21maryland.umbc.edu/files/2013/01/CE21%E2%80%93Maryland-Report.pdf • Get good data from which recommendations can be made
OPPORTUNITIES • Work on a national umbrella group that can deal with K-12 CS Education (computinginthecore.org) • Opportunities for greater participation in CanCompEd events outside CACS/AIC: SIAST, Humber College, etc. • Empower as lobbyists on our behalf: • School Administrators • Teachers • Parents • CSEdWeek is initiative of computinginthecore.org, funded by membership fees • Letters to Provincial Ministers of Education for lobbying for CS education
REQUESTS / RECOMMENDATIONS • Update web presence • Wikipedia entry • Facebook, twitter? • Link 3rd-party blog: stories about what is happening at 59 member institutions
OPPORTUNITIES • Outreach Committee: • Regional representation; each ctee member be the contact for 5-10 of 59 member institutions: • Encourage participation in one (or more) of national outreach opportunities to get kids on university campuses: • CSEdWeek: Dec. 8-14, 2013 (Regina exams start Dec. 7) • CanCompEd Day + Scratch Day Canada: Feb. 21, 2014 • Science Rendezvous: May 10, 2014 • Solicit blog entries about their local activities • Encourage CS4HS applications • Encourage involvement in teacher conferences [Science, Math, Middle Years, etc.] (contribute sessions, help to get CS speaker (ACM Distinguished Speaker program?) • Support committee members in attending conferences like CSTA, SIGCSE, SIGITE
REQUESTS / RECOMMENDATIONS • CACS/AIC • continue support for CSTA chapter, or CSTA-like organization in every province • Support Canadian Computing Education Day • Authorize Outreach Ctee to get others “into tent” (may spark larger discussions • Ask Awards Ctee to consider framework for HS awards • Support survey to assess CSEd in Canada • CACS/AIC members: • become institutional members of CSTA (free for 1st year, $200 afterwards) • encourage faculty to apply for CSTA membership (free of charge) • Commit to 1 (or more) national outreach opportunities • Investigate local requirements for new HS award
MOTION • Approve up to $15,000 for Outreach Committee to engage in activities: • National Survey ($6000) • Conference representation ($6000) • CanCompEd promotion + website ($3000)