Media Links

Media Links

Secular
Adbusters: Culture Jammers: The mission of this website is to criticize the injustices in our global economy. This organization is a network of artists, activists, writers, students, and educators who are part of a movement in the age of information. This group also challenges the existing power structures and questions the way we live our lives. This site develops ads to poke fun of corporations and corporate logos. These ads can be used in the classroom to promote discussion on how name-brands dictate the way we, and the social injustices this lifestyle creates. -- Filomena Ferraro; Teachers are urged to monitor the site before using with students, because occasionally some of the material is questionable.
BBC Religion & Ethics: The BBC on-line web site has a section on news from a religious and ethical perspective. The news is extremely current but not Canadian. The issues though are world issues and would benefit any teacher dealing with ethical topics. For instance, current issues give examples of news stories that deal with racism, embryo transplantation and poverty. It would provide a great starting point for discussion about issues that are relevant at all times. -- Debbie Mayos; This site provides a wide variety of resources, especially useful at the secondary level. It provides news articles as well as television program schedules for shows such as "Beyond Belief" and weekly specials. Both the articles and visual clips can provide excellent resources to stimulate discussion and debate; as well it could be useful for students when they are preparing research papers. I was most intrigues by the ethical news issues. As a law teacher, my OAC students write research papers regarding the legislation surrounding such issues. As a Catholic educator I always have them explore the Catholic response to such issues and the Church's position, this site deals with many of the issues and could be very beneficial. -- IP
Center for Media Literacy: Although based from the U.S., this site is also an excellent resource for teachers of Canada who are concerned about the impact of media on our young people. It contains many forms of resource:
1. on-line and paper-based catalogs of media literacy books, videos and curricula;
2. a reading room listing key articles by category of topic (e.g., ?Case Study:
Establishing Media Literacy in a Catholic School Setting?) or theme (e.g., ?Media
and Values includes women's role and image, consumerism, advertising, and
effective viewing strategies);
3. Frequently-asked questions about the C.M.L. , and about media literacy and/or
media education;
4. A section on media violence;
5. And finally, a section on training resources, such as seminars and workshops.

Highly-organized, this site would be a useful tool for values and family life education as well as for social studies and technology studies. It would be beneficial for students of grades 3-12. --M. Flynn; This non profit organization believes in media literacy for children and adults. Its mission is to bring media literacy education to every child in the world. They have an online catalog of media literacy materials for teachers. Also available are links to others sites such as faith based organizations. -- J. Cocchetto
Media Awareness Network: The Media Awareness Network is a Canadian non-profit website providing educators and parents with information and a diverse range of resources on media literacy. The goal is to equip educators and parents with the knowledge they require in order to effectively teach youth about media literacy. It provides analysis of such media channels as the Internet, television, movies, video games, and music. It provides insight into how the marketing pressures channeled through the media impact and influence young people. The site is filled with many fascinating facts and articles. In a world where so many people fall victim to consumerism and take on a secular way of life, this website seeks to equip students with critical thinking skills that will help them interpret the world around them.

Media Watch: Media watch is a national non-profit women's organization that works to promote an improved portrayal of women and girls in the media through education, research and lobbying. It provides information for educators, parents and the youth to promote social justice and equality. In addition to providing important links to other sites, this organization also provides resources such as books, video, kits and workshops.--Michelle Kempt
PBS-Religious & Ethics Newsweekly: This weekly magazine features current stories in the news that involve global religious and ethical issues. The magazine also contains a multi-faith calendar, an opportunity to subscribe to an on-line newsletter, and a special feature specifically for teachers. This site is beneficial for all end-users who would like to access current news information. It is especially beneficial for educators because it offers lesson plans, tips and resources for classroom use.


