Palmeri Ch 3 and W/D Ch 1

I really enjoyed this chapter because many of the ideas that Palmeri discussed were relatable to my experiences with students and my attempts to reconcile their affinity for technology with the prizing of alphabetic, linear writing in schools. There is no question that students are more comfortable with digital modes of composing and interacting than traditional ones, and a good teacher will know how to tap into their understanding of technology in an appropriate, balanced way.

In my previous blog post, I wondered about how effective multimodal pedagogical practices were in improving students’ alphabetic abilities. This was a concern because I believe that alphabetic writing is the most prized form of composing in schools and universities. Many of the ideas discussed in this chapter gave me confidence that working in multiple modes would be beneficial in this way and others. Although I agree with Palmeri’s concern that Burnett’s and Thomason’s vision of the multimodal turn lacks a rethinking of “problematic pedagogical practices” (Palmeri 90) such as “error-driven, product-centered pedagogy”, I fully endorse the idea of using “new media as a way to make writing term papers more interesting for students” (Palmeri 99). This is what I have done in my class when I have my students analyze artwork before text because it is often easier and more interesting. I do this to teach concepts such as the creation of thesis statements, gathering evidence, and what analysis really is, all of which are central to alphabetic writing. I am becoming more convinced that multimodal practices reinforce skills that are found outside the specific mode one is engaging with. Lastly, I enjoyed reading about the media collage project Palmeri suggested on page 112 because it asked students to examine aural, visual, and textual media as a vehicle for a comprehensive analytical paper. Without the media collage, I imagine it would be much more difficult for a student to complete the alphabetic part of that assignment.