Teachers, Educators Celebrated During Education Week

NOTE: A list of Education Week award recipients follows this release.

Twenty-three teachers and two education partners from across the province received Education Week Awards today, April 18, for the important role they play in guiding students in the area of media literacy.

Lt.-Gov. J.J. Grant and Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Karen Casey presented the awards at a ceremony in Bedford.

This year's theme for Education Week is Media Literacy: Empowering Critical Thinking in a Digital Media World. It recognizes educators who are helping students develop the skills they need to understand, create, and critically interpret text in print, on screen, and in digital format. These champions are also teaching students how to be respectful, ethical, and responsible digital citizens.

"Our wonderful educators play a critical role in steering our youth in handling digital media," said Lt.-Gov. Grant. "They guide our youth to give them the skills to critically interpret what they see. Equally important, these educators teach our youth how to responsibly use digital media and make them good cyber citizens."

"Media literacy and digital citizenship are essential to learning and to success in life and work, and they are reflected in our Action Plan for Education," said Ms. Casey. "Working collaboratively with teachers, schools, school boards, communities, and partners, we are developing an innovative curriculum with an emphasis on math and literacy, and the early introduction of coding.

"Collectively, we have the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of our students. The educators we are honouring today are leading the way."

"As more and more of our media is delivered via digital means and we increasingly become media creators as well as consumers, it is vital that youth learn not only the skills traditionally associated with digital or information literacy, but also those that ensure their full participation in digital society as mindful and engaged citizens, learners and workers," said guest speaker Jane Tallim, co-executive director of MediaSmarts, a Canadian not-for-profit organization for digital and media literacy, who joined the event via Skype.

Education Week runs until Saturday, April 23, and is a co-operative effort of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, the Nova Scotia School Boards Association, the Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations, la Fédération des parents acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse, the Association of Nova Scotia Educational Administrators and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Following is a list of Education Week award recipients:

Annapolis Valley Regional School Board

• Nick Baskwil, Kingston and District School
• Tami Cox Jardine, Falmouth District School
• Ann Lightbourn, Bridgetown Regional Elementary School

Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board

• Dave Lavigne, Glace Bay High School
• Denise Oake, Dr. T.L. Sullivan Middle School

Chignecto-Central Regional School Board

• Shan King, Winding River Consolidated School
• Janice Smith, Pugwash District High School
• Sally Steeves, West Pictou Consolidated School

Conseil scolaire acadien provincial

• Anne d'Entremont, École secondaire de Pars-en-Bas
• Don Fougère, École Beau-Port
• Pierre Malenfant, École du Carrefour

Halifax Regional School Board

• Lorna Bennett, Park West School
• Lynda LeBlanc, William King Elementary School
• Shannon Patterson, Prince Andrew High School

South Shore Regional School Board

• Erin Dunn-Keefe, Bridgewater Junior Senior High School
• John Tutty, South Queens Middle School

Strait Regional School Board

• Shaun Kennedy, Richmond Education Centre/Academy
• Christopher Lumsden, St. Andrew Junior School
• Bruce Miller, Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre/Academy
• Michael Wilson, Chedabucto Education Centre/Guysborough Academy

Tri-County Regional School Board

• Amy Crowell, Clark's Harbour Elementary School
• Katrina Mood-Ross, Drumlin Heights Consolidated School
• Erin Mullen, St. Mary's Bay Academy

Partner Awards

• Peter Oldrieve, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
• Adam Davies, Nova Scotia School Boards Association