I was pleased to see that the Selfe text recommends teachers rely heavily on their knowledge of teaching rhetorical analysis as they prepare to give multimodal assignments. Indeed, it seems that Selfe suggests that a teacher who has mastered the understanding and teaching of rhetorical analysis is ready to move on to giving multimodal assignments, even if her background is not technological. I also think giving multimodal assignments to teach rhetorical analysis can help students, first, get a better understanding of what rhetorical analysis is and, second, get a better understanding of why it is important. For instance, it's important to perform rhetorical analysis on the television ads we see for political candidates because knowing the author of the message, its goal, and the ways through which it attempts to achieve that goal can help us evaluate our trust for the ad. I often give these kinds of assignments in the classroom, assignments where students are asked to evaluate in multiple modalities. Here is an assignment I gave last week, for instance:
Activity #1 Begin Introducing Informative Essay
a. How is writing to inform different than writing to persuade?
Students talk in groups for a couple of minutes, then move to whole group
b. Remind the students of the John Lennon song “Imagine” that they watched. Watch the song again, and ask students to post (if they haven't yet) where they see Lennon using ethos, logos, and pathos in the song (This is a RA activity I did second week.)
c. Have the students watch the video for the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Questions:
- What are the main differences between Lennon's goal in the song “Imagine” and Lightfoot's in “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”?
- We see how Lennon uses ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade in his song “Imagine;” what elements does Lightfoot use to inform?
- Do you note any persuasive elements in Lightfoot's piece? If so, what are they? Should their be elements of persuasion in a piece that is meant to inform?
This assignment asks students to identify rhetorical appeals in a persuasive song and contrast that song with an informative song. The ensuing discussion lead us to think about Lennon's politics and Lightfoot's biases. Even though some of the students originally told me that they had no idea how to analyze Lennon's song, they were soon coming up with examples of ethos, logos, and pathos. I think the activity was especially effective because this was a "real life" scenario where they were being asked to evaluate a "real life" message from pop culture, not a textbook example that they would probably not be able to translate into real life.
With proper scaffolding (using assignments like these), I think creating a multimodal assignment that asks students to use the rhetorical elements to effectively convince a real audience is very beneficial, as students will not only begin to better understand the daunting concept of RA, but they will also begin to be more vigilant consumers of the messages that are given to them.
Right now, at PUC, I am working with an assignment that allows a multimodal option, should the students choose to accept it. When completing the new informative essay, students can choose to write a set of directions, with which they may include photos or other visual aids. I have really encouraged a few students to add photos or diagrams to their pieces, suggesting that the process would be confusing without them, and they've been hesitant to do so. In fact, instead of adding a simple photo, they've been more likely to ask if they can pick another genre!
When Selfe writes: "What most teachers add to the process of composing multimodal assignments is a strong background in rhetoric--an understanding of purpose, audience, organization, arrangement, and form," I am tempted to agree, and to even think that a teacher might have an easier time of teaching the actual concept of RA through multimodalities, though assigning an actual multimodal project will still have its frustrations.
The multimodal option you mention could be modeled from Shipka's many examples. She has already tested these ideas, so it might be less intimidating than to try to innovate on your own, which is time-consuming work. I particularly admired the student who submitted a test with the trick mirrors to recreate her experiences of frustration for the receiever of her multimodal text. I thought that the idea was not only creative, but was an excellent example of a minimally technologically dependent project (just the creation of mirror image text). Seeing examples like these, even though they do not specifically address your prompt, might help students to understand the type of creativity and thought they are expected to put into the project.
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ReplyDeleteHey Miranda,
ReplyDeleteYes. A teacher would definitely be giving students a strong background in rhetoric and rhetorical theory. In my opinion, this is the reason it should be done. In order to help students understand how the various modes of discourse operate--many times buried deep within comfortable everyday norms--they will need a the idealogical blankets removed. Political ads are one thing, but pointing out how patriarchy is represented in a toothpaste commercial is quite another. Learning rhetoric does all this.
Hi Miranda, I just want to say that besides (as always) learning from what you wrote, I think that the last bit you touched upon- the fact that the multimodal assignment can be frustrating (I think it is!)Makes it such a great opportunity to learn!!! And, of-course rewarding (for teacher and student) Anything worth doing Or in this case learning is worth doing well! And, I also think that the worst part about the learning process of the new school is finding the right people to teach it. I have worked with a lot a lot of people and they have had good intentions, but maybe as with all things the reality of really learning a subject is individually sweat! And, I can't remember where I read it this week, but there was some mention of stats on folks who scream at their computer- I am in that number! -Angie
ReplyDeleteLaura--While I admire many of the assignments in both the Shipka and the Selfe text (and I have also encountered many other great ones from Tom Romano's work on Multigenre writing), I am always hesitant to incorporate others' ideas into my classroom in the exact way that they have published them. As teachers, we all deal with constraints, and my constraints are such that assignments in this form would not fit into my classroom. I teach a freshmen composition course at the university that requires that I use the same assignments as others, so I really only have leeway in the mini assignments I create. And since many of these projects are larger, longer projects, I cannot use them as is in my classroom. In addition, I teach a 12th grade advocacy writing class with two students where I plan to have a whole unit on multimodal composing as it pertains to persuasion in the spring. However, I have one student with no Internet access at home and a very old computer who has to do all her technological work at school, and the teachers tell me all the computer labs are in use during her study hall. For this reason, I've been trying to create my own assignments that I can give despite these constraints. What I'd meant to stress in my post was that I tend to give multimodal assignments as analysis assignments--for students to "read" and analyze, but I tend not to give them as assignments that students create. I think many teachers succumb to this phenomenon. Perhaps it is just because it is easier, or because they see the value in multimodal texts, but do not know how to assign them.
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