Actually, this RFP is to help satisfy the new curriculum requirements for media literacy that have just been added to the Ontario K-12 syllabus. These requirements are the result of extensive collaboration with the Association for Media Literacy and the Media Education Working Group at OISE/UT (disclaimer: I play with both groups). Because of the curriculum addition, there is also funding and impetus to provide in-service and pre-service training for teachers for program design.

It's not about teaching students to be web designers or movie producers, but rather to learn to create persuasive pieces using alternative (to literate) forms of expression. In doing so, students will begin to gain an critical appreciation of what is being done to them (and the rest of us) throughout the massmedia.

The initiative is a good one; I just hope that the Ministry doesn't screw it up, exclusively substituting form for substance.