The Pitfalls of Teaching Digital Writing and Creating
Dalton’s article on digital literacy and multimodal writing was a helpful read, and I particularly benefited from the section on “pitfalls” to look out for while teaching multimodal design. Throughout this course, we have dedicated a significant amount of time to learning about and discussing multimodality in teaching ELA, but Dalton’s specific advice cover areas that I had not considered.
Pitfall 1: “Avoid relying on Writing First, Multimedia Second.”
Keeping in mind that a large part of my job as an ELA teacher will be to teach writing, it is a helpful reminder that writing traditionally first is not always the best way to approach an assignment. From my understanding, this does not necessarily mean that writing processes need to be ignored - there is still room for brainstorming, outlining, production, and reflection - but we must keep in mind that for many students, being expected to write out a complete product on paper prior to creating said product may hinder their creative process. Instead, we can offer multiple paths for them to follow and then observe their journeys and progress.
Pitfall 2: “Scaffolding is Valuable, Too Much Scaffolding Can Be Limiting”
This is a pitfall I could see myself falling into very easily. Scaffolding is always going to be necessary, but it is important to be cognisant of how the scaffolding I choose impacts students’ progress. Some students may need language scaffolding, or support during particular sections of the process (getting started, wrapping up, getting stuck along the way, etc.); however, intense scaffolding can unintentionally lead to rigidity. I would not want students to feel that they must use every sentence starter, outline, etc. that I provide. It is important to keep the real goal in mind: to build up students’ skills, confidence, curiosity, and creativity. To do that, I need to ensure that my scaffolds are supporting students from below, helping them build upwards and not pressing in on them from every side, halting their progress.
Pitfall 3: “Don’t Wait to Be the Expert Before Teaching Multimodal Design”
There is so much we can learn from students, especially about technology, since they are being raised with and exposed to technology that we have to go out of our way to learn. Of course, if I plan on expecting students to use a digital media program to create something for my class, I need to have a grasp on it myself first. That doesn’t mean that I need to pretend to be an expert by any means, rather, I can take it as an opportunity to encourage students to become teachers (both to me, and to their peers) and to share their expertise.
Photo Credit: https://www.macpricesaustralia.com.au/sales/educational-pricing/
Pitfall 1: “Avoid relying on Writing First, Multimedia Second.”
Keeping in mind that a large part of my job as an ELA teacher will be to teach writing, it is a helpful reminder that writing traditionally first is not always the best way to approach an assignment. From my understanding, this does not necessarily mean that writing processes need to be ignored - there is still room for brainstorming, outlining, production, and reflection - but we must keep in mind that for many students, being expected to write out a complete product on paper prior to creating said product may hinder their creative process. Instead, we can offer multiple paths for them to follow and then observe their journeys and progress.
Pitfall 2: “Scaffolding is Valuable, Too Much Scaffolding Can Be Limiting”
This is a pitfall I could see myself falling into very easily. Scaffolding is always going to be necessary, but it is important to be cognisant of how the scaffolding I choose impacts students’ progress. Some students may need language scaffolding, or support during particular sections of the process (getting started, wrapping up, getting stuck along the way, etc.); however, intense scaffolding can unintentionally lead to rigidity. I would not want students to feel that they must use every sentence starter, outline, etc. that I provide. It is important to keep the real goal in mind: to build up students’ skills, confidence, curiosity, and creativity. To do that, I need to ensure that my scaffolds are supporting students from below, helping them build upwards and not pressing in on them from every side, halting their progress.
Pitfall 3: “Don’t Wait to Be the Expert Before Teaching Multimodal Design”
There is so much we can learn from students, especially about technology, since they are being raised with and exposed to technology that we have to go out of our way to learn. Of course, if I plan on expecting students to use a digital media program to create something for my class, I need to have a grasp on it myself first. That doesn’t mean that I need to pretend to be an expert by any means, rather, I can take it as an opportunity to encourage students to become teachers (both to me, and to their peers) and to share their expertise.
Photo Credit: https://www.macpricesaustralia.com.au/sales/educational-pricing/
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