National Media Education Week 2008 puts a focus on youth and online behaviours

November 3, 2008 (Ottawa) – Media Awareness Network (MNet) and the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) launched National Media Education Week today with a message for Canadian youth—think critically and act ethically, both inside and outside of the classroom.

The goal of the annual week is to promote media literacy in Canadian homes, schools and communities. A variety of activities, from classroom-based projects to large-scale public events, are taking place across the country to support media education and promote the theme of ethical and responsible Internet use.

“The Internet is an important and enjoyable part of young people’s daily lives and they need to develop rigorous, critical thinking skills to make wise online decisions” said Jane Tallim, Co- Executive Director of MNet. “Young people have told us in our research that they want to develop responsible decision-making skills. By teaching them to be good cyber citizens we can empower them to take ownership of their online behaviours.”

“As teachers, we see first-hand how media and information technology influence the manner in which our students interact with each other and how they view the world around them,” explains CTF President Emily Noble. ”We believe education is an important proactive measure to counter cyber bullying in all its forms. As a teacher organization, it is both our duty and social responsibility to be supportive in ways that give young Canadians the best that the world of media can offer.”

National Media Education Week collaborators are hosting a variety of events in their regions, including youth forums on cyber bullying, animation and video production workshops, movie screenings and media panels.

MNet and CTF, the lead partners in the week, will host a student forum at Historica Encounters with Canada in Ottawa on November 5, to promote the ethical and pro-social uses of the Internet by young people.

Girl Guides of Canada, in collaboration with MNet, is launching a new CyberCitizen Challenge Crest to teach girls and young women critical thinking skills for the Internet.

This year’s presenting sponsor, CTVglobemedia, has produced a public service announcement in support of the week and the theme of ethical Internet use, which is airing nationally on CTVglobemedia stations and channels.

National Media Education Week is in its third year and the list of participants and collaborators continues to grow. For a list of the week’s collaborators visit: http://www.mediaeducationweek.ca/en/about_partners.htm. A calendar of the week’s events is available at http://www.mediaeducationweek.ca/en/involved_events.htm.

Media Awareness Network (MNet) is a not-for-profit Canadian organization whose aim is to help children and youth to develop an informed and critical understanding of media, the techniques used in creating media products and the media's role and influence within society. (/)

Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) represents nearly 200,000 Canadian teachers across the country. For nearly 90 years, CTF has advanced the cause of children, defended the rights of teachers and promoted a strong public education system. Further, they have championed the increase and strengthening of the practice of media education in Canadian classrooms. (http://www.ctf-fce.ca/)

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