Where no Eagles soar

This winter the Olympics return to Canada for the first time since the Calgary games of 1988. For many people, the most vivid memories of that Olympiad are the colourful stories of some of the less accomplished athletes, such as British ski jumper Michael “Eddie the Eagle” Edwards and the members of the Jamaican bobsled team. It's unlikely, though, that there will be any charming underdogs in this year's Olympiad, as the games become more and more the province of professionals. As audiences and advertising revenues drop, however, will the professionalization of the Games spell their downfall?

Wikiwars

With all the recent attention focused on stories of teenagers charged with distributing child pornography for taking sexually suggestive pictures of themselves, jobs lost due to Facebook and MySpace entries, and libel suits over blog posts, people are justifiably concerned about the permanence of material posted to the Internet. Many a teacher or parent has had to carefully explain to children or teens that whatever they post online might be seen by people other than the intended audience, and might be out there for a very long time.

Toy Story

Last year in this space we wrote about how summer movies serve as advertisements for various kinds of merchandising. The success of 2007's Transformers and its sequel this summer point to a different but similar trend: making movies that are actually about the toys companies sell.

Watching the elections

Joe McGinniss’ book The Selling of the President had a shocking title for 1968, suggesting as it did that in the television age the presidency had become nothing more than another product to be packaged and sold. MediaSmarts’ resource, Watching the Elections (a lesson for Grades 8-12), shines a light on how the different aspects of an election – from the debates to political ads to the candidates themselves – are actually media products.

Outcome Chart - Alberta - Social Studies Grade 8

This outcome chart contains Media literacy learning expectations from the Alberta social studies curriculum, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site.

Outcome Chart - Ontario - Geography CGF3M: Forces of Nature: Physical Processes and Disasters

This chart contains media-related learning outcomes from Ontario, Curriculum for Geography CGF3M: Forces of Nature: Physical Processes and Disasters, with links to supporting resources on the MediaSmarts site.

New Brunswick - Individual and Family Dynamics 120 (Grade 9)

Strand: Personal Growth and Development

Big Idea: Social Influences on Identities

Skill Descriptor:

Analyze how social media and technology influence personal identities.

Achievement Indicators:

Discuss how moderation and balance are important in using technology.

Examine how technology influences peer connectedness.

Examine how technology changes to influence thoughts and behaviours.

Compare online vs in-person interactions.

Outcome Chart - Nova Scotia - Visual Arts 11

Creating, Making and Presenting

Overall Expectations:

GCO 1: explore, challenge, develop and express ideas using the skills, language, techniques and processes of the arts

Specific Expectations:

CM 1.3 sustain a concept through diverse approaches and art media

Research and Evaluation - Our Approach

Through a community-based research approach, our projects honour participants’ diverse range of digital media literacy strengths, experiences and expertise. We design projects that create safe spaces for participants to share their thoughts, experiences, concerns and solutions about digital media literacy issues. We aim to empower participants by providing them with knowledge and skills that they can take with them as they continue to navigate the online world and digital technology.

CIRA and Media Awareness Network Launch Guide to Avoiding Risks Online

April 4, 2011 (Ottawa) – The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), in partnership with Media Awareness Network (MNet), is proud to introduce a Cyber Security Consumer Tip Sheet, a guide to avoiding risks online.

As the Internet has become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives, so too have the number and severity of potential risks we face each day. With increasing accessibility to digital technologies, Internet literacy programs are, now more than ever, essential to protecting Internet users and their computers.