Blurred Images Challenge

In celebration of Media Literacy Week, Manitoba Education, Manitoba Teachers’ Society (MTS), and Manitoba Association of Computing Educators (ManACE) invite all Manitoba teachers and students to spend some time over the next few months to learn about the portrayal of gender in the media. Students are challenged to take action and make a difference and then to share online how they take action. There will be a follow-up activity in the spring to celebrate all of the learning that has taken place. A kick-off event was held on Nov. 4th where Early, Middle and Senior Years students presented their thoughts and feelings about the portrayal of gender in the media and issued challenges to both the media, to change their portrayal of men and women to be more realistic, and to students to take action to learn about the issue and to share their learning on the Blurred Images website.

Parenting the "Net" Generation

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment in partnership with the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association schools are encouraging schools in the Northwest Territories to host a Parenting the NET Generation workshop or promote the e-Parenting Tutorial to give their parents and guardians the tools to help them become internet savvy. Parents and guardians who attend workshops during November are eligible to win one of 10 KOBO electronic readers.

Between the Pixles: media literacy online

In honour of Media Literacy Week, CitizenShift has created Between the Pixels, a dossier that aims to raise awareness about how the media portrays body image, stereotypes, sexuality and gender constructs. They've put together a collection of media around these issues from the CitizenShift site as well as through their research from other Web-based sources. Let CitizenShift know what you think by adding your comments or upload your selection of media works on this subject.

Show What you Know

CHF is once again launching their Media Literacy Contest. This contest focuses on the creation of a multimedia project to allow students to think critically and create messages in a variety of forms. The projects developed by students will focus around any issues that impact the rural poor in developing countries. The contest is open to all grades.

Media Literacy Webinar

Concerned Children’s Advertisers and POP! Teachers are proud to present Canadian educators with a free Media Literacy webinar. This webinar will help educators engage their students in learning the important skills needed to make safe and informed decisions about media in their lives.

Campaign to Cast Responsibly and Retouch Minimally

If you don’t believe that beauty is synonymous with ultra-thinness, now is your chance to send a message to those who do. It’s all part of a new campaign by the National Eating Disorder Information Centre that takes aim at the fashion and marketing industry. By signing the petition, you’ll help us make some noise with the aim of creating a much-needed discussion and – better yet – change.

Workshop on Gender and the Media

Atwater Digital Literacy Project is offering a free workshop on gender and media literacy for schools and community groups. Youth participants will explore gender roles and stereotypes in the mainstream media they encounter daily. Discussions on why gender stereotypes go unquestioned and how they inform our personal experiences and relationships will be encouraged. Along with developing the skills to analyze the media they engage with on a daily basis, the participants will have the opportunity to learn either digital photo manipulation or video editing software as they work to create their own print ad or commercial that plays with the discussed issues.

2010 My Privacy & Me Video Contest

Do you know a young person who’d like to win an iPad? The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has launched its 2010 My Privacy & Me Video contest for 12-18-year-olds – and the first-place winner will win an iPad! OPC is asking young people to create their own public service announcements about privacy. Videos should fall into one of four categories: Surveillance; Reputation Management; Targeted Advertising; or Online Scams. Teams can consist of one to three people. There are prizes for the top three videos in every category, as well as recognition

One Day on Earth

Across the planet, documentary filmmakers, students, and inspired citizens will record the human experience over a 24-hour period. By participating in this historic event, you will help capture the diversity of life and culture on this planet. One Day on Earth is providing an educational platform within this unique project that promotes media literacy. By participating, students will be exposed to the process of documentary filmmaking and photography, and will confront the challenges of making a critical inquiry into the world around them.

Community Awareness Session on the Impact of Social Media

Youth Canada Association and Nepean High School (NHS) are hosting a Town Hall meeting intended to give parents and concerned members of he community some insight on the usage and impact of social media on teens during their high school years and beyond. Panelists for the evening include a variety of community stakeholders, including: Jason Bond, Ottawa Police Services School Resource Officer for Nepean HS; Andy Church, a Nepean parent and communications practitioner; and Peter Wilson, NHS Vice-Principal. Following the presentations and panel discussion, the evening will shift to an open dialogue moderated by Glenn Turner, NHS Librarian and parent of teens.