Newspapers and Magazines - Canadian
BC Catholic: This site is a newspaper online that carries current information on the happenings of the Catholic Church in British Columbia, and around the world. It allows for concerned Catholics to write letters, editorials and columns. This site allows views of faith to be read by all people who visit the site. - M. Caruso; The BC Catholic is a website that provides a weekly publication. The goal is to best serve the needs of the Catholic Community in British Columbia. It is the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. There is a link to the Pope's message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The main page is divided into the following subcategories; Current Week/ Send A Letter/ Ask A Question/ Archives/ Information/ and Subscribe. Although the information found within this site is directly serving the population of British Columbia, it would still prove useful to all Catholic educators based on the nature of the subject matter. -- S. Levy; This web site is a weekly publication serving the needs of the Catholic Community in British Columbia. It is also the official newspaper of the archdiocese of Vancouver. This is an excellent resource for Catholic educators to stay abreast of current publications and important information from the archdiocese. -- R. Mazzotta
Catholic Insight: A website dealing with many issues from a catholic perspective. The website contains editorials dealing with present issues concerning Catholics such as Same Sex Marriage and Homosexuality. The site also contains regular articles on a variety of topics that include the church, politics, saints, society, film and book reviews.--Daniel McNamara
Catholic New Times: The Catholic New Times is an independent newspaper now celebrating its 25th year. It examines Canadian and world issues and is "rooted in the spirit of Vatican II and the radical liberating message of the Gospel." The website provides a sampling of articles that you will find in its latest issue. This site might be helpful to educators who want to read more about the Canadian and world church. It features articles on politics, Aboriginal issues, homelessness, women, the Third World and the environment. It also includes an Arts and Culture section featuring book, T.V. and film reviews. -- V. Zucchi; The Catholic New Times is an excellent newspaper which concerns itself with issues surrounding Social Justice. The magazine is in its 25th year of existence. There are 20 issues per year. This newspaper addresses the key issues of our times. It is an excellent educational tool for teachers because it allows us the opportunity to read certain articles in our classroom and make children aware of what is going on around them and what they can do to help. -- Rose Di Cresce
Catholic Register - Toronto: The home page of this weekly Toronto publication included such links as "This Week," Opinion, Features, Our Faith, Arts & Culture, Youth, and Information. From the perspective of a Catholic Educator, it provides useful information on matters the Church is dealing with worldwide. I especially liked the link aimed at Youth, as it would be a useful exercise to have high school students peruse one article a week and reflect on it as a part of their journal activities. In this way, current issues could be discussed and used as starting points for certain units of study. --Susan Arena
Western Catholic Reporter: The Western Catholic Reporter is the largest religious weekly newspaper in Canada. Serving primarily the Edmonton Archdiocese this paper is also distributed throughout the US and Canada. Besides the weekly features by such noted writers as Ron Rolheiser, there is information from the Archbishop as well as statements from the bishops on current issues. This site's mission is to serve it's readers by deepening their faith through accurate information and reflective commentary on current events and issues of concern to the catholic church. This site would be useful to the Catholic Educator by providing current, accurate, information on events and issues from a Canadian Catholic perspective. -Jurgen Schneider; This weekly newspaper explores many current issues facing Catholics, not only in the western provinces but also throughout Canada. The articles are informative, easy to read and brief. Some articles are controversial yet informative. This is a great resource for teachers of older students, as this website has excellent articles that would facilitate interesting discussions. -- Elisa Sturm

Newspapers and Magazines - International (Including USA)
American Catholic: It contains articles from Catholic Update, question and answers, scriptures from scratch, youth updates, seasonal features, prayer intentions and the list goes on and on. It is useful to Catholic educators because the articles are easy to understand and provide great insight into Catholicism. Would be great for intermediate and senior classes. -- D. Ritchie
Catholic Update: The Catholic Update provides interesting and informative information on all aspects of Catholic faith. This site has a specific link targeted for today's youth, with articles written for their understanding. have gone on to use many of these articles in my classroom, as an additional resource for a particular topic or as a means to spark discussion. The articles are well written and suitable for students. -IP; This website provides current articles, daily scripture readings with explanations, seasonal features, intentions, and a colour product catalogue. The catalogue section may be useful for teachers searching for particular resources and provides the convenience of shopping online. The articles are presented in full and may be useful for students' discussion and debate in current events classes. -- MG
Christianity Today: This website informs, inspires, and connects Christians. It is full of newspaper articles from around the world about touching stories. It is continuously updated with international Catholic and Christian news. In addition, you can subscribe to Christian Magazine (11 issues) absolutely free. This site is useful because of its continuous updates in terms of international news and happenings. Great site for students and teachers ... may want to take advantage of the free Christian magazine subscription ... looks likes its worth reading! -- Patrizia Barilla
Cyberfaith ezine
First Things Journal: This site is founded by the Institute on Religion and Public Life, which is an interreligious non partisan research and educational institute with a purpose to advance a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society. There were an array of articles and essays on topics relating to religion and faith issues. This would be most useful for senior level courses in religion and other areas of the curriculum. On this site you can browse past issues and topics and engage in various discussions about these topics. Also, if you wish to begin your own discussion group they will advertise your related topic for you. -- Carmela D'Amato
First Things is published as an interreligious nonpartisan educational site. The philosophy aspires to maintain a religiously informed public. It is an online magazine with essays and reviews on subjects of interest. It also includes poetry, opinions, and correspondence. Topics are timely and of interest to a wide audience; people both in and out of education. --S. Di Gregorio
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
This website seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. The web site provides full length articles on religious news, events, survey and publications. Additional links are also provided for further research. Great resource for any type of world issues class.-- A. Grimes

