Thursday, April 10, 2008

Web is the medium for cross-Canada

Vancouver Sun: 2008 April 10

Webcasting technology will unite education experts, business leaders and government members this weekend for a literacy event that’s being described as the first of its kind in Canada.

The Pan-Canadian Interactive Literacy Forum is expected to attract 3,500 participants to sites across the country to address the challenges facing a country where millions of adults struggle to read and write.

“Webcasting technology, including real-time streaming video, will connect sites from coast to coast to coast in interactive conversation,” the B.C. Education Ministry says in a release.

Sites include Vancouver, Whitehorse, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Arviat (Nunavut), and Saint John, N.B.

Each site will take part in the crossCanada conversation, from Sunday to Tuesday, while also exploring individual topics such as aboriginal literacy, community literacy, early learning and the business implications of literacy.

Keynote speakers include literacy and education experts, business and media leaders, and entertainers, including Susan Aglukark, David Asper, Linwood Barclay, Paul Belanger, Adrienne Clarkson, Charles Coffey, Frank McKenna and Fraser Mustard.