Jeanna's thoughts on the article Toward New Media Texts Taking up the Challenges of Visual Literacy.

Through reading this article I can see how diverse education can be if we use these programs that are discussed in the article. It is something to think about when we talk about literacy. Visual literacy is a fun and interesting way to communicate. It all boils down to communication. It is just another form of communication. Literacy is being able to comprehend what is being read, said, or seen. Literacy is also about being able to communicate to others your own writings, speech, and visuals.

I can really see how some people might have the opinion as the article says, "if the teacher that continues to focus solely on teaching alphabetic composition - either online or in print-- will run the risk of making composition studies increasingly irrelevant to students engaging in contemporary pactices of communication." (72) I do believe this. Even as a student who is not very visual literate, and it at times feels crippling when given assignments that require the ability to create and design the visuals. That is a horrible feeling. If I feel that way, and I am a senior in college, can you imagine how people in businesses and other places that have only been taught communication only comes from a form of alphabet text. We do need to teach with using the visuals so that we can be better understood, and so we can better understand someone. It might be the difference between getting a job or not because the one who can communicate who they are, and what they know the best is the one that will get the job. We should start young and build from there so our country will be on the leading edge of literacy. This will give the people in our country the ability to communicate most effectively with people in other parts of the world.

When we learn how to use the visuals, as the article calls it, than it will be like being an artist, as the article says. We will create and design things for the use of better communication that will benefit the people around us.

Jeanna's response to Chapter 11

Jeanna Rowell Response to Chapter 11
This chapter talks about teachers who are not preparing students for college level writing, and how teachers are still staying with the 5 paragraph format for writing essays. I think in order for teachers to began teaching with a broader range of writing strategies, the teachers will need to have an understanding of the benefits of Conley's strategies for writing, especially using the internet, and strategies of that kind. I think many times teachers do not deviate from the traditional format because they do not believe it will benefit students with the MCT and the ACT.
After reading chapter 11 it is clear to me that if teachers would use some of the strategies that Conley suggest, they would quickly find these methods would help students score higher on standardized testing. The strategies are very practical and interesting for the student to use. The text discussed authentic writing; however, many times when student’s are forced to write on a topic they have little or no knowledge about, or do not like, the student’s are not going to produce a paper that is of any substance. That is why I agree with Conley’s ideas on authentic writing. I really enjoyed this reading because it has so many ideas on how to get students to write. I will save this text so I can refer back to chapter 11 when I want to think of strategies that will help my students.