“Liking” a Cause: Bringing digital civics into the classroom...
If the long-term goal of civics education is to motivate youth to exercise their rights as citizens of a democracy, it makes sense to find opportunities for them to do this in the present through their online communities. Cultivating the attitude that one can make a difference is more important for long-term voting behaviour than a command of facts.
Read the full article here.
Reminder: Digital citizenship and social action grants...
In honour of Media Literacy Week, the Canadian Teachers’ Federation in partnership with Media Awareness Network is offering grants of $500 -$750 for school-based digital citizenship projects. Teachers should apply before November 7, 2011. For more information see: http://www.imagine-action.ca/teachers/DcsaFunding.aspx?lang=EN
Featured events...
Atwater Library Internet Privacy Event
On November 4, the Digital Literacy Project at the Atwater Library and Computer Centre in Montreal will co-present a Media Literacy Week event in partnership with James Lyng High School and The Community Learning Centre. Shanly Dixon from Concordia University will present her work on Internet privacy and facilitate a discussion at James Lyng School that will involve several remote communities in Quebec via video conferencing.
My Privacy & Me National Video Contest
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has launched its 2011-12 My Privacy & Me national video contest for 12- to 18-year-olds – and the first-place winners will receive $350! The OPC is asking young people to create their own public service announcements about privacy. Videos should fall into one of four categories: privacy issues relating to 1) mobile devices, 2) social networking, 3) online gaming, and 4) cybersecurity. Teams can consist of one to two people. There are prizes for the top three videos in every category, and the videos will be posted to the OPC's YouTube Channel and website.
For more information: My Privacy & Me National Video Competition 2011-12
To see if there are any Media Literacy Week events in your region, visit the Events Calendar.
Featured educators...
This week we’re featuring educators Kelli Boklaschuk and Curtis Wagner from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Kelli and Curtis are the creators of Connecting Canadian Kids to the World, a social studies unit for Curtis’ Grade 6 students at St. Angela School in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. As part of their unit, students developed a partnership amongst schools in the four Atlantic Rim continents to learn about each other’s culture. The Canadian students communicated with schools in Brazil, South Africa and the United Kingdom via email, online chats and video conferences. When it came time to show what they learned, the Canadian students presented to their classmates using their choice of more than 25 different types of software and technology. Kelly and Curtis were recognized for their work at the 2010 Microsoft Innovative Educator Forum in South Africa. A blog about their experience can be found at blog.scs.sk.ca/ar6.
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