| MediaSmarts

Students challenge media labels - Winning entry in national podcast contest addresses the issue of youth stereotyping

Ottawa, February 27, 2007 – Media Awareness Network today announced the winners of its first MyMedia video podcast contest for Canadian students in Grades 7 to 12. The MyMedia contest was designed to help young people consider ways in which certain members of society are portrayed in the media and how audiences perceive and respond to these representations. Using camcorders, digital video recorders, Web cams or cell phones, youth from across the country submitted 2-minute video podcasts on the topic of media representation.

Community Engagement on World Day of Social Justice

Developing the three-part MediaSmarts workshop series Creating Digital Content for Community Engagement changed my life. This might sound far-fetched, but I took the time to really explore what political and civic engagement looks like both on and offline, why every democratic society needs this, and how to create a powerful, effective and well-crafted media message that can help change the world for the betterment of everyone. I learned a lot about what it means to be “engaged” in our society, and how crucial this is for the success of all.

English Language Arts 7-9 Overview

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.

Become Aware of Your Own Biases

One of the hardest things about being a responsible sharer is to be aware of your own biases, the reasons why you might be more likely to believe something without evidence. These are aspects of the way we think that can lead us to accept false statements, reject true ones, or simply not ask enough questions.

Authenticating Information

Help Us Grow!

If someone living in the 19th century were to travel to our era they would be most amazed by the fact that our children, rather than working in the fields or in factories, spend their days in school. Today we view education as a human right, and at MediaSmarts (formerly known as Media Awareness Network) we believe that digital and media literacy should also be a right in the education of children and youth.

A Co-Viewing Christmas: Dealing with Problematic Classics

Many families have media traditions around the holidays – whether that’s watching A Charlie Brown Christmas together or staging a Mario Kart tournament on New Year’s Day. It’s great to make media a family activity, and it’s also an opportunity to co-view with your kids. In fact, holiday movies practically demand co-viewing: whether your tastes run to It’s a Wonderful Life, Die Hard or Christmas Vacation, odds that that if you watch with your (appropriately-aged) kids you’ll see something that makes you uncomfortable. Maybe it’s a racist stereotype in a cartoon, or a scene that makes stalking and harassment look romantic, or yet another kids’ movie with just one female character. What do you say?

Movies, Parents, Stereotyping, Television

Can Media Literacy Backfire?

If we can generally conclude that digital media literacy does work, it’s worth asking the opposite question: can media literacy backfire?

First Do No Harm: How to be an active witness - Tip Sheet

Did you know? Two-thirds of Canadian students have helped someone who was being picked on online.

When you see or hear bad things happening online, you have a lot of power to make things better – or worse. Sometimes it’s hard to know the right thing to do, so ask yourself these questions:

Cyberbullying, Internet & Mobile, Parents