U. S. Catholic Magazine
National Catholic Reporter: This site is partly an on-line magazine which also contains sites to other religious magazines. Its published by a non-profit organization based in Kansas City. It considers itself an "independent voice within the Church, and it values an open and honest expression of faith are are guided by commitments of justice, peace, and a sustainable world." The site offers some of the back and current issue stories. Many of the stories are social justice or church related concerns. The stories are relevant to what is happening in today's society and how the Church is dealing with particular matters. It offers a critical view of the Church and what is happening in today's society. -- Dina Monaco; The National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company is a Missouri based nonprofit organization which attempts to inform the public on Roman Catholic tradition, and serve the poor, and the marginalized of society. Through newsletters it gives readers an understanding of social justice, environmental responsibilities and world peace issues. -- Tony C.
New Internationalist Magazine
Origins: This web site provides a source for current official documents published by the Vatican, The Pope, Bishops, Congress, The White House, and church leaders from around the world. As a service provided for over 25 years, the Catholic News Service is reliable and accurate. Catholic Educators might find this site useful for quick, accurate reference concerning current events and issues looked at from a Catholic perspective. Coverage is balanced and fair with 47 new issues every year. -Jurgen Schneider
Salt of the Earth: Your online resource for social justice: This website has a bounty of information dealing with issues in social justice. It has its own news reporting dealing with political matters in the U.S. and internationally, special reports, statistics, idea exchanges, an archive, a search engine, and a plethora of links dealing with catholic and interfaith religious perspectives. This is an excellent resource for those teachers and students in the intermediate and senior levels who teach religion, business, or social studies. -- Sergio Bertolo
Sedaqah under construction
St. Anthony Messenger Magazine
Sojourners Magazine
Theology Library: (includes some online Catholic Periodicals) is a Catholic's collection of 118 pages and over 5,100 links in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council.- Vilma Noronha


Webzines and web resources
Beliefnet: This is a great website with links to areas of interest pertaining to many different religions. It offers a Holiday Sampler of Religious Holidays around the world. Other topics include inspiration, spirituality and morality. There are discussions, quizzes, prayer circles and daily readings that can be downloaded from this site. As Catholic educators, this site demonstrates to both children and adults that in as much as we are different, we are all fundamentally the same - struggling to be the best people that we can be. --S. Di Gregorio
Catholic.net: This website contains an ample amount of information dealing with issues about the Catholic Church, social justice, and family life. In addition, this site has its own news reporting dealing with social and political matters on a local, national and international level. This is an excellent resource for teachers and students on the intermediate and senior level in the subject areas of religion, history and politics. -- Filomena Ferraro; This website provides access to leading Catholic magazines and newspapers, papal encyclicals and Church documents. The content is guaranteed to be in accord with the teachings of the Pope and the living Magisterium of the Church. Readers will find the latest global Catholic news, articles on faith and morals, debates, lives of Saints, Catholic education, parenting, youth, marriage, clergy, self-help and recovery, movies and others compiled from hundreds of Catholic publications and web sites. These articles are useful in classroom discussions. Also, readers can subscribe to a weekly newsletter via email. -- W. Sum
The Catholic Community Forum: The Catholic Community Forum site gives visitors information and answers on many current issues in the Catholic Church. Links on the site include: Catholic and Secular news from around the world, Catholic Seasonal Reflections, Liturgical Readings from the current month, Patron Saint Index and other interesting information. This site is an excellent source for educators to continue growing and leading students to Christ. -- Tony C.
Catholic Culture: This is a site that offers unlimited resources for the catholic teacher. Topics covering everything from Why mass? to Mary in Our Life. All done in alphabetical order. very neat, very clean. As well it offers a site on the liturgical year, by month,day an year. Offers suggestions for activities and so much more.--Matthew Marosszeky
Catholic Information Network: This web site offers news, information and discussion boards that pertain to the Catholic faith. Teachers will be able to research information for spiritual and professional growth. On-line users will have access to Catholic radio sites, prayers, mass readings, and much more.--Lia Fera

Catholic Online: this website includes several resourses for tje catholic community. Information presented in the website include: information about stains and angels, Vatican news, a bookstore, Catholic newspapers and newsletters, Catholic media sites with latest movie reviews by U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Film and Broadcasting, and asection where Catholic singles are able to connect. this website if useful because it helps us deepen our understanding of our Catholic Faith. It also keeps us updated on current events that are happening in the Catholic community.-- TD
Catechist Magazine
www.christianity.ca

