Welcome to the website of the Association for Media Literacy. Officially launched on May 10th, this website has been designed to meet the needs of our members and introduce visitors to the importance of media literacy. This website was developed with the assistance of Liss Jeffrey and the McLuhan Programme in Culture and Technology in Toronto, and we are extremely grateful to them for their hard work and expertise. While certain areas are still under construction, we are pleased to begin using e-Mediacy to communicate with members. Here you will find information on resources and upcoming events, as well as critical perspectives on a number of media trends and issues.
While designing the website has been a priority for us, we have been involved in a number of other projects and events this year:
One of our most successful events ever -an Evening with Naomi Klein --took place in February at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. While we were delighted by the turnout for this event (there were over two hundred students, teachers and administrators in attendance) we really weren't surprised. Klein has become a world-renowned activist, and her book No Logo was a Canadian best seller last year. Her presentation explored the corporate branding of our culture and our public spaces-including our schools-as well as strategies for resistance. Media educators left the session with a wealth of information, and suggestions for following the "economic and social footprints" of the corporate logos promoted today.
In May, the AML Executive hosted a one day mini-conference in Toronto. The conference attracted a number of passionate teachers from both the elementary and secondary panels. The conference offered a variety of workshops on such topics as: assessment, teaching media literacy in the elementary classroom, incorporating the media strand in secondary English, using the internet, and the marketing of "cool". Our special guests were members of Media Circus, a dynamic group of former Ryerson students, who shared their strategies for teaching video production in the classroom.
Plans have been finalized for the Additional Qualifications course for Media Literacy, and this summer we offered the course in conjunction with York University. The instructors for the course are Neil Andersen, Barry Duncan, and Ian Esquivel. Their expertise guarantees that the course will provide a stimulating exploration of such topics as new technologies, the world of hip hop music, and youth marketing. The course will be continued in the fall and winter on Tuesday evenings twice a month until February.
Also in August (23-25), the executive of the AML and the Jesuit Communication Project hosted a CAMEO Thinktank, where representatives of provincial media education organizations met to discuss challenges and new directions for media education. This meeting provided an invaluable opportunity to benefit from one another's experience, and to develop strategies for networking with those who share our concerns in education, government, community groups, and industry. Several initiatives were proposed and planned, and we look forward to a rich and productive national partnership of media organizations.
In Executive news, we recently accepted the resignations of Adrienne Pereira and Bill Smart. Adrienne and Bill have made significant contributions to the AML. Always the consummate professional, Adrienne attended to every detail of AML finances and membership. While Adrienne was involved in many AML projects, she was one of the key organizers of our very successful 1992 Guelph conference. Bill recently retired as a secondary teacher, and was always praised by members of his department for his innovation and generosity. In AML circles, Bill was known for his droll sense of humour and outstanding workshops on print media. He was the editor of our impressive AML Anthology and for a number of years has been responsible for overseeing our members' events. We have benefitted a great deal from the contributions Adrienne and Bill have made to the AML. They will both be missed!
Be sure to check the website for updates over the next few months, and watch for an announcement about our events for next year. This website and e-Mediacy will make it easy for us to share the latest media literacy news. As always, we'd like to hear from you. Let us know what you think about the website and about our first issue of e-Mediacy. Write to us at: aml@interlog.com on the Internet or through snailmail at: 42B Shank Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M6J 3T9; or call 416-696-7144.