I had always wanted to read Remix, but for whatever reason never got around to it. I think it has very interesting implications for the future of media, culture, and the Internet. But its relation to teaching composition is less clear. How do we use Lessig's concept of "remixing" in English 101?
Two obvious (and non-exclusive) options present themselves. We could introduce visual media into English 101, and have our students remix it in some way to create media of their own. Or we could attempt to teach them how to remix written texts.
The first of these is appealing from a theoretical perspective as it brings in all the sorts of multimodal conversations we have been having in this class. Students would learn to compose in a different medium, and to use others' work in an interesting new way. But I do not think this could be the sole focus of English 101, as written text needs to be incorporated at some point. This leads to the second option, of remixing written text.
This is a significantly less clear concept. What does it mean to remix text? Our students cannot simply take others' work and rearrange it in an interesting way to create a new text. At least not while fulfilling the goals of the university. But as Johnson-Eilola explained, all texts are related to other texts. Texts are, by their very nature, already remixes. Lessig has a similar viewpoint:
"...remix with "media" is just the same sort of stuff that we've always done with words. It is how Ben wrote. It is how lawyers argue. It is how we all talk all the time. We don't notice it as such, because this text-based remix, whether in writing or conversation, is as common as dust. We take its freedom for granted. We all expect that we can quote, or incorporate, other people's words into what we write or say. And so we do quote, or incorporate, or remix what others have said." (82)
So if we are already remixing, perhaps we need to become aware of it. We need to show our students that they are remixing when they write an essay,
How do we do this? I'm not sure. We could stress to our students that they are participating in an ongoing discussion, show them the importance of entering that discussion. I think this is very important, if only because I was not told this until my senior year of college.
We could also allow the texts that students write to become the texts of the course. This has been mentioned briefly in English 501, but not really elaborated on. As I understand it, the idea is similar to showing students that they are entering a discussion, but instead of the discussion being between distant academics, they create the discussion in the classroom. The texts they write form the discussion, and future texts they write build on it. The students create a sort of microcosm of the academic community.
Whatever we decide to do, it seems clear that we have always been remixing, and that we will always remix. Maybe we just need to let our students know that they are too.
i really like the idea of having students remix already written material, or to have them create their own digital remixes. i think creativity in the classroom can go a LONG way, and students tend to (but not all the time) be more engaged in the lesson behind the creativity if they're feeling so inspired.
ReplyDeletebut sixteen weeks is short. it may seem long, but it is not, and it can be difficult to get even the most basic work (summary, paraphrase, etc) done without worrying about whether or not you'll run out of time. i think, if you're really interested in creating lessons like this, that you might want to think of ways to combine such remixing with summary, paraphrase, quoting lessons. that way, you're killing two birds...? just a thought.
haha wow, Rachel. I feel like you read my mind, and beat me to the response. I, too, like where you're headed with this Matt...the semester just goes by extremely quickly, especially when there is an attempt to incorporate new ideas that might be expecting too much out of our typical first year composition students. There are a lot of exercises that I would really like to add to my own 101 course...but I don't, in fear that it will take away from some of the more important compositional tools that I am attempting to teach them.
ReplyDeleteAnd so, yes, Rachel, I agree that Matt "might want to think of ways to combine such remixing with summary, paraphrase, quoting lessons. that way, you're [he is] killing two birds..."
Malcolm and Rachel, you both sound so traditional here! For good reason I suppose....maybe? I'm curious.
ReplyDeleteMatt, I like this, "So if we are already remixing, perhaps we need to become aware of it. We need to show our students that they are remixing when they write an essay." I like it, in part, b/c I totally agree with you. AND in part b/c I think it answers the concerns Rachel and Malcolm raise.
Also, and this is easy for me to say having not taught 101 in, ooooh, 11 years, BUT is 101 really just all about quoting lessons, paraphrasing, The Academic Essay? Should it be? I still hold pretty firm to my training on this one, which argued that the disciplines (bio, psych, anthro, chem, what have you) should teach students how to write papers in their given field. It then becomes the job of 101 (or whatever it becomes once 101 becomes the responsibility of all disciplines) to teach students to be rhetorically mindful across a range of communicative situations. Which means: there's a ton of room for remix.
OR, what if we teach the "essay" but then have them remix it across a range of mediums?
Remixing is a good example of symbolic-analytic work. We take a piece of information from a source,sort it and then articulate it with a discourse we lived in or read about. in other words, our blogs are a good example of remixing.
ReplyDeletemaybe they are already remixing in some ways, but in others....i don't know. i think that remixes, at least to me, are only remixes when they strive to do something outside the original. it can either provide a commentary, or it can mold the original into something new entirely, but either way, it DOES something else. but, at least in the case of 101 students, they're not always doing that. their remixes consist purely of that collection of dvds that lessig talked about. the kid with the movies. they're collections. nothing more. they will give the information away - they don't want to profit from it. but they also don't really want to interact with it as more than just consumer.
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