This web site is Canada's online Christian magazine and resource center. Over 700 articles dealing with a variety of topics. You can find discussions on many topics. You can even do searches. This is useful to a Catholic educator because it has many different options for research, updates on current events and more. -- Leanne Stallone
Christian Media Library: This website features hundreds of media-rich teaching and learning resources- all on a searchable format. There are new downloads and learning resources available each month. Your membership includes a complimentary membership to the children's website - Zanykids.com . This site is an excellent resource for teachers and school librarians to be able to access Catholic materials and sites in which Catholic materials are available.-- Mary A. Tomasi
Catholic Educators Newsletter: This link is a resource for Catholic Educators. It provides lesson plans, activity sheets, evaluation tools, and much more. This site also provides a search engine for the Bible and the Catechsim of the Catholic Church. A link to teacher's site supplies up to 900 other links, and offers the Religious EducationNewsletter, the latest Catholic News and a Liturgical Calendar.


Catholic News Services
Catholic.net
Catholic World News: This is an independent international news syndicate which is staffed by lay Catholic journalists, who are dedicated to providing accurate world news. The articles are written from a distinctively Catholic perspective and they are distributed through the Internet. Catholic World News also provides digests and reports from the Vatican daily, as well as occasional feature articles. --Maria Pellegrino
Eternal Word Television Network: This website is consisted of the following categories: Catholic news, Faith, Libraries, Gallery (art) and many others. The Faith section includes teachings, Catholic Q & A, explanation on catechism, daily homily and pope's weekly message. The Libraries section features many articles on Pope John Paul II including his trips and writings. The specialty site also offers information on Pentecost, divine mercy, etc. This site is full of resources and covers a variety of topics on the Catholic faith. - - W. Sum
Independent Catholic News: The Independent Catholic News is a British news magazine. In addition to the “latest news” about Catholicism from other parts of the world, the site offers event listings for the UK, an archive of past news and features, a “Saint of the Day” page and a Sunday reflection. It is a wonderful source of information about the Church outside North America. I really enjoyed the news pieces from Africa and Asia as it reinforces the universality of the Church. – OdeS
Vatican Information Services: This web site is a must for individuals who would like to discover the Catholic Church from the Vatican perspective. Detailed links on the web site include: The Roman Curia, News services from the Vatican, Library/Secret Archives, Vatican Museums and Vatican City States. There are also informative links for scholars who are searching for information on the Cathechism of the Catholic Church, Sacred Scriptures, Liturgies and other pertinent information. -- Tony C.

Secular News

CNN/world: This site provides the daily news on the web however what is most useful in the religion classroom at both the intermediate and the secondary level is the fact that teachers and students can access articles related to wider world issues. These issues such as war can be related to morality and other commandments within the Christian faith. Furthermore, these articles can be used to give students a wider perspective into the place of religion in the world; students need to be exposed to the tangible to understand and so in using articles that relay recent information from around the world, religion and faith can become more tangible and therefore, better understood by students.
The website allows for students to search under any given issue and / or topic and therefore, the student controls what they would like to learn about or research. Furthermore, the website allows for students to connect to related links on the issue of search. In any case, if students are doing some sort of issues related scrap book, this site is a must - see! -- Fortunata Scopelliti

