I have really mixed feelings toward the Wysocki and Selfe
readings. I find Wysocki’s framework and idea of materiality really useful. She
sort of blew my mind when she writes about how different material technologies
affect the ways we think – I will never look at straight lines (or grocery
shelves) in the same way.
Briefly, my
perspective is that students should learn new media literacy. But let me play the
Luddite’s advocate. I agree with Wysocki when she writes that “it is impossible
to pretend that the lives of the people coming to school have not been shaped
by texts that don’t look like or function like academic essays,” but I don’t
think the answer (as if there could be a definitive one) to how much
composition teachers should engage those outside influences is clear. I
certainly see value in students evaluating their “particular locations in time
and place” and how they are shaped by them, but I also see value in making the composition
classroom a space that attempts to be out of the soul-sucking throes of
advertising and pop culture for a whole three hours per week. If we acknowledge
that advertising and media bombardment have a gigantic and sometimes
detrimental affect on society, is the solution really to supplant textual forms
of learning with yet more exposure to new media? Again, I agree that new media
literacy is important, but I wonder if this would be more appropriate in, say,
a communications, sociology or women’s and gender studies classroom. Of course,
Wysocki and Selfe aren’t just talking about advertising (although that is what
I’ve mostly seen of “new media” assignments in the Writing Center) – art,
photography, political websites, etc. are also part of this nonbook package,
and switching up the medium can be worthwhile. Still, I feel this pressure to
not just engage, but entertain students along with educating them, and I think
that’s an unfair expectation of instructors. If they want to be entertained,
there is entertainment aplenty outside of the classroom. Isn’t part of our role
to offer them something they can’t get off YouTube?
I agree with Molly concerning new media's home. Where is it? I think Wysocki and Selfe would say "everywhere, of course!" and I'd agree for the most part. About the only place where I'd say it should lack a role (or at least a diminished role) is in the composition classroom. I'm all for different models of creation--photography, videography, painting--but I think it's important to be able to know how to use these tools effectively. English 1000 teaches the tool of writing. If I was teaching videography 1000 I wouldn't make students write an essay, paint a picture, and then shoot a video. I would teach them how to shoot video. Similarly, I think it's important for English 1000 to focus on writing.
ReplyDeleteSecondarily, I also agree with Molly in that this would be a tall order for instructors, particularly graduate student instructors, to learn all of these new skills to teach their students.
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ReplyDeleteAs someone who teacher herself a lot of things (knitting and sewing tricks, curry recipes) off of Youtube, I agree with Molly wholeheartedly. I've examined and reexamined my notions about teaching writing in the composition classroom and, despite a surprising number of scholars we've read who firmly believe that it doesn't have a place, I'm with Jeremy here. Admittedly, English 1000 students aren't there following a particular passion, but the composition class is exactly where they go expecting to focus on writing. Emphasizing new media to the exclusion of writing very well might, whether the students outwardly object, disappoint those expectations that they at least will be more confident expressing themselves in writing once they are out of our classrooms.
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