Our school, our diversity: your story in 60 seconds | OSCE

The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) is organizing a video contest for young people on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the launch of the HCNM’s first and ground-breaking recommendations on the educational rights of national minorities.


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Register Now! UNESCO’s Online Media and Information Literacy Course for Youth

UNESCO, in partnership with Athabasca University and in cooperation with the UNESCO-UNAOC University Network on Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue, launches online course on media and information literacy (MIL).

This entry-level online course will provide youth with basic media and information competencies to become critical citizens and agents of change. The course is designed to enable youth to:

• Understand why media and other information providers are important to development and democratic societies;
• Recognise a need for information and to locate, access, organise and carefully evaluate information and the content of media and other information providers;
• Use and share information based on moral principles or accepted standards of social behaviour;
• Interact with media and other information providers to freely express themselves, share their culture and learn about other cultures, promote gender equality, and participate in democratic and development activities.

(...)

Applicants should be youth (females and males between the ages 15-25). Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate from Athabasca University.

In order to successfully complete this course participants will need regular access to a computer and Internet access to download documents, listen to podcasts and view online videos.

To apply, please click here. Application must be completed by 19 February 2014. There are no associated fees to participants who wish to do this course.

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EDUCATION / GAMES: Play to learn - 100 great sites on gamification

Using incentives to encourage students to stay interested in educational pursuits is not a new idea. However, the incorporation of game mechanics, incentive systems, and other ideas borrowed from the game world to create a game-layer on top of existing educational systems is revolutionary, and many educators, students, and entrepreneurs are taking notice.

Gamification of education can help students be more motivated and engaged, and can make it easier to remember what they’ve learned. What teacher wouldn’t love that? Enthusiastic teachers from K-12 all the way up into college have started using game-based learning techniques in their classrooms, and there are loads of learning opportunities online for students who prefer a game-like experience. Many companies are working on gamification platforms to make it easier to implement incentive programs and game mechanics in classrooms, online courses, and even in employee training and career development settings. This categorized and filtered list shows you the best of the best in gamified education info, in no particular order.

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IT / LEARNING: Opinion: Technology can empower learning

Children and adolescents are growing, learning, playing and working in a rapidly changing world with an evolving variety of digital devices all around them. Technologies and interactive media are pervasive in young people’s everyday lives. In the last five years, computers, tablets, multi-touch screens, interactive whiteboards, mobile devices, cameras, music players, audio recorders, electronic toys, games, and ebooks have become increasingly popular, prevalent and less expensive.

In many countries around the world, educational technology standards are guiding the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) skills within national and local curricula. At present, the B.C. Ministry of Education has no articulated educational technologies set of guidelines for education.

In today’s schools, a parent or administrator might walk into a classroom and see all the students using digital tablets. But how can they tell if this technology is being used appropriately? What are some of the positive and negative issues of using educational technologies with children? Can technologies be used to empower learning?

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Opinion+Technology+empower+learning/7170264/story.html#ixzz257FdKmTE

ARTICLES: Improving Children's Literature in Digital Spaces

We all know that the increasing number of new publishing platforms are challenging the traditional models of publishing. There is a growing interest and enthusiasm for the capacity of anyone to publish and create, but is there equal interest on the impact of quality or value of these texts to the reader? Currently, publishing in digital spaces emphasizes producers, rather than consumers. This unbalanced focus has the potential to impact children's reading experiences in negative, as well as positive ways, and is already having a significant impact on the world of children's literature.

The Problem -- Diversity of Quality
In our own exploration of children's ebooks and digital stories we have identified a wide variety of quality, not just in design, but also in key areas of spelling, grammar and punctuation. Traditional gateways through which stories and literature for children have been produced are no longer applied to all texts, especially digital ones. An app developer can write an original story, design some images and upload it to the Android or iOS App Stores, only needing to meet specific technical design requirements. There are no requirements in this process for editors or proofreaders to help shape and craft a story and an overall book that meets the interests and learning needs of children. While anyone can write a children's book, it takes a team with a level of expertise to help create a quality story for children.

full article from the Huffington Post

GAMES / EDUCATION: Reading, Writing, and Good Digital Citizenship: A Future Tense Event Highlights the Promise of Tech in Elementary Education

Kids love video games. And iPads. And even Twitter. But what can they learn from high-tech tools—and, perhaps more importantly, can the ways they use technology give us insight as tohow they learn?

Those were the guiding questions at “Getting Schooled by a Third-Grader,” a Future Tense event on technology in early education held this afternoon at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C. During the introduction, New America Foundation fellow Lisa Guernsey, author of Screen Time: How Electronic Media—From Baby Videos to Educational Software—Affects Your Child, noted that we frequently think of educational technology as the realm of middle or high school. But research currently suggests that children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years spend an average of 120 minutes a day with screens. Meanwhile, teachers—and companies producing educational software and games—are increasingly bringing technology into the classroom to appeal to kids who enter kindergarten already familiar with iPads, smartphones, and Microsoft Kinect.

full article at slate.com

NEWS / IT: Children can play game by texting at bus stops

Leave it to the people at "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" to devise a way for children to learn while they are waiting for a bus.

