Hands On Media participates in Media Literacy Week

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Co-founded by MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teacher’s Federation in 2006, Media Literacy Week focuses on the role of Digital and Media Literacy, its importance in the education of our youth, and how it’s being integrated into classrooms across the country.

This year, Media Literacy Week takes place from October 31 to November 4, and we are excited to announce that for the first time, Hands On Media will be participating in several ways, including hosting two free Media Workshops in Montreal, plus a published article titled “Digital Storytelling in the Canadian Classroom” for the Canadian Teachers Federation publication Perspectives!

This year’s theme is Makers and Creators, and offers a special focus on media production, remixing, maker/DIY culture and coding.

A lot of attention has been paid to the concept of media literacy since UNESCO declared it a fundamental human right in 2007, meaning that every individual should have the ability to access, analyze and evaluate the technological messages they receive. One of the best ways to recognize, and be able to reject, the manipulations presented by the media is by understanding the process through which media is created. By learning to create and produce one’s own work comes a greater understanding of how the whole machine works. Equipped with this understanding, people become empowered to use the media, rather than allowing the media to use them.

To this end, Hands On Media will be offering two separate workshops:

  • Stop Motion iPad Animation Workshop (Montreal, November 3)
    On November 3, @ Notman House in Montreal, Hands on Media will be partnering with Montreal-based kidsCODEjeunesse to offer two separate workshops under one roof. While the latter organization will be teaching Coding in one room, Hands on Media will be conducting iPad Stop Motion Animation workshops in another.

This workshop will provide students with a hands-on introduction to the basic principles of animation, including story-boarding, character creation, production, and even post-production. It’s a 3-hour workshop that culminates with the completion of short films which are then screened as a group. Geared towards participants 6 years old and up, we’re inviting schools from across the city to participate in this free event.

  • Digital Storytelling Workshop for Educators (Montreal, November 5)
    In conjunction with our new article “Digital Storytelling in the Canadian Classroom” published in the upcoming CTF Perspectives publication, we will be offering a Digital Storytelling workshop to teachers November 5th. Developed around any classroom theme, this workshop aims to equip educators with the necessary skills to develop short digital narratives with their students, comprised of photographs, video, voice, text, and/or music.

The workshop is geared towards those who teach students 13 years old and up, and will also be offered for free. The location is to be confirmed. Get in touch to register today, and please spread the word with all your teacher friends!

As a growing company, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to take part in this special week, and we look forward to meeting and collaborating with new teachers and schools across the city.

For more information about Media Literacy Week or our workshops,  please contact us today.  We look forward to hearing from you!