OTTAWA – MediaSmarts, Canada’s not-for-profit centre for digital literacy, has launched a new free, self-directed online course for in-service and pre-service teachers and other educators.
For nearly thirty years, Canadian teachers have been at the forefront of getting students online and preparing them to use networked technologies safely, productively and responsibly. Many young Canadians have their first experiences with the internet in their classrooms and school libraries. Over the past decade, though, while digital tools have come to provide new opportunities for creating and distributing digital content, MediaSmarts’ research shows that most Canadian teachers aren’t making media in the classroom.
Parents could be forgiven for thinking that our children are born media literate. They are mediatized, certainly, even before they are born: it’s a rare baby shower that doesn’t feature Elsa or Elmo in one form or another. As for digital literacy, kids take to devices like the proverbial ducks to water, quickly becoming expert at finding the videos and games they want.
This year, Canada’s 15th annual Media Literacy Week runs from October 26th to 30th. Co-hosted by MediaSmarts, Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy, and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF/FCE), the annual event invites all Canadians - teachers, students of all ages kindergarten to seniors and community groups, libraries, museums, to celebrate by engaging in media and digital literacy activities.
Is your screen use creative?
If you’re wondering how to get started making media on your phone, tablet or computer, animation is a great place to start. You can start doing it as a family activity even when kids are very young and they’ll soon be able to do almost everything themselves.
Author: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts Level: Kindergarten to Grade 2 Lesson Length: 20-30 minutes, plus time for optional assessment/evaluation and extension activities Subject Area: English Language Arts, Visual Arts, Ethics and Religious Culture Lesson Link:https://mediasmarts.ca/teacher-resources/break-fake-what’s-frame