The Fred Rogers Co. is field-testing a game that uses phone text messages to promote interaction between parents and preschoolers and develop children's literacy skills during what otherwise would be down time.

"When people are sitting in the bus shelters, there's nothing to do," said Margy Whitmer, a media producer for the company. She got the idea for Word Play while waiting at a traffic light in Oakland.

The parent sends a text message to a number shown on a poster at the bus shelter. Back comes a text message asking a question that the child can answer by studying the poster.

Read more: http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/12121/1228149-298.stm#ixzz1tWJyc5Rm

ARTICLES: Saying Yes to Digital Media in Preschool and Kindergarten

You, a parent of young children, may be tethered to your phone, iPad and laptop. But you cringe at the thought of touchscreens and apps slinking into your children's preschool classrooms. You worry about your 4-year-old turning into a device-obsessed zombie who barely notices the world around her. You might even suggest that screen technology should be banned from any setting designed for young children.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children doesn't agree with you. And with good reason.

Today, the NAEYC, the largest trade organization for early educators in the country, released a statement in conjunction with the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media about technology and young children (up through age 8). Though the groups discourage "passive screen technology" usage -- like TV and DVDs -- with children under two, they don't suggest a ban on screens for preschoolers or kindergartners as some child-advocacy groups have suggested. Nor do they say teachers should avoid using technology with young kids. Instead, the groups puts the onus on teachers to make smart decisions and use technology appropriately.

full article in the Huffington Post

OPPORTUNITIES / COMPETITIONS: OECD video competition "Education and Skills - what are the big issues today?"

About the 2012 Competition

Theme

Education and Skills - what are the big issues today?

• Learning the right skills to get a job,
• Bridging the 'digital divide',
• Tackling inequality in access to education and training,
• Inspiring creativity and innovation,
• ... or something else?

Visit the OECD Education topic, the Education Today Blog and Education publications on the OECD iLibrary.

The Challenge

Make a short video (no more than 3 minutes) on the theme of Education and Skills.

The Prize

An all expenses-paid trip to Paris, France to attend the OECD Forum on 22-24 May 2012. The Prize will be awarded to three winning videos selectEd by our Jury. If a winning video is a group effort, then a nominated representative will be invited to Paris.

To Enter

To be eligible for prizes, you must be aged between 18 and 25 years during the period of this competition (14 December 2011 to 31 March 2012). That means you must have been born on or between 15 December 1985 and 1 April 1994. Proof of identity will be required from all finalists.

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ARTICLES: Spongebob Squarepants vs. Caillou: Both of These Things Are Not LIke the Other

News sources can't resist an inflammatory headline about the ills of exposing children to media. Academics, increasingly in an environment where "publish or perish" isn't enough: you have to publish and publicize, are all too willing to oblige.

This week, the perpetrator has been an innocent and entertaining yellow sponge, condemned for being exactly what his creators intended: fast-paced, wacky, and written for primary-school children (and adults). Blaming the creators of "Spongebob Squarepants" for not educating preschoolers is like blaming Aaron Sorkin for not penning "Blue's Clues."

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NEWS: Young People speak out on education for human rights

A new 12-minute film, “Education for Human Rights… Young People talking”, aims to raise awareness of key human rights issues in schools around the world.

Produced by UNESCO and realized by pupils of UNESCO Associated Schools in 10 countries, it shows adolescents of secondary-school age freely expressing their opinions about gender, diversity, violence, exclusion and other questions.

Viewers are invited to appreciate how young people understand and experience concepts and ideals of human rights in countries as different as Albania, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Dominican Republic, France, Indonesia, Lebanon and Uganda.

The film can be used as a teaching tool for secondary schools to introduce core topics of human rights education and initiate classroom discussions.

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GAMES / EDUCATION / HIV/AIDS: Fast Car: Travelling Safely around the World

Fast Car: Travelling Safely around the World is a racing game that helps you to learn about HIV and AIDS prevention and takes you on a tour of some of the World's Heritage sites.

The game aims to provide young people with accurate and reliable information about HIV prevention, intending to educate and entertain as well as promoting healthy behaviour. In this game, the player can race on circuits on five continents, and virtually visit some of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. It also presents images of sites and interesting facts about them as players race by.

There are two tracks for each continent - a Preliminary track and a Championship track. Every track has a set of check points. At the check point, one can take part in a Mini-Quiz, and possibly earn a time bonus. In the mini-quiz, the player will be asked a multiple-choice question related to HIV and AIDS prevention.

Download the Game

The game is available online for downloading free of charge in:

• English
• French
• Russian

More info

RESOURCES: Positive Life: New DVD series on HIV and AIDS

26-11-2010 (Paris) - A new DVD series on HIV and AIDS, entitled Positive Life, has been issued by UNESCO’s Network of Young TV Producers on HIV and AIDS in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD).

