Defining Digital Media Literacy
Digital media literacy is the ability to critically, effectively and responsibly access, use, understand and engage with media of all kinds.
Digital media literacy is the ability to critically, effectively and responsibly access, use, understand and engage with media of all kinds.
For over 20 years MediaSmarts has been producing award-winning resources and programs. This section showcases the recognition we have received for our work.
Each Atlantic Province follows closely the Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation Framework for English Language Arts. In this Framework, media literacy is integrated throughout the English Language Arts curriculum under the general learning outcomes of Speaking and Listening, Reading and Viewing and Writing and Other Ways of Representing.
The following excerpt from Atlantic Canada English Language Arts Curriculum, Grades 7-9, details how media education has been integrated into the Atlantic curriculum.
In the Atlantic Canada Social Studies Framework, media literacy outcomes are included under the broader categories of Citizenship, Power and Governance; Groups and Institutions; Culture and Cultural Diversity; Individual Development and Identity; Global Connections; Individuals, Societies and Economic Choices; Participating in Social Studies; and People, Science and Technology.
Objectivity and accuracy are among the most important journalistic values. Consistently, however, Canadian news media has under-represented and stereotyped racialized groups.
Parents of young children need to actively manage and control TV viewing in the home. Children need a variety of activities for healthy development and television can be a fun and educational part of a child's daily routine, if managed properly.
Television viewing generally drops during adolescence as young people start to spend more time socializing, doing schoolwork, and using other media, such as music, video games, computers and the Internet.
Kids have always enjoyed watching movies, and as films have become available through more and more media this popular activity has come to play an increasingly influential role in their lives: nearly half of Canadian teens say that movies are their favorite entertainment medium. [1]
In this section, we examine some concerns related to the movies kids enjoy and we offer tips for talking about problematic film content such as violence and gender and racial stereotyping.
Though young adolescents may seem "all grown up", there are still many issues that need to be addressed relating to movie content. Many movies aimed at the "tween" age group (11–13) contain material that isn't appropriate for young teens. The rating systems don't necessarily help either: films that were rated Restricted (17 and over) at the cinema may become 14A when released on home video in Canada.