Concerns about Media Representation of Disability

Media Coverage of Disability Issues: Persons with disabilities receive similar treatment in the news.

Diversity in Media, Persons with Disabilities, Stereotyping

Digital Media Literacy Across the Curriculum

There have been four main approaches to integrating digital media literacy into the curriculum.[1] The first, infusion, makes digital media literacy an integrated part of the inquiry process. The second, integration, makes digital and/or media into its own, separate subject, or gives it a prominent place within an existing subject: media literacy was first brought into the Ontario curriculum in Ontario following this approach in 1989 as one of the four strands of English Language Arts, on a par (at least in theory) with Reading, Writing and Listening.[2] The third, cross-curricular competencies, identifies digital media literacy competencies as “not something to be added to the literacy curriculum, but a lens for learning that it is an integral part of all classroom practice”[3]; and the last, dispersion, locates them within various grades and subjects without any overall design.[4]

Media portrayals of racial and cultural diversity - Overview

Media speaks volumes about what is important in a society. What we see in media can have an impact on how we see other groups and how we see ourselves.

Diversity in Media, Stereotyping, Visible Minorities

Digital Media Literacy Framework - Grades 7-8

Given their increasing use of the Internet to find information, now is also a good time to introduce strategies for determining authorship and authority of online information so they can recognize good health information, biased or hateful content, and online scams and hoaxes.

At this age media influences on gender norms and body image are becoming more intense. Children need to learn to apply key media literacy concepts to online spaces such as social networks.

Digital Media Literacy Framework - Grades 9-12

Contrary to popular belief, cyberbullying remains a problem in high school. Students in these grades should learn the ways that they can speak out and make a difference, both in cases of individual cyberbullying and in building more tolerant and respectful online spaces.

Racial and Cultural Diversity and Canadian Broadcasting Policy

Canada’s Broadcasting Act, last amended in 1991, outlines industry guidelines for portrayal of diversity.

Diversity in Media, Stereotyping, Television, Visible Minorities

Digital Media Literacy Workshops for the new Ontario Language Curriculum

MediaSmarts is excited to offer two free virtual digital media literacy professional workshops for educators thanks to funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education. These two new professional development workshops were developed to support the updated Grade 1-9 Language Curriculum in Ontario.

USE, UNDERSTAND & ENGAGE: A Digital Media Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools - Overview

USE, UNDERSTAND & ENGAGE provides a road map for teaching digital media literacy skills in Canadian schools. The framework draws on nine framework topics of digital media literacy and provides teachers with supporting lessons and interactive resources that are linked to curriculum outcomes for every province and territory.

Fact Checker

To find out if a story has already been fact-checked, use the search bar below. It’s a custom search engine that lets you search several fact-checkers at once, including: Snopes.com, Agence France Presse Canada, FactCheck.org, Politifact, Washington Post Fact Checker, Associated Press Fact Check, HoaxEye and Les Decrypteurs. 

 

Board of Directors

MediaSmarts is governed by an elected, volunteer Board of Directors.