The eight short films contained in the series were produced at the Workshop for a Regional Co-production on HIV, organized prior to the 2010 Asia Media Summit in Beijing last May. The participants came from India, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Nepal and Vietnam. Their productions, in local languages with English subtitles, are about voluntary testing, safe sex, friendships and personal testimonies.

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NEWS: UNICEF initiative: School children turn as film producers (INDIA)

Hyderabad, 10th Nov: Pictures don't lie. So are children. And when they get behind the camera the upshot could be stunning, poignant and true to life stories.

Yes, the little ones have done a wonderful job producing films that tug at the heart. Issues that one comes across everyday and forgets have been captured with telling effect. Thanks to the UNICEF initiative, the city will soon have a film festival for children by children.

The film fest ‘My Frames 2010' will feature 104 short movies on November 15 and 16 at the Centre of Economic and Social Studies (CESS) auditorium in Begumpet.

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NEWS / WEBSITES: PBS Kids Ranked #1 Kids Site for Free Videos

PBS KIDS' online educational content watched two times longer than any other top kids' site, also now available on Google TV

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time, PBSKIDS.org is the #1 kids site for free videos streamed based on the number of videos viewed, according to the latest numbers from comScore Video Metrix (September 2010). Kids spent an average of 47 minutes watching free, educational videos on the site in September, twice the monthly average for other top kids' sites, with close to 88 million free video streams for the month.

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OPPORTUNITIES: Russian competition seeks works on education, youth, social media

Russian journalists, writers and bloggers are invited to submit works about education, youth and social media. Deadline: November 15.

Works will be accepted in two categories: stories published in officially registered media and stories published online. Winners will get cash prizes.

To get more information (in Russian), e-mail school@mediacratia.ru.

source

COMPETITIONS: UNICEF Sponsors Contest On Children's Rights In Nicaragua

MANAGUA, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- The office of The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Nicaragua said Thursday it will launch a contest on rights of children and adolescents together with the Central American University, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

All journalists, social communicators, cartoonists and graphic reporters living in Nicaragua can participate in the 5th National Communication Contest with the theme of "Quality education for all the children," according to UNICEF.

UNICEF press chief Olga Moraga said the contest will be open for works published from Oct. 1, 2009 to Oct. 31, 2010 on any magazine, website or other Nicaraguan media and communication companies.

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NEWS / CALL FOR ENTRIES: MHz Networks Education Calls Youth to Tell Their Story for EBU Documentary Exchange Competition

MHz Networks Education Department is conducting a search for a youth candidate who wants to work with MHz Networks to produce a documentary telling their story.

MHz Networks recently joined in partnership with the EBU Youth Documentary Exchange that aims at the production of high quality, original, true life documentaries for an audience of 8 to 12 year olds.

What sets these short documentaries apart is that they are made for children and from a child's point of view. MHz Networks is seeking a child who wants to tell their story and make a documentary about their experience.

This years' theme for the documentary is 'Challenges', and MHz Networks is looking for a young person, age 10 - 12, who has faced a challenge in their lives with imagination, courage or fortitude. The story will be told by the child and in their own words. Please contact Preeti Balakrishnan at pbalakrishnan@mhznetworks.org for more information on how to nominate someone.

MHz Networks is the first North American broadcast partner joining in the Documentary Exchange. Other participants hail from throughout the globe and the stories boast universal appeal, while giving the viewer a glimpse of the diverse cultures of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Created over 20 years ago, the EBU Youth Documentary Exchange series is based on the principle "Make one, take all," meaning partnering broadcasters produce one documentary in line with the theme, and then is in turn able to receive all of the other such films generated from around the world.

MHz Networks will be airing those from this library on its channels this year.

ARTICLES: Harvesting the benefits of educational TV

By Mag Cruz Hatol - April 4, 2010, 9:43am

Time and again, we are asked if television can actually help children, especially those in preschool ages.

We know that appropriate media can help develop logical thinking, writing and math skills among kids. That was proven by earlier studies.

We also know that educational TV and interactive media can indeed enhance kids’ creativity.

Educational television has been proven to yield positive effects on the intellectual and academic development of children under ten. Now that Batibot is returning to the Pinoy TV screen, it is wise to remind parents, who themselves were fed a diet consisting of Batibot and Sesame Street, that there is an undeniable link between Sesame Street viewing and toddlers’ readiness for the early grades. We know that preschoolers who watched the program with regularity demonstrated the highest levels of academic performance, especially when the subjects were related to numbers and letter skills as well as identifying body parts.

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PUBLICATIONS: Mapping Media Education Policies in the World: Visions, Programmes and Challenges

"Mapping Media Education Policies in the World" discusses a policy-based approach to media education, considering it from three inter-related dimensions: its national, regional, and global contexts; its value to citizens and civic participation; and the importance of the role of collaboration among governments, civil society, and the private sector in the process of elaborating education for media literacy. It is published by: the United Nations - Alliance of Civilizations; the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); European Commission; and Grupo Comunicar.

The foreword to this document provides this definition of media literacy: "'Media literacy' may be defined as the ability to access the media, to understand and evaluate critically their contents and to create communications in a variety of contexts."

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