Digital Literacy 101

While MediaSmarts’ research shows that teachers place considerable importance on teaching their students digital literacy skills such as authenticating information, managing privacy, addressing cyberbullying, and being safe online, evidence suggests this is not reflected in Canadian classrooms. The intent of these resources is to support teachers in implementing digital literacy into their teaching practice and to help them to develop digital literacy lessons and activities that suit their students' needs.

Digital Literacy Training Workshops

The Digital Literacy Training Program for Canadian Educators workshop provides an overview of essential digital literacy skills and key concepts of media and digital literacy, familiarizes participants with the digital experiences of Canadian youth, and introduces the resources and tools that are available through MediaSmarts’ USE, UNDERSTAND & CREATE digital literacy framework.

Each workshop is available as a self-directed tutorial or as a downloadable PowerPoint presentation ideal for presenting to a group. The workshop is timed to take three hours if all of the activities are included. If the activities are abridged or conducted by the facilitator it can be reduced to roughly two hours.

Instructions for Conducting a Workshop

Implementing Digital Literacy in the Classroom Guide

This Classroom Guide provides practical tools to help K-12 teachers make digital literacy a part of their classroom practice. While the training workshops focus on the five key concepts of digital literacy, this implementation guide looks at the specific skill areas that MediaSmarts has identified as being essential for students to learn by the end of their secondary education: ethics and empathy, privacy and security, community engagement, digital health, consumer awareness, finding and verifying and making and remixing. The guide also addresses common challenges to integrating digital literacy into the classroom, such as limitations on available technology and classroom management concerns, and includes links to relevant MediaSmarts’ and other resources, and apps and tools for creating digital media in your classroom.

Digital Literacy Key Concept Videos

Key Concepts of Digital Literacy Poster (11x17 PDF)

Digital Literacy Concept: Digital Media Are Networked Poster (8.5 x 11 PDF)

Digital Literacy Concept: Digital Media Are Shareable and Persistent Poster (8.5 x 11 PDF)

Digital Literacy Concept: Digital Media Have Unexpected Audiences Poster (8.5 x 11 PFD)

Digital Literacy Concept: Interactions Through Digital Media Can Have a Real Impact Poster (8.5 x 11 PDF)

Digital Literacy Concept: Digital Media Experiences Are Shaped by the Tools We Use Poster (8.5 x 11 PDF)

 

These resources were developed with financial support from CIRA’s Community Investment Program and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s CanCode Program. The funding also supported a series of free digital literacy training workshops conducted by MediaSmarts in faculties of education across Canada.