6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
bold ideas, but not for the timid..., April 21, 2009
This review is from: Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition (Paperback)
For as long as any one even cares to remember, print, that is words on
the page, and the mastery of it, have been the aim of every
composition instructor we have ever met. Knowing the correct word to
put after the last word. Knowing structure. Knowing grammar. Knowing
your point, geting to it and getting it over with.
Print media has given way in many ways to the visual medium, where the
color, shape, and layout of the means as much (if not more) than the
word on the page. If there are words at all.
What does that mean for the teachers of composition? Are we obsolete?
No. Will we have to rethink everything we know about we know about
literacy? Not quite yet. Do we abandon the knowledge, theories and
applications that we have come to know to meet this challendge? No.
In the book, "Writing New Media: Theory and Application for Expanding
the Teaching of Composition", the authors do not proclaim from atop
the ivory tower of theory that all we know is of little value, rather
they each draw from the literacies currently in use as a set point to
complete the activities and exercises given after the respective
article.
Even though there are slight variations, the main thread of the book
would be that the definition of compostion is changing. And while the
print or alphabet-based literacy is still very relevant, it isn't the
only standard used to measure literacy. And as instructors of
compostion, we can takes cues from such varied areas as poetry,
geometry and music (Geoffrey Sire's "box-logic"); visual & graphic
design (Anne Frances Wysocki's "The Sticky Embrace of Beauty") or the
story of one person that was lost in one literacy, but found in
another (Cynthia L. Selfe's "Students that Teach Us") to expand what we
know and how we teach literacy.
If there was a key word to note here, it would be "expanding". The
lagacy literacies are remembered and honored in this series of
articles and exercises. And even if you have never used a computer
past Word or your email, activities such as Selfe's "A Visual Essay"
makes you a co learner with your students into the this very new area
of learning.
If there was one drawback, it would be that these concepts and activities
are very new and so far from the norm that reactions may swing from the
intimidated to the credulous. Be that as it may, this book is a very good
first step to the future of what we call compostition.
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4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
umm ... interesting, October 23, 2008
This review is from: Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition (Paperback)
So Writing New Media wants to be a wake up call. It wants to instill shock and awe into teachers of writing and shake up the system. Only, as an instructor of college writing who has grown up with teachers who already brought "new media" into the classroom I as more annoyed than satisfied by the tone of the book.
The tone made me extremely angry. I felt like I was being attacked as I read the first 60 pages of the book. It wasn't until it was discussed in my graduate course that I realized I was angry because this tirade wasn't directed at me but at the "old school" teachers. I already bring in new media and mixed media into the classroom because I am of the generation that thinks NOT bringing it in is friggin boring.
There are some good notions at the end of the book, and the end of each essay ends in "in classroom exercises and activities" which are probably more helpful than the essays and tirades.
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