All aboard the Ship(ka)

In Shipka's article, the ideas that she presents seem to set up an inclusive classroom that aims to help students use the technology effectively, and make students realize that there is a difference between writing and composing. Firstly, I like the idea that we have to show students the difference. I don’t, however jive with her ideas on how we do that. I don’t think that writing about writing would be beneficial in a FYC because they don’t have the confidence and the skills to be meta-aware. I think there are several ways in her article that she connects with what I believe to be good practice and want to include into my own (future FYC) classes.

The summary synthesis reports would boast a kind of process for the students and allow them to have easily available all of their summaries, notes, and thoughts about the readings. It also would serve to keep the discussion moving and that is the most difficult part of an FYC because for most students, they still feel very out of place in their knowledge acquisition, and expression of said knowledge. They will also use these reports in order to broaden their interpretations of the readings by sharing what they have gotten from it versus what their classmates have gotten from it. This will help them see that there is not one true answer but a vast array of readings and understandings.

The other part of her plan that I particularly feel drawn to is the work-shopping. When I teach my FYC, I can envision myself using this part to help brain storm, as well to help supplement their progress and information gathering. As humans, we all tend to want the opinions and thoughts of others even if we say we do not and giving the students this opportunity will only further allow them to collaborate and expand their views of composing and the course itself. It is often after a discussion with a peer that my mind is eased and my thoughts become clearer and this will help the students contextualize their arguments for an audience while giving them the opportunity to explain their positions, and provide reasoning, as well.

In my time at Universities (SFA and UHD), I often found Blackboard discussion boards to be a tedious, arduous task but have come to appreciate them for what they attempt to do. Having a discussion board open and required will allow for some of the quiet students to let their opinions be heard, to give relevant information, and to foster their own skills of communicating so that when they are in class, they feel comfortable speaking up or sharing. At this point in the game (depending on when you choose to implement the BB DF) students may be hesitant about what they are composing and reading someone else’s ideas can help them see that when you compose, you can still write, and you can still have that bit of yourself in your work.

Victoria said it best when she said that writing is natural and composing is intentional and I believe that with the right training, guidance, and mentoring, all students will be able to write with intention.

Shipka, Jody.  “Beyond Text and Talk: A Multimodal Approach to First Year Composition.” First-Year Composition From Theory To Practice. Ed. Coxwell-Teague, Deborah and Lunsford, Ronald F.  Anderson:  Parlor Press, 2014.  211-235. Print.

Literacies and their Inclusion

There are several types of literacy and we are firmly planted in the newest age of technological dependency. Being literate in terms of traditional composition and being literate in technology, I feel, are not the same. A small child can be literate in the uses of a tablet, knowing which buttons to push to get to their desired app yet they could not produce a text. It seems that the direction technology is taking education the facilitator of the education will be needed in an expanded role. As educators, many of us are already the givers of knowledge but now we will have to be the technological support, especially if we include, which seems like a must, the multimodal approach to composition. Yancey puts forth this idea of technology mapping in her four quartets and as composition professors, it becomes important for us to be the topographers in this technological map. Students, especially today, will come in being very well versed in technology but will need to situate their use of technology into the educational sphere. They come in knowing how to do the basics of interactions, tweeting, youtubing, creating vines, etc. but many don’t connect these practices with composition. This is a whole different kind of literacy.

The literacy that they come in with from their time in High School will provide a jumping off point in terms of traditional schooling but will have to be refined and polished to include the basics of composing texts beyond the 26 lines they are accustomed. We must incorporate them into the connected world of university life. How might this be done? I very much appreciated Dr. Dimmick’s ideas of creating a personal narrative of their involvement with the University because it allows the student to realize their place in the college while expressing their own style and voice. The way that they might situate those personal narratives will be very telling of how they view themselves and the world around them. As freshman, many of them will still be reeling from the freedoms presented to them in a school setting by allowing them to pick their own class schedule, wear whatever they want, and for some of the boys, (as innocent as it sounds) allow them to wear their facial hair without harassment from admin. It is important to let them situate themselves into their own collegiate experience and having a multimodal assignment where the students are expected to bring in their own technology will help them contextualize the true autonomy they will experience in their 4+ years. It is the duty of professors of English to let them express themselves but also to teach them that in doing so, they are still developing the skills necessary to help them thrive in later classes.

As Banks points out though, not all students will come in being technologically literate enough to do this type of assignment effectively from the beginning and that is why the technological literacy of the professor will come in handy. The University is the place where the technological divide should be bridged. It is our responsibility as professors and educators to extend opportunity to all students in the classroom, and the realization that not all digital natives are presented with the opportune technological lessons to develop their technological literacies and that this does not make their contributions in our classes any less than those of their peers who are extremely proficient with technology use.

Banks, Adam J.  “Oakland, the Word, and the Divide How we all Missed the Moment.”  Cross-Talk in Comp Theory.  Ed. Villanueva, Victor and Arola, Kristin L.  Urbana:  National Council of Teachers of English, 2011.  827-868.  Print.

Yancey, Kathleen Blake.  “Made Not Only in Words Composition in a New Key.”  Cross-Talk in Comp Theory.  Ed. Villanueva, Victor and Arola, Kristin L.  Urbana:  National Council of Teachers of English, 2011.  791-826.  Print.