Social discussion of CS in K-12

[Martin Wolske <mwolske AT illinois.edu>]

Here's the new call for one of two must-attend conferences for me each year. Let me know if any of you would like to join me in presenting at the conference this fall.

See you all in a bit!

-- Martin

-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: CIRN Prato Conference: "Privilege, Information, Knowledge & Power: An endless dilemma", 9-11 November 2015: Call for Papers Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2015 12:22:15 +0600 From: Larry Stillman <Larry.Stillman AT monash.edu> To: ciresearchers AT vancouvercommunity.net, communityinformatics AT vancouvercommunity.net

Dear Colleague,

 

The 12th CIRN Prato Conference 2015, "Privilege, Information, Knowledge & Power: An endless dilemma" is now open for abstract submissions. Information, including key dates, is via http://cirn.wikispaces.com/Conference+2015. Please distribute this invitation to colleagues and students.

 

We seek refereed and non-refereed papers, practitioner reports and works-in-progress, posters, workshops and panels, and PhD symposium presentations.

 

CONFERENCE THEME

 

Information and knowledge are socially constructed artifacts located—and often literally inscribed-- within particular relations of information and knowledge production. Such relations of information and knowledge production can reflect unequal distributions of power and privilege, whether manifested in gendered activity; the primacy given to formalized expertise or particular language codes; restricted access to information, knowledge and production for those not in positions of institutional control; or the production of particular artifacts (such as ICT systems) that privilege one group over another.

 

Critical Community Informatics (CI), Development Informatics (DI), and Community Archiving (CA) education, research, and practice seeks to recognize these relations and openly challenge privileged statuses and practices. They recognize that a pluralistic approach to the problem of information and knowledge production and its preservation as different forms of activity and memory is a critical step to moving beyond approaches that result in privilege to those with skills and power in information and knowledge production across time and space in different environments.

 

Such a critical perspective also works to move beyond an apolitical approach and utilitarian approach to information and knowledge production or the romanticize and colonization of communities (whether ‘urban’, ‘indigenous’, or ‘traditional’ and so on) as unitary, and easy-to-label collectivities. Instead, it sees information and knowledge as inherently contested and political at all societal levels and to see communities as heterogeneous and likewise, political.

 

Critical scholarship also raises ethical dilemmas as we consider the privilege given to lineal written language in academic work, as the warrant for particular informational or knowledge truth and procedures. We thus question the role of the academy in defining terminology and appropriate technologies of memory, and we recognize the ways such privileging of the academy serves as a form of epistemological colonization that flows on into different forms of institutional and organizational practice. How to move beyond this privilege is a grand challenge, and in fact, can we move beyond it?

 

Our aim for the conference is for it to be an active community practice in, and not just discussions about, pluralism. We therefore encourage participation from a wide range of cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, socio-economic statuses, gender identities, disabilities, and ages. We also encourage proposals for different ways of knowing and sharing. We especially seek to foster dialog across difference rather than presentation and preservation of homogeneity, when new ICTs in particular allow the existence and fruitful production of multiverses of information and knowledge.

 

Key questions arising from the conference theme can be found at this link, and submissions made to the conference database via http://cirn.wikispaces.com/Conference+2015+Themes

 

OTHER PAPERS & PRESENTATIONS:

 

We are also open to general papers in CI/DI/DA that will be of interest to participants.

 

We will also consider papers related to any aspect of Community Informatics, Development Informatics or Community Archiving. We are particularly interested in papers from researchers and practitioners that can address the challenges of locating community-based research within wider theoretical and practice frameworks.

 

KEY DATES:

 

• Call for papers and proposals. NOW OPEN.
  
• Acceptance/modification/ rejection notices As soon as possible thereafter
  
• Full papers and abstracts for all streams due 31 July 2015
  
• Referee reports to participants by 30 September 2015
  
• Final version of papers, based on peer review and program committee decisions due 1 November 2015
  
• Conference proceedings Online/downloadable post- conference with ISBN
  
• Registrations available from 1 July
  

Abstracts can ONLY be uploaded through the conference database system available via the website.

http://cirn.wikispaces.com/Conference+2015+Themes

 

 

CONFERENCE CHAIRS

 

Tom Denison, Monash University Joanne Evans, Monash University Anne Gilliland, UCLA, Kiera Ladner, University of Manitoba, Sue McKemmish, Monash University Colin Rhinesmith, University of Oklahoma, Larry Stillman, Monash University, Kelvin White, University of Oklahoma Martin Wolske, University of Illinois.

 

All travel and other arrangements are at your own risk and the organisers accept no liability. Visas are delegates own responsibility. The program may change due to non-availability of particular speakers.

 

Location and travel information: http://cirn.wikispaces/conference+2015+prato+info/

 

COSTS

 

We aim to keep costs as reasonable as possible and there is a sliding scale for students and others on lower incomes/developing countries. The conference packing includes all the great catering during the conference. The banquet is optional, but everyone comes along. There is also a social program.

 

SPONSORS (PARTIAL)

 

Monash University, UCLA, University of Illinois, University of Oklahoma

 

More information: prato2015 AT fastmail.fm

 

Larry Stillman, Monash University for the Conference.