It seems like much of the tension surrounding multimodal composition is focused on new media technology. Branscum and Toscano address many of those concerns in chapter seven, “Experimenting with multimodality.” The authors emphasize a need to “focus on rhetorical effectiveness” when experimenting with multimodal composition (p. 85). This is a good point, too, because it reiterates the fact that we are, first, teaching composition (which should comfort those who are queasy about new technology), and that new writing technologies should be used to fulfill our purpose.
Many of the suggestions in the chapter may seem like common sense, but I’m guessing when something goes wrong in the classroom, common sense might fly out the window. The point is...this is a great reference chapter to have on hand.
The authors also explain how a class might go about learning a new software program or piece of equipment:
-Keep a technology log to jot down notes and comments when learning to use new software or equipment. These can be printed for everyone else in the classroom or posted on Vista for reference. If one person is testing something new, he or she can share what is learned to others who might benefit from that technology. Not only does this support collaborative learning, it also emphasizes the knowledge gained from personal experience and teaching others.
-Take advantage of other campus resources: IT departments and the library multimedia lab. It might be helpful to have a specialist come to your class to discuss new technologies, or perhaps take a field trip to the library and check it out in person.
Below are some web resources for new media technology and relevant issues that I find helpful:
http://dmp.osu.edu/DMAC/resources.html
-This site has various PDF documents that are quite handy, such as a multimodality bibliography and an Audacity handbook.
http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~awysocki/resources01.html
-Don’t miss the “toolbar” at the top left corner of the page.
http://www.lynda.com/
-Video tutorials, etc. I think there is a trial you can get for free, but after that you might have to dig into that student loan. I admit it, this is kind of a tease, but it’s probably worth it if you’re going to buy a bunch of software handbooks anyway…
http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~schneidw/digital/
-This is a web page for one of my OU digital imaging professors; it’s dense, but has really good information and detailed explanations. If you want to learn how to use Photoshop, this is your man.
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