Thinking about Multimodality: Takayoshi & Selfe

Takayoshi, Pamela. "Chapter 1." Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. 
                By Cynthia L. Selfe. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton, 2007. Print.
In chapter 1 of Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers, Takayoshi and Selfe cite that times are changing, especially in terms of the way we now put words on a page. In the past, writing was very straightfoward-- black words on a white page with sensible and expected formatting. Now, because of the multimodality of our compositions, we can branch out into countless types of publications. It's important for teachers to realize that they have to be responsible enough to let their students know about these multimodal opportunities, and expose them to chances to use them whenever possible. 


I like this text because it really addresses an important issue. Like a lot of other texts we've read, it goes into the problem of teachers wanting to use new technologies, but not really knowing how to incorporate them. This is due to lots of reasons, like available class time, student access, lack of knowledge about new technologies in general, and levels of individual student learning. I really like the Wysocki quote that says, "To be responsible teachers, we need to help our students (as well as ourselves) learn how different choices in visual arrangement in all texts (on screen and off) encourage different kinds of meaning making and encourage us to take up." This is a great observation, because it proves that not only should be embrace new types of modalities in writing, but we should realize that these different types of modalities encourage new writing experiences that provide for unique and different learning. Realizing this could make teachers more excited about embracing them, and will definitely excite students-- something new is always exciting. 


What confuses me is teacher resistance to multimodal composing. The chapter states, "Today, many teachers of English composition worry about the effects of computers and the increasingly vernacular expressions
of multimodality that digital environments have encouraged." The chapter goes on to say that multimodality isn't limited to digital texts, and has actually been going on for quite some time-- think textbooks with pictures, etc. I just have trouble understanding all this resistance. Is it a problem of all the students being able to grasp or benefit from this technology? Do teachers feel uncomfortable straying from time honored teaching practices?


I'd like to know more about the following question found within the chapter: "Why should English composition faculty teach multimodal composing? Shouldn’t we stick to teaching writing and let video production faculty teach video? Art and design faculty teach about visual images? Audio production faculty teach about sound?"
This is a problem I've come across a lot in a research project I'm doing in another class. This project is all about the lack of word processor training among older adult students in the community college environment. The big debate is, "whose job is it to teach them?" Nobody wants to do it, but everyone wants it done. Why is this always such a problem?