King George students learn about respect, acting ethically online
November 6, 2015
GUELPH, Ontario – November 2 to 6 was Media Literacy Week in Canada. The purpose of the week is to highlight the importance of teaching students the skills they need to thrive in the digital world.
This year’s theme was “Respect in a Digital World.” Educators were encouraged to teach their students about acting responsibly and ethically online, respecting themselves and each other.
Throughout the week, Grade 1 to Grade 8 students at King George Public School in Guelph learned about digital literacy through a variety of lesson plans.
“Media literacy is a crucial topic that our students need to know about,” said teacher Jennifer Snellgrove.
Snellgrove said she used lesson plans offered by MediaSmarts as a way to enter into conversations with students about behaving ethically online.
Primary students learned about avatars and how they represented individuals online. Students related avatars to dressing up for Halloween and shared drawings for their own avatars with the class. The message throughout the lessons, said Snellgrove, was that “behind every avatar there is a person just like you or me.”
Junior students discussed empathy and how it can be difficult to know how others are feeling online, when you can’t see their facial expressions or hear their voice. “Students were given different scenarios to read and then were challenged to think about the situation from another perspective,” said Snellgrove.
Finally, intermediate students learned about doing research online and how to determine if a website or online article is trustworthy and credible. “Students were reminded that when researching information they can’t trust every source equally,” Snellgrove said.
Media Literacy Week is an annual event led by MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation. Now in its 10th year, the organizers work with schools and libraries to inspire Canadians, through education, to become more thoughtful, engaged and informed digital citizens.
Categories: Spotlight On Schools