Press Play
On Saturday, September 26, 2009, the US network Nickelodeon did something unusual: it switched itself off. This was in observance of the "Worldwide Day of Play," an event Nickelodeon inaugurated in...
View ArticleFear Factor
Halloween is perhaps the most contradictory of the major holidays. Though born in Ireland and other Celtic regions, today it is almost exclusively observed in the form that developed in North America;...
View ArticleHistory's Mirror: Media education and the teaching of history
On November 5, 2009, MNet Media Education Specialist Matthew Johnson participated in the Association of Canadian Studies' conference Knowing Ourselves: The Challenge of Teaching History of Canadian...
View ArticleThe Battle for Community TV
If asked to think about community television (or public-access television, as a similar institution is called in the US) most people would probably conjure up the movie Wayne's World or its real-life...
View ArticleThe Environment Canada hoax: a news story that's full of hot air
If anyone still doubts that youth need to learn how to evaluate online information, those doubts should have been dispelled by a recent hoax perpetrated by the group called the Yes Men. This group,...
View ArticleTweets from Birmingham jail
Malcolm Gladwell's recent New Yorker article “Small Change” has set the blogosphere buzzing with its strongly stated argument that social networks such as Facebook and Twitter will not usher in a new...
View ArticleThe Gimme Season
For parents, this time of year can feel like walking through a minefield, with ads, decorations and music all aimed at getting kids excited about Christmas. Every year children eagerly ask Santa for...
View ArticleShades of Grey: Rethinking cyberbullying interventions
Just a short while ago, concern with online predators was so dominant that anyone trying to draw attention to the problem of cyberbullying felt like a voice in the wilderness. In the last few years,...
View ArticleChanging the World, Online and Off
The classic 1985 science fiction novel Ender's Game is one of several books of that period that foresaw both the advent of the Internet and its eventual importance in society. While certain aspects of...
View ArticleManaging Media: Back to School Tips for Parents
The beginning of another school year is approaching quickly, and as it does many parents are beginning to wonder how they can help their kids ease out of summertime media habits. In addition to having...
View ArticleHistory's Mirror Revisited: Media education and movie history
Since at least the days of Birth of a Nation (1915), Hollywood has turned to history for material. A quick survey of this year's Academy Award nominations shows that this is as true now as ever, with...
View ArticleWelcome to the 2013 What’s Your Story? Video Contest
For the last 3 years, we’ve been asking young people across the US and Canada to tell us in 2 minutes or less their stories about safe, responsible technology use. They’ve responded with enthusiasm and...
View ArticleTrend Micro’s "What's Your Story?"
Trend Micro’s "What's Your Story?" Contest Awards $10,000 to a Trio of Ottawa High School Students: Poetry Performance Video Highlights the Internet’s Impact on a Generationread more
View ArticleRaising the next generation of digital creators
When we were approached by the team at MediaSmarts about getting involved in this year’s Media Literacy Week, we immediately jumped at the chance to participate in this important initiative. Why?...
View ArticleHow we celebrate Media Literacy Week at Golf Road Junior Public School
Every year there is a specialized week called “Media Literacy Week.” Every year there is a new topic which we try to educate others about. This year’s theme is “What’s Being Sold: Helping Kids Make...
View ArticleLet’s Talk TV!
The CRTC is looking for your input to help reshape the future of the Canadian television system. To add to the ongoing conversation, MediaSmarts and the Canadian Internet Registry Authority (CIRA) are...
View ArticleUpcoming Webinar: Keeping our kids safe online, hosted by MediaSmarts and TELUS
To mark Safer Internet Day on February 11, we’ll be joining TELUS in a live webinar discussion of our Young Canadians in a Wired World research. Focusing on our first report, Life Online, our Director...
View ArticleCreating a better Internet together on Safer Internet Day 2014
February 11 is Safer Internet Day (#SID2014), an annual international event organized by InSafe to help promote safer and more responsible use of online technologies, especially by young people.read more
View ArticleLiteracy, Digital Literacy or Media Literacy?
Emerging ideas and trends in the space of new literacies are indeed fluid and, through discussion, seem to always be in a state of constant flux. As teachers and learners engage with online content and...
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