Digitally Mediated Composing and You: A Beginner's Guide to Understanding Rhetoric and Writing in an Interconnected World
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2024
Pages: 298
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Digitally Mediated Composing and You: A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Rhetoric and Writing in an Interconnected World is centered on the idea that contemporary writing is always already embedded in digital contexts and mediated through digital technologies and that this writing is always already embedded in public, civic, and social contexts. Students are writing more than ever before thanks to their digital technologies: remixing ideas, creating knowledge, and utilizing ever-evolving tools to invent and circulate meaning. Scholars of composition and first-year writing know that these sites of invention are synergistic to collaborative knowledge making in the classroom, however, with most textbooks focusing on traditional methods and approaches, dynamic processes like remix and civic engagement are missing from first-year composition textbooks. Prompted by these limitations, this textbook engages with the realities of student composing, centering upon the writing that students are already doing, re-positioning a critical eye to challenge students to consider the important rhetorical work they’re completing.
This textbook takes the position that students are already taking part in valuable and dynamic conversations both within the class and beyond, and the goal of this textbook is to help students understand and create writing that does work in the world—so while writing for academe is an important part of our text, we consider the composing that students will encounter in the classroom and beyond. To support students and their instructors, each chapter includes sample assignments and in-class activities to help extend the theories and concepts of this textbook into classroom conversations and student work.
Some sample chapters in this textbook include: Entering the Conversation, which explores power, ideologies, discourse communities and code switching as features of conversations students will encounter in the world; Multimodality and Remix, chapters which explore writing in and through multiple modes and helping students to make strategic choices for their writing; Information Literacies in the Era of Fake News, which helps students to develop a contemporary information literacy, and Engaged Citizenship: Joining the Conversation, which makes connections between writing, citizenship, and making change in the world. The book also has chapters on Rhetoric; Listening, Reading, and Writing Rhetorically; Kairos, Community Sponsored Literacies, Space and Place, and Understanding the Materiality of Writing.
Preface to the Second Edition by Stephanie Hedge '
Introduction by Stephanie Hedge
What Is This Book?
Why Read This Book?
How Does This Book Act as “Guide”?
What Am I Going to Learn?
What Do I Do When I’m Done With This Book?
Interlude I on Belonging: A Guide to Finding Yourself in the Writing Classroom by Molly Ryan
Chapter 1—Understanding the Materiality of Writing by Stephanie Hedge and Courtney Cox
Student Profile: Basira
Writing With Your Whole Body
Materiality and Mediation
Writing Practice
Understanding Your Writing Practices Through Research and Analysis
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Barriers and Supports Assignment
Chapter 2—Understanding the Conversation(s) by Courtney Cox, Stephanie Hedge, and Yannel Celestrin
Student Profile: Jordan
Writing and Power
Situated Writing
Discourse Communities
Code-Switching (by Yannel Celestrin)
Student Profile: Ximena
What Is Code-Switching?
Academic Writing and Code Meshing
Why Do We Code Switch and Code Mesh?
Understanding the Conversation(s)
Understanding the Conversation(s) in the Classroom
Understanding the Conversation(s) in Academe
Understanding the Conversation(s) in the University
Understanding the Conversation(s) in the World
Entering the Conversation
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Writing in the Disciplines Assignment
Interlude II on Engagement: Fostering Connection in Your Writing by Rita Kondrath
Chapter 3—What Is Rhetoric by Sarah Collins
Student Profile: Junjie
What Is Rhetoric?
Why Study Rhetoric?
Rhetoric and College Writing
When Is Rhetoric?
The Rhetorical Situation
Topic
Purpose
Author
Audience
Genre
Context
Where Is Rhetoric?
Who Is Rhetoric?
Rhetoric Is Social
Rhetoric Is Power
Rhetoric Is Change
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Practicing Rhetoric
Chapter 4—Rhetorical Listening and the Importance of Paying Attention by Courtney Cox
Student Profile: Adaora