Student Voices.

Despite all of the theory and pedagogy surrounding digital composition, I think the best case is made by the student composers themselves.

Pushing the

Limits of the Linear and Overcoming challenges

"I have been writing papers for years now, but digitizing them and incorporating outside sources to make a simple paper into a multi-media assignment was new. I have never really had to think too much about how I want my project to flow because it always was linear and top to bottom. This semester I had to think about where to add images and buttons and links and videos. Just like my blog, this pushed me outside my comfort zone to something I had never really had experience in, and showed me that I loved it.

I am such a fan of taking a paper and turning it almost into art. It was so fun and the designing of the digital aspect made writing the paper easier and more enjoyable. Learning that I was skilled in design for the digital aspect was awesome too because now I can use that in other areas of my life! Digitizing the projects really gave something extra to my writing. I haven’t had an English class that really encouraged me to bring new ideas into the classroom for a couple years now and this class really made me like English class again, even if it was challenging!"

"I have become more confident as a writer during this summer semester. I have tackled topics that I feel strongly about such as the downfall of country music in my blog post “No, I won’t shake it for you” and the effects of iPads on children in my inquiry project “Generation iPad.” I used to just have these thoughts in my mind, but never wrote them down on paper. I thought that it was a waste of time or that I wouldn’t be able to find the right words to say.

The blog definitely kept me accountable for keeping up with my writing. I wrote my thoughts more coherently than if I wrote them in a diary because people may actually read my blog posts. My thoughts and beliefs have more meaning now because someone will see them. My thoughts are no longer stored away in the dusty corners of my mind but out in the open."

Gaining

Authority and Confidence as a digital writer

LINK TO WRITER REFLECTION

LINK TO WRITER WEBSITE

LINK TO WRITER BLOG

Finding personal voice and choice

LINK TO WRITER REFLECTION

LINK TO WRITER WEBSITE

"I never knew all that I was capable of until this class. I could credit this on many things, but if I were to pick out what helped me the most, it was most likely the digital essays. They were by far the hardest part of this class, but I learned the most from each of them. Before this class I had never heard of a digital essay, and by looking at the requirements online for the first time I knew there would be challenge. But, in fact, these helped me find my voice in my writing!

By including digital elements such as videos and images, and formatting the pages, I was able to really allow my point to come across to the audience. Without these digital components, my paper would have been average just like all of the other papers I have ever written. The digital elements also helped me to get excited about my writing. In a lot of the sections, I wanted my page to model my thinking; therefore, I noticed writing came easier. As I began to write, I was really able to personalize my writing."

LINK TO DIGITAL INQUIRY