Alberta students to acquire digital literacy skills through new online game

March 8, 2010, Ottawa - Media Awareness Network (MNet) announced today that Alberta Education has licensed its award-winning interactive game – Passport to the Internet: Student tutorial for Internet literacy (Grades 4-8) – making the resource available to 1,800 elementary and middle schools in the province.

“MNet applauds Alberta Education’s recognition of the importance of media and digital literacy in the lives of young people,” said Jane Tallim, MNet’s Co-Executive Director. “Youth in Alberta now have access to a first-of-its-kind interactive resource that will help them gain essential critical thinking skills to better understand the digital landscape that is their world.”

Passport to the Internet was modeled on the same digital environments young people use every day. It was created to meet the growing demand for a digital literacy tool to help young people develop skills they can apply to their online experiences. The Web-based flash tutorial teaches students how to authenticate online information, recognize online marketing ploys, protect their privacy, manage online relationships and cope with cyberbullying.

Passport to the Internet is the complimentary classroom resource to MNet’s professional development Web Awareness Workshop Series, which Alberta Education also licenses. The Web Awareness Workshop Series helps teachers of Grades K to 12 understand and address cyberbullying issues, online safety, marketing and privacy, and information authentication.

Training and/or promotion for the resource will be available through the 2Learn.ca Education Society and the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortium. Teachers interested in using Passport to the Internet in their classrooms can contact the Learning Resources Centre by e-mail lrc.support@gov.ab.ca, phone 780-427-2767 or toll free 310-0000, or their Web site www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca.

Passport to the Internet is made possible through financial contributions from Inukshuk Wireless Learning Plan Fund and TELUS.

-30-

Media Awareness Network (MNet) is a Canadian not-for-profit centre of expertise in media and digital literacy. Its vision is to ensure children and youth possess the necessary critical thinking skills and tools to understand and actively engage with media. MNet's programs are funded by its public and private sector sponsors and partners, who include: CTVglobemedia • Canwest • TELUS • Bell • Canadian Internet Registration Authority • CTV • National Film Board of Canada • Government of Canada.

Contact:

Ann Marie Paquet
Communications Officer
Media Awareness Network
613-224-7721, ext. 231
apaquet@media-awareness.ca