As teachers, we must play a role in developing the skills students require to safely navigate our media-saturated society. OTF recognizes that educators need support in this area and is committed to providing teachers with opportunities to explore a variety of programs, many of which are highly applicable in the classroom.
The following suggestions are focused on helping Ontario educators increase their awareness of media literacy.
OTF resources
Resources beyond OTF
OTF lesson plan
Nurturing Sustainable Learners: Using Media Literacy to Inspire 21st Century Environmental Sustainability
This is a great resource to build critical literacy skills. The resource focuses on teaching through and about media literacy. Useful in Language, Science and Technology (Elementary), and the Arts. Grade 3, Grade 4, Junior, Primary
OTF Connects webinars
Media Literacy Ideas Today for Tomorrow
This webinar session provides ideas about how to teach media literacy, how to use the eight key concepts in a kindergarten and primary classrooms and how to share ideas for integrating media literacy into other curricula. Kindergarten to Grade three
Creative Commons and Copyright
This webinar investigates the considerations of copyright and Creative Commons in the classroom. Participants will find practical tips for sourcing images and media with students of all ages and investigate why media creators and authors choose to license with Creative Commons and learn how to license creations.
Implications of Technology – Part 1: The Quest for Attention
The use of smart phones and social media tools has become habitual for learners both young and old. Discover how devices and applications are designed to hijack our attention and consider the potential impacts of the ‘connected life’ on our mental health and social well-being.
Implications of Technology – Part 2: Connected but Alone
We live and learn in a world captivated by social media and overflowing with on-demand content. At the same time, we have ready access to tools to collaborate in real time with people from virtually every corner of our world. So why do so many suffer the effects of loneliness and anxiety? What are the mental health implications of our social media habits?
Implications of Technology – Part 3: Finding Balance
Drawn by ‘likes’, ‘faves’, and ‘follows’ from their online connections, it is all too common for modern learners to be distracted by the lure of social media. Young people are called to split their waking hours between the online world and the physical world. How can teachers lead students to see the benefits of unplugging?
Ctrl-Alt-No Delete! Promoting Digital Citizenship
This webinar focuses on the emerging importance that Digital Citizenship is playing in ensuring the safety, well-being, engagement and achievement of students, as well as the role that teachers play in modelling effective and responsible citizenship and impactful pedagogy when using digital tools.
Digital Harassment, Social Networking and Online Safety
This webinar reviews how social networking and communication technologies are changing the way that youth communicate and build friendships/relationships. It looks at how these technologies can lead to cyber bullying, digital harassment, and unsafe situations. In addition, the positive ways that social media can be used are discussed, plus tips and tools to help monitor and protect youth..
Media Violence Prevention and Education
This webinar discusses the importance of addressing media violence with students, present the current literature on this topic, provide a context for addressing media violence in the classroom and introduces three new lessons. Presented by The University of Western Ontario, The Fourth R Project, CAMH Centre for Prevention Science
This webinar addresses how to help youth stay safe when using social media. Topics include mixed messages, violence and bullying, social media impacts on youth perceptions of what kind of person that they are supposed to be, and more.
A Journey to Digital Leadership
What can we do in our classrooms to nurture the skills of responsible use and the qualities of digital citizenship among our students at the primary, junior and intermediate levels? In this webinar, data and comments gathered from sessions with students and teachers about their use of social media is shared, as well as examples of lessons/conversations/presentations.
Coming of Age in the Digital Era
This webinar examines representations of males and females in media and addresses what these images say about gender stereotypes and normative masculinity and femininity. Topics include mixed media messages, violence in media, the hypersexualization of girls, and how social media is impacting on youth perceptions of what type of person they are supposed to be.
Pop Culture Resources for Teaching the Digital Teen
In this webinar, educators learn about the myths surrounding teens and their media use. Participants learn how to use social media and pop culture moments to teach critical media literacy skills to promote responsible use.
OTF Curriculum Forum
Association for Media Literacy
The Association for Media Literacy is composed of teachers, librarians, consultants, parents, cultural workers, and media professionals interested in the impact of the media on contemporary culture. Media literacy is an educational initiative that aims to increase peoples’ understanding and enjoyment of how media work.
COPA has assault prevention educational resources for children and youth based on recognized best practices. It offers a variety of whole-school programs and workshops, each one oriented to different age groups or focusing on different issues. COPA provides schools and communities with unique multimedia educational resources, as well as training, professional development and opportunities for capacity-building and consultation throughout the province.
MediaSmarts is a Canadian not-for-profit charitable organization for digital and media literacy. Its vision is that children and youth have the critical thinking skills to engage with media as active and informed digital citizens. It provides educators and adults with information and tools to help children and teens develop the critical thinking skills they need for interacting with the media.
Media Literacy Week is an annual event that takes place every November. Co-led by MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF), the week puts a spotlight on the importance of digital and media literacy as key components in the education of children and young people.
PREVNet is a national network of leading researchers and organizations, working together to stop bullying in Canada. Through education, research, training and policy change, PREVNet aims to stop the violence caused by bullying – so every child can grow up happy, healthy and safe.
The Center for Media Literacy (CML) is dedicated to promoting and supporting media literacy education as a framework for accessing, analyzing, evaluating, creating and participating with media content. CML works to help citizens, especially the young, develop critical thinking and media production skills needed to live fully in the 21st century media culture. CML offers Ten Classroom Approaches to Media Literacy.