Spotlight on Media Literacy: Enhance your teaching tool kit for 21st century learning

The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education is hosting their first media literacy conference which is designed especially for teacher candidates since media literacy is now a mandated part of the curriculum at the elementary and secondary levels. The conference will connect the classroom to the world and explore the media and pop culture interests of young people today. From the phenomena of YouTube and social media, to video production and identity, participants will explore the importance of an expanded definition of literacy – one that includes print, screen-based and electronic media – and one that applies across the curriculum.

Media literacy workshops

Girls Action Foundation, through its Girls Club programming at an elementary school and a high school in Montréal, will be holding media literacy workshops on the topic of social media. Through a popular education approach using creative arts-based activities, participants will be encouraged to share their stories and thoughts about issues raised by social media as well as develop critical thinking about the topic.

The Body Series: Mirror, mirror on the wall...

In partnership with the BITE ME! Toronto International Body Image Film and Arts Festival, the National Film Board of Canada Mediatheque is launching the four-part Body Series with a hands-on workshop and discussion for educators. The series allows participants the opportunity to use film, art and animation to create a living statement around society’s views of body image, as well as their own personal outlooks. Using films from the vast NFB film catalogue, this series showcases new and relevant titles such as Flawed and Staying Real and encourages discussions focusing on the principles of media literacy.

English Montreal School Board Career Fair

The English Montreal School Board is holding their annual Career Fair for Secondary 5 students. The official opening ceremonies will mark Media Literacy Week and the theme of Gender and Media. Chéli Sauvé-Castonguay, a veejay for MusiquePlus, will be a special guest and respond to questions from students. The TEAM 990 all-sports radio station will broadcast live with hosts Tony Marinaro and Randy Tieman on site with very special guests. At this time THE TEAM will launch its 2011 Radio Star contest in which high school students get the chance to audition to do some on-air performances and win different prizes. This is done in conjunction with the secondary network of guidance councillors.

Rock Paper Scissors

The Director’s Cut is hosting a workshop for students in Grade 3-4 at James Culnan Catholic School. In this one of a kind workshop, crayons, paper and scissors is the main ingredient for fun. Students construct their own characters and scenes and then use stop motion technology and cutting edge video cameras, lap top computers, expert instruction and their own imagination they bring things to life in their very own Hollywood blockbuster stop motion film. They can even add sound effects, voice-overs, special effects, transitions and titles.

The Selling of “Girlie Feminism”: Gender and media in the classroom

Fun, fashion and sexuality are all part of the flirty package of feminism: The Pussycat Dolls’ pole and lap dancing re-enact tropes of porn culture as women’s sexual liberation, and the Sex and the City foursome travel to the Middle East as a reminder of how good it is for women “over here.” Pacific Cinematheque presents aninteractive and informative workshop that explores the evidence of girl power; does its prevalence mean the end of the fight for gender equality? Is traditional feminism relevant?

Media Literacy Workshop

Educator Beat Richert is hosting media literacy workshops for students in Grades 1-3. The hour-long workshops are the first in a series that will be taking place throughout the school year. While the content of each workshop will change depending on the students, its objective will remain the same: to help develop children’s critical thinking skills for interacting with the media they consume.

Tweetshop - What are the best online education resources?

So many online tools are at our disposal to enhance teaching and learning that it is hard to keep up with the innovation! What are your favorite ones? Do you have example of ways you used it in the classroom, at home or for yourself to learn and teach? In celebration Media Literacy Week, The Virtual Museum of Canada invites teachers to come and share their findings with a growing community of technology savvy (or thirsty!) educators. Share and discuss web apps, videos of yourself using them or the online lesson plans you’d like to offer to our community.

Media Literacy Workshop

For the fourth consecutive year, educator Beat Richert is hosting a media education workshop at Joseph-François Perrault High School. The workshop, which takes place in two 1.5-hour long sessions, is integrated into the geopolitics course and used to demystify the media industry amongst secondary 5 students. Together they analyze how the industry functions to better understand how people consume and produce media and its interdependence on publicity.

Pitch and Popcorn Days!

Students from Crofton House School are invited to a film screening of student-made films. These films are the first productions completed by students in the Digital Film Communication course. The filmmakers will make a brief presentation about their films before each screening. Selected students and teachers will judge the final results. Many of these productions will also be part of the Crofton House School’s annual student film festival and sent to provincial, national and international competitions.

