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.
