On the relevance of Media to Composition

I always get a few students who don't see the point of using media in a composition classroom. This always surprises me. How many people see themselves writing essays for a living? How often will we write essays in our future jobs?

In my as-of-yet unpublished dissertation I have found a wealth of solid research supporting the incorporation of multi-modal forms of "writing" in composition:

Sheltzer and Warshauer (2000) write, “Language professionals who have access to an Internet computer classroom are in a position to teach students valuable lifelong learning skills and strategies for becoming autonomous learners” (p. 176). Those without access or with limited access are at a distinct disadvantage.

Teachers, in preparing content for digital modes of instruction delivery, have too often tended to, “transpose books and lectures, and so they miss the opportunity for use of the computer for creating responsive and active learning environments”(Bork, 1985. p. 7 cited in Alvi text but not referenced in their works cited).... Researchers (Lunsford, 2006; Jones-Kavalier and Flannigan, 2006; Ito et al. 2008; Lenhart et al. 2007) argue for us to redefine what it means to write in the digital age. Whatever definition we use, we must consider the role of modern web-based communication networks. It is likewise important to note, as Zhao (2003) and others have, that it isn’t the technology that makes the difference for students, but the way it is used.
Cummins (2000) notes that projects making extensive use of instructional technology (IT) can develop language and literacy more effectively than projects that make minimal use of IT. He concluded that this may be through heightened communities built across ethnic, geographical, social and linguistic divides (See also Brown et al., 1998; Cummins & Sayers, 1995).
Language educators should examine the potential of IT not only to increase the linguistic power of the individual student but also to harness that power in critical and constructive ways to strengthen the social fabric of our local and global communities…we should acknowledge the fundamental changes that IT is bringing to our societies and seek ways to use its power for transformative purposes (Cummins, 2000, p. 539). The diverse student population of our school makes development of literacy and the building of community essential.

I frequently share that many instructors (I can think of 3 off the top of my head now, and I think earlier I counted as many as 11) use multi-modal (or media) projects in composition 1. I also share that this project was the teaching demonstration that impressed my hiring committee when I got this job. We took a museum tour where the docents explained how art was composed - in many of the same ways the written word is composed.

If you need to make a presentation to a boss, will you read an image free text - or will you include pictures, charts and graphs? Will video or sound help persuade a manager or sell a product?

And my final question, should colleges prepare students for the workforce of 20 years ago, the work force of today, or the workforce 5 years down the road?

Team-based Learning: ad campaign

I'm toying with a new idea for the team-based learning (TBL) unit of Comp 1. The lesson uses TBL methods and develops multi-modal composition skills by creating audio, video and static graphics. Last year I allowed greater student direction by letting groups choose their own products to develop. Where

This year I'm thinking of allowing students to take on authentic products and services. I've spoken with the director of the Writing Center here on campus, Kathryn Byrne, and she supports the idea of students promoting the WC, and would like several options to choose from because audio, video and/or promotional material created could be used in real promotion. That means student work could appear in podcasts, vidcasts and the student newspaper, and maybe even radio, TV and more public venues. Any student participation in a successful advertising campaign could be used in resumes as authentic work experience.

We have some material from past classes on the wiki here, a couple classes have used facebook - but that has limitations. See class Facebook group here, but the problem is they mostly created pages in private places that restricts sharing with future classes. Students have also posted video on YouTube here.

I like the idea that education creates a "walled garden" where students are safe to experiment and take risks - but sometimes we build a roof over the garden and ideas wither from lack of sunlight - or root rot. I'll figure out how to wrestle this analogy back to coherence later.