Shona's Response to “Shipka, last chapter from _Toward a Composition Made Whole"

[Anonymous]

#866

In this week’s readings, Shipka and Clarke both craft arguments which interact in and about the concept of semiotics – making-meaning, meaning-making, and making or meaning in general. Is this not the aim of effective learning?

Rather than detraction from the pedagogical solidity of the academic reading/writing framework, these articles support the notion that new media scholarship provides a vehicle for enhancing the learning process involved both in traditional essayistic composition and in fostering the civic minded student citizen. As Elizabeth Clarke quotes Yancy, rhetorical pedagogy and the implementation of new technologies in the classroom sets forth the structure for nurturing the “’citizen writers of our country, the citizen writers of the world, and the writers of the future’” (27). It seems important to note the significance of how new media scholarship can work to enhance the underlying meaning potential of traditional alphabetic composition- this is a key element I learned in our course this semester.

In response to the dismissal of media composition as unable to meet an academic standard, Shipka emphasizes attention to the process of composing as means of extracting greater meaning. The author’s process is made accessible and therefore relevant in new media formats which reveal a path toward “exposing our understanding of the multiplicity of modes, genres, moves and strategies that might result in extremely compelling, purposeful work- work that simultaneously challenges and enriches our understanding of the various ways in which, and resources with which, meaning might be made” (135).

This attention to the process of synthesizing our ideas is a highlight of this course. To me, this ties directly into the processual nature of the human being, and all living things, that Gendlin provides us as a point of access for hearing our felt sense. Led by Professor Perl, the process of composing was made particularly visible in the guidelines for composing into new media project assignment. The rests for silent reflection, the “pregnant pause” in Perl’s Chapter 3, Gendlin’s notion that the “living body always implies its next right step” (31), these aspects of understanding seemed to come together in this project. Assigned later in the semester seemed an appropriate step within the progression of learning this new material (new to me). It revealed much about how the process of composing, much like the process of being, offers a great deal of information in refining thoughts and ideas into effective action. For me, composing in these media platforms represented a type of intellectual action that was altogether unfamiliar yet enriching.

This being my first exposure to multi-modal composition, I consider myself fortunate to have practiced (and experimented) this method through the lens of felt sense, which seems to effectively carry forward the multifaceted rhythm of thinking required for creating a significant digital piece. I found my “thesis statement” in each project had to be clear in order to then be legible in a media format. Still, my statements on digital literacy, evocative objects, guidelines for composing, and new media scholarship became clearer through the transitional process of cultivating the meaning of my initial postulation – into a refined media portrayal.

This correlates with what Clark wrote about the development of e-portfolios and the growth from being an “academic performer” to actually sharing work with classmates, friends, family and others (30). Moving away from the performance for the teacher/professor, into conveying ideas for a broader community bolsters the open-access concept of new media scholarship we studied this semester. And, I found that the incredibly personal nature of the work created for the class had to be far more than a performance for the professor. This clarified the significance of the work as it was being created and extended the process of discovering meaning beyond the classroom presentation.

[Sondra Perl]

#875

Very well said, Shona. Great synthesis of the seminar and its impact on you.

[Author]

Posts