Reading Reflection # 2: Palmeri’s Chapters 3 & 4 Remixing Composition: A History of the Multimod

In chapter four, “Zooming Out: Notes Towards a History of Cameras and Writing” ( 1971-84), Palmeri makes brilliant comparisons and shows the interconnectedness between composing with images and composing with words.

In his first Track, “Writing with Light”, Palmeri shows how utilizing photography can empower students to see the importance of “point of view,” in alphabetic writing. In this section Pameri uses Donald Murray’s textbook Write to Learn which shows the similarities between photography ( writing with light) and alphabetic composition (writing with words). Murray deepens this metaphor by pointing out that many of our students have already “become cameras” in their day-to-day lives; they are making sense of the world by zooming in and paying attention to things of most importance to them. But Murray points out that that even if our students are already “cameras,” they may not be the cameras we want them to be. Therefore, he asks his students to reimagine how they see with/as a camera, so they can come to notice aspects of the visual world they often overlook. “By connecting alphabetic writing to photography, Murray ultimately suggest that alphabetic writing is a visual-kinesthetic art --- an art that requires its practitioners to constantly shift the embodied positions from which they see.” (123)

When teaching writing, I often use photography as a metaphor as well. In fact, I often prompt my students with the photo I have included in this post. When this photo comes on the screen, most of my students respond with “awe!” or "That is so cute!" After the initial oohing and aahing, I then ask the class if anyone finds this picture disturbing, or found themselves wondering where the girls parents are, or what her facial expression is. The exercise points out the assumptions one has to make in order to to find this image so heartwarming, leading us into a conversation about assumptions and point of view, which we rely on in our day-to-day life to make sense of our world, and that are of equal importance and need of consideration when writing. Murray’s argument got me thinking about I could deepen this prompt to further see how photography serves as a metaphor for alphabetical writing.

In his second track, “Shooting Composition” Palmeri demonstrates the way the use of digital video can help students see the similarities and differences between composing with moving images and words, and in his third track, “Filming Berthoff,” Palmeri reveals how the filmmaking process can be applied to alphabetic writing. I was most intrigued by the analogy made between the editing of film and the editing of writing. Often early writers see editing a paper as merely an opportunity to correct their mechanics, but I want my students to see the revision process as a reimagining of their work to achieve their purpose. William Costanzo writes in Double Exposure: Composing through Writing and Film, “If students can come to understand the value of experimenting with multiple ways of creatively recombining shots in film, they may also become inspired to consider multiple options for arranging words in the alphabetic texts they compose” (131).

In his fourth track “Remaking Televisions,” Palmeri states "The development of critical consciousness is simply an alphabetical process of renaming the world; it is multimodal process of reseeing, rehearing and refeeling the world as well. As a result, students may improve their ability to analyze and challenge oppressive social structures if they have the opportunity to compose video dramas, that combine aural , visual, alphabetic, and visual ways of knowing” ( 139). Palmeri shows how television can serve as a means to teach students how to unpack and think critically about unjust power structures. In Ira Shor’s, he argues This section was particularly eye-opening to me, as it is always my aim to empower my students to see themselves as global citizens with agency. Television, which is ingrained in my student’s lives, is often regarded as mere “spectator” activity, and I want my students to see that they can apply the skills we use to study literature to their viewing of other mediums as well. For example, when teaching story elements, I ask my students to watch an episode of a sitcom of their choice, and identify the plot structure to the show. My students are of course excited to 'watch TV for homework', but the assignment also allows them to better understand these terms and to see television as more than just spectator activity. Shor's argument inspired me to think of new ways to incorporate television

into more assignments with new objectives. I want to provide my students with opportunities to apply critical analysis to such programs they watch in their day-to-day life, and help them see how they can utilize their composition tools to be advocates for social change.

#video