MediaSmarts Launches New Online Course for Teachers

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. Making Media Across the Curriculum will provide training and resources to incorporate digital media production such as games, film, and animation in their classrooms from kindergarten to Grade 12 and across the curriculum.

English Language Arts 10-12 Overview

In 2016, British Columbia rolled out a redesigned English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum, one that is centered on teaching that “questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens".

Media Design 12

Curricular Competencies

Students are expected to be able to do the following:

Applied Technologies

The Privacy Piece

Report on Privacy Competencies in Digital Literacy Programs in Canada, Britain, Australia, America, and Brazil

What We Do

Learn more about our organization.

My Voice is Louder Than Hate: The Impact of Hate

In this lesson, students explore how interacting through digital media can make it easier to hurt someone’s feelings and can make hurtful or prejudiced behaviour seem normal in online spaces. They learn how Canadian youth feel about and respond to casual prejudice online and then use the My Voice is Louder Than Hate tool to create a digital story that will help people understand that online hate hurts everyone who witnesses it.

Game Time

In this lesson, students consider the positive aspects of video games as well as the ways in which games may take time away from other activities they enjoy. Students are introduced to the idea of balancing game and screen time with other parts of their lives and learn about the reasons why they may be tempted to spend more time playing games or find it difficult to stop playing. They then keep a diary of their game play (or another screen activity if they do not play video games) that prompts them to reflect on their gaming habits. Partway through that process, they are introduced to techniques that will help them moderate their game play and deal with the difficulties they may feel reducing game time. Finally, students reflect on the experience and develop a plan to make their game play more mindful.

Studio Arts 3D 11

Students are expected to be able to do the following:

Explore and create

• Explore artistic possibilities and take creative risks
• Intentionally select and combine materials, processes, and technologies to convey ideas
• Demonstrate active engagement in creating artistic works and resolving creative challenges

Reason and reflect

Outcome Chart - British Columbia - English 10 First Peoples: New Media

Big Ideas

• The exploration of text and story deepens our understanding of diverse, complex ideas about identity, others, and the world.
• Texts are socially, culturally, geographically, and historically constructed.
• Self-representation through authentic First Peoples text is a means to foster justice.
• Digital Citizens have rights and responsibilities in an increasingly globalized society.

Overall Expectations: Comprehending and Conn