I am going to present a new media project in line with my teaching curriculum. In order to teach argumentation and rhetoric, I will begin by using the visual aspects of advertising. The project will include supplying the class with newspapers and magazines, or they can bring their own. Each student is to find an advertisement that “sells” him or her on the product. They will cut out their selections and paste them on a bulletin board. The bulletin (poster) board will be divided in three sections and labeled: (1) ethos, (2) pathos, and (3) logos. We will then evaluate which form of Aristotelian logic is most persuasive. The project I will present in class (6480) is the final outcome (the poster) and the resulting observations.
Newer Teaching Philosophy
There are many multi-modal strategies that I have learned this semester that I would like to incorporate into my teaching philosophy; however, I am restricted by what I can and cannot do within the parameters I teach. For example, I teach at Utah Valley State College, and I am restricted by the expectation of the Beginning Composition Department. I am also restricted by the level of students I teach. Students enter my class (ENGH 0890 or ENGH 0990) based on a college entrance exam score. Obviously, I am required to help the students attain a certain level of grammar and writing so that they are able to pass the test in order to enter college-level English (ENGL 1010).
In spite of these restrictions, I am attempting to revise my teaching philosophy to incorporate more multimodal experimentation. I am particularly impressed with Jody Shipka and the examples of some methods she uses in her classroom. The OED is exercise is something I would like to explore. I have decided that I must be ultra-creative in order to balance the expectations of my course requirements and implementing multimodal composition. It is a goal I am excited to pursue.
“Happenings” in Composition
My favorite “Happening” lesson plan is one I use to help students get ready for writing a descriptive essay.
I explain that the most essential component of a descriptive essay is using descriptions based on the five senses (i.e. sound, smell, touch, taste, sight).
First, I tell the students that they must trust me because they will have to close their eyes for most of the presentation.
I also explain that they have been relying on sight to write most of their rhetorical papers. Now, they must use detailed descriptions for the reader to smell, feel, taste, hear, and see what they are writing about.
The number one rule is the student cannot guess what it is. They must describe the object using only the senses.
Step 1: (sound) I ask the students to close their eyes, and I turn on a cued-up DVD that has no dialogue but a lot of action sounds (suspenseful music, running, heavy, breathing)
After I stop the movie, we go around the room and describe how each felt. In other words, what type of memories or emotions did the sounds bring out.
Step 2: (smell) The students close their eyes again. As I rest my hand on the students shoulder, the student knows that there is something in front of his or her nose. After smelling the bottle of spice (cloves), the student describes the feelings or memories using the senses.
At intervals, I ask the other students who have not smelled the spice if they can imagine what their classmates are smelling.
I usually have them go around again smelling another spice like sage. I use these two scents because they are closely related to emotional holidays.
Step 3: (touch) The students are asked to reach into a bag to feel an object and describe it using adjectives that do not say what it is but what it is like. I used to use a sample square from an Intelibed store, but I lost it. I now use a squishy ball with spikes. The idea is to choose something that is unfamiliar.
Step 4: (taste) Once again, the students must close their eyes. They hold out their hands and I ask them to unwrap the object (candy) and put it in their mouths. We go around the class describing the taste and sensation. I use Starburst or Mike & Ikes or something with a variety so one might taste a sour lemon or a sweet cherry. It adds variation.
Step 5: (sight) I ask each student to close his or her eyes and think of a rose. Each student describes his or her own rose. Ideally, the students will all describe a different rose. If the class is large, I will just ask by a show of hands how many had a red rose, a yellow rose, a pink rose, etc. I also ask if the rose is large or small or if it is smooth or thorny.
The idea is to get used to interpreting what others are sensing so that they can incorporate the use of description or word pictures in their writing in order to convey meaning and communicate to be understood.
Then, they are asked to brainstorm, outline, draft, and revise a descriptive essay based on the following topics:
1. A favorite restaurant
2. The ideal teacher
3. Life on a college campus or dorm
4. The best or worst place to work 5. A foreign country
