CMEC Launches Literacy Forum Legacy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TORONTO, April 15, 2009 – A new, innovative resource aimed at improving literacy levels in Canada was released today by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC). The legacy of knowledge and materials gathered from last year's Pan-Canadian Interactive Literacy Forum provides on-line learning and teaching resources that will benefit educators, learners, literacy providers, and people across Canada, now and in the future.
Three resource modules on literacy were developed using the 130 hours of audiovisual materials from the forum and more than 1,000 questions and comments raised by participants. The topics of the modules are Literacy in Canada, Community-Based Literacy Planning, and Literacy: Looking at the Immigrant Experience. The modules use challenging questions, video clips from forum presenters, and stimulating comments to encourage discussion and active idea-sharing among groups of learners and educators. Over 70 new presentations from experts, practitioners, and policy makers are also now available, covering literacy topics from early learning to adult education to workplace literacy. <
“The legacy materials give practitioners, teachers, and learners in communities across Canada new resources and innovative ways to help improve literacy skills,” said Kelly Lamrock, Minister of Education for New Brunswick and the Chair of CMEC. “We are delighted that this material will further raise awareness about the importance of literacy and help to boost literacy levels from coast to coast to coast.”
“By working together to promote literacy through the use of innovative technologies, last year's forum was a call to action to make Canada a place where we move beyond traditional thinking on literacy and learning,” added Minister Lamrock. “These web-based legacy materials bring together the best of literacy knowledge and practices from across Canada, to inspire and to challenge all of us to do more to encourage literacy and learning at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.”
Hosted by Canada's education ministers through their intergovernmental body, CMEC, the Pan-Canadian Interactive Literacy Forum was held in April 2008 at nine sites across Canada. It was the first of its kind, using webcasting technology, including real-time streaming video, to connect more than 3,000 learners, literacy experts, and representatives from the education, non-profit, business, and labour sectors. The forum was the first step in implementing CMEC's Literacy Action Plan, which aims to raise awareness and increase literacy rates all across Canada.
The legacy materials can be accessed at www.Forum2008.cmec.ca.
Literacy is one of the eight key activity areas identified by ministers of education in their joint declaration, Learn Canada 2020.
CMEC is an intergovernmental body composed of the ministers responsible for elementary-secondary and advanced education from the provinces and territories. Through CMEC, ministers share information and undertake projects in areas of mutual interest and concern.
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Fact Sheet
Information
Tamara Davis
Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations
Cell: 416.804.6548
Tel.: 416.962.8100, ext. 241
E-mail: t.davis@cmec.ca