Film screening of Kainayssini Imanistaisiwa: The People Go On

Alberta Association for Media Awareness in cooperation with the University of Alberta Faculty of Education and the Canadian Multicultural Foundation are screening National Film Board of Canada’s film Kainayssini Imanistaisiwa: The People Go On. The film is about the Kainai Blood Indians of southern Alberta. Windswept prairies, sloping coulees and stretches of open sky - this is the home of the Kainai Blood Indians, in the heart of southern Alberta. Filmmaker Loretta Sarah Todd takes viewers on a visually lush journey, exploring the significance of land, memory and knowledge in Kainai life.

Media Literacy Week Challenge

The Manitoba Teachers’ Society and students from Brooklands School, George Waters Middle School and St. James Collegiate are holding a news conference to express their concerns about the way media outlets and advertisers use gender stereotypes and promote unrealistic body images on TV and in movies, magazines and other media. As part of the event, students will talk about how these unhealthy media messages and images affect them. Student will also challenge the media and advertisers to stop promoting gender stereotypes and unhealthy “ideal” body images and challenge student across the province to create multi-media projects that reflect how they feel about Gender and Media.

Breaking the Mold, Breaking the Silence

A national conference on body image that will include a range of issues, for youth and elders, girls and boys, men and women, diverse sexualities, cultures, and ethnicities. The conference will work to share the information, scholarly and popular, and the experience needed to take back our bodies as our most useful resource of intelligence, productivity, beauty, and accomplishment.

Girls and Games

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada is invited female students from Grade 9 and 10 from Argyle Secondary School to join Electric Playground’s Briana McIvor and other top women from Vancouver’s dynamic video game industry for a discussion about girls and video games. Participants will engage in a lively discussion about: what kind of video games they and their friends like to play; what goes into making some of their favourite video games, right here in Vancouver; and what it takes to work in the video game industry. The event will be live-tweeted so search for the #G&G hashtag on twitter!

Media Democracy Day Vancouver

This one-day event, hosted by the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University, OpenMedia.ca, and the Vancouver Public Library brings citizens, artists, activists, students, media makers, innovators, and educators together in a vibrant and critical discussion of the state of the Canadian and global media systems. Our program will include panel discussions, workshop sessions, keynote speakers, film screenings and an exhibition of local, alternative, non-commercial, and public service media outlets. Media Democracy Day is free and open to the public.

Engaging the Resistant Among Us: Achieving change through documentary and journalism

Preaching to the converted has critically limited potential to achieve change outside of a narrow community. This interactive workshop invites you to enter the minds of the unengaged, or even resistant, viewers so often alienated by fear and attack-based documentary strategies. Brainstorm with colleagues, learn new techniques, and uncover effective narrative and psychological strategies to get new viewers beyond apathy and into activism.

Girls and Games

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada is invited female students from Grade 9 and 10 from Argyle Secondary School to join Electric Playground’s Briana McIvor and other top women from Vancouver’s dynamic video game industry for a discussion about girls and video games. Participants will engage in a lively discussion about: what kind of video games they and their friends like to play; what goes into making some of their favourite video games, right here in Vancouver; and what it takes to work in the video game industry. The event will be live-tweeted so search for the #G&G hashtag on twitter!

Parenting Now: Parenting the digital generation

The Ottawa Catholic School Parents’ Association invites parents to a free workshop session. Parents have the opportunity to choose from a variety of workshops including Parenting the Net Generation by Matthew Johnson, Director of Education at the Media Awareness Network. The event will conclude with an address by keynote speaker Kirsten Yates from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

Être ou paraître? Les jeunes face aux stéréotypes sexuels

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) CineRobotheque is hosting the premiere of Être ou paraître? Les jeunes face aux stéréotypes sexuels (the original French version of Staying Real). In the documentary youth discuss the harmful effect sexual stereotypes have on their lives, particularly stereotypes found in media and marketing. The screening, which last 25 minutes, will be followed by a discussion with Sophie Bissonnette, the film’s Director, and Lilia Goldfarb, Director of Leadership Department of the Women’s Y in Montreal, and the students from Paul-Gérin-Lajoie-d’Outremont high school who participated in the project.

Média-Jeunes Conference

The Alliance for Children and Television is hosting its annual conference where Canada’s youth television professionals can exchange ideas, and participate in training and development. More than 200 delegates are expected to attend this event featuring leading experts who will address programming trends and provide insights into young people’s interests and needs. On the menu: thematic workshops, talks, screenings, discussions and meetings with special guests from home and abroad.

National Child Day

The Canadian Child Care Federation invites everyone to celebrate National Child Day. They have selected Article 13, the right to freedom of expression, as the theme for this year. Article 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states: "The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through other media of the child's choice."