Media Literacy Week Across Canada

A number of lectures, events and films across Canada are part of Media Literacy Week, an event sponsored by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) and  the Media Awareness Network (MNet).

Canadian students lead highly “digital” lives, in which they access and utilize new technologies, digital materials and social media on a daily basis. Media education, “the process through which individuals become media literate,”  is essential. The application of critical thinking skills within media education is required in order for students to analyze, inquire, critique, and make decisions about popular culture, media and technology.

In the digital age, the principles of media education are the same as they’ve always been, but the existence of cyberspace is adding new and challenging questions. How, for instance, does technology affect how we relate to others? Is new technology enriching or undermining culture, learning and a sense of community? What roles do ownership, control and access play? What are the challenges in regulating a global, borderless medium like the Internet?

Media Awareness Network

Media literacy is indeed one of the “multiliteracies” that students require in order to succeed in the 21st century. The Association for Media Literacy has comprehensive information, articles, and resources on media education and literacy in Canada. In addition, partners involved in Media Literacy week have compiled an impressive list of innovative educators and youth active in media education across Canada, as well as an events calendar for events taking place in cities across Canada.