Media Publishers
Crown Video: Crown Video offers over 1,000 Christian videos and DVDs - from VeggieTales to best selling dramas like Left Behind, as well as music, comedy, youth and teaching resources. Teachers will find this site may have the answer to the ?how do I teach that? question. Over 1000 videos which may be ordered on line are quick solutions so some tough lessons to teach. --Giovanni D'Ambrogio
Pauline Books & Media or http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com/: This website provides on-line shopping for books, videos and CDs. There is also a separate section for children's media. A listing of their store locations in North America is also available. The "growing in faith" section offers "saint-a-day", daily cyber prayer and prayer requests. It also contains a section on vocation information, and spirituality and mission of the daughters of St. Paul. -- W. Sum
St Anthony Messenger Press Videos
Vision Video
Movie & TV Review Sites from religious perspectives
Catholic Film Review: This site offers one the opportunity to search for movies that fulfill the criteria of being ?decent, edifying, morally redeeming films?. Each film is graded as morally redeeming or not. Any caveats of the film are also mentioned, along with an all important synopsis of the contents of the films as they pertain to Catholic beliefs. The home page includes a 'Family Pick' for the week and alongside each review there is a 'Catholic Tip' with a question and answer that concerns some information found throughout the film. This is a good resource/forum for discussion for teachers who want to check up on the appropriateness of movies they are thinking of introducing to their class. Look for the movies with a gold star next to them. These are highly recommended and praised. S. DiGiacomo
Electronic Great Awakening
Film Index: Just as the title suggests, this is a comprehensive list of movies which have a religious theme. Movies are listed alphabetically and most are accompanied with an article critiquing the movie on various levels. This site would be of interest to teachers who want to provide an alternate medium to students on a particular religious theme, and students may be surprised that a popular movie may actually contain some moral relevance! -- Danielle Madden; This site is a comprehensive list of movies which have a religious theme. Movies are listed alphabetically and most are accompanied with an article critiquing the movie on various levels. This site would be of interest to teachers who want to provide an alternate medium to students on a particular religious theme. -- Frank Pignataro
Hollywood Jesus: The purpose of this website is to explore, examine and review the pop culture of today, from a spiritual perspective. This site offers a wealth of information on recent movies and their connection to Jesus. -- Janet Ferlisi; This is basically a Christian user friendly movie screening. This site is a movie review of movies that are adapted to Christian morals. A good site when researching for good movies for children. On the surface there are story lines with merit and it would have been nice to have seen them addressed in an appropriate, meaningful way. -- Tina Sinopli
I Love Lucy Bible Study: This series was written to encompass two months of adult or young adult teaching. The I Love Lucy television series was created in the 1950's when TV had a delightfully funny but moral sense of purpose. The episodes selected for use in the series are hilarious and full of points and subjects that are timeless. The entire series of study can be used in entirety for a full two months of great bible study or group discussion, or, you can pick one to use for a one time special event. Either way- your class is in for a hilarious but effective hour of learning. Teachers will have a giggle using this resource, but will be able to deliver some positive messages which may otherwise be difficult to present especially to younger students. --Giovanni D'Ambrogio

Movie Theme Index Page
Teach With Movies: A web site that can be used for both teachers and parents alike to help introduce children to:
*major events in history
*great achievements in civilization
*extraordinary men and women who have shaped our world
*works of music, drama, dance, literature and visual arts
*ethical, cultural and social issues facing children as they mature
Such a web site is useful for Catholic Educators because movies provide such a powerful medium that if used in an appropriate manner can enhance teachers delivery of curriculum at any level. - Jurgen Schneider; This is a great site for both parents and teachers. This site offers parents and teachers the opportunity to educate children by showing them a movie of what they are trying to teach. The movies listed on this site provide accurate details and accounts of what truly occurred. The movies also provide parents and teachers with a learning guide which gives them background information on the movie. the learning guide also provides teachers and parents with helpful and useful discussion questions. The site also lists movies which are not recommended for teachers to view in the classroom. It also lists beside the movie the appropriate age level of the movie. -Rose Di Cresce
US Conference of Catholic Bishops – Movie Reviews: “The Office for Film and Broadcasting is responsible for reviewing and rating theatrical motion pictures, previewing and evaluating television programming as well as providing the Catholic public with information about the role of the entertainment and news media in influencing societal and personal values”. This searchable database is a great source for finding a Catholic point of view on the movies our students are watching. It helps us to know and address the issues and images that young people are exposed to in popular films. – OdeS
Videos with Values: This organization specializes in selling hard to find videos that present certain values. There are many categories of videos that deal with everything from sexuality and Life Issues to general faith and family classics. This would be a great place to get videos to support your religion program. -A. Cronin
For teachers who are interested in building their own collection of videos which are appropriate in the Catholic School classroom, this web site is for you. This site offers a full range of topics such as faith building, sexuality and life issues, perfect for supplementing the family life and religious education curriculum. Videos are priced and rated according to certain age groups. All divisions within our Catholic schools can take advantage of Videos with Values. -- Leah Van Eyk
Given the strong influence media has on our society, especially our students, this site is suited to religious education teachings. It has numerous categories with relaed videos on many topics covered by religious educators. This sie deals with life lessons and issues such as teenage depression and suicide in a video called "A cry for help". Another excellent video is entitled "Love is patient" which explores sexual intimacy as a gift from God to be enjoyed within marriage. This 30 minute video deals with the difficulties for young people, especially in today's society, to know the many benefits of maintaining sexual purity. It builds self-control and protects body, mind and spirit. This site also covers young children's concerns such as fear, danger and purpose on earth through numerous subject related videos. In addition, there are many seasonal videos dealing with our liturgical chuch events such as Easter, Christmas, Advent and holidays such as Thanksgiving.--Cora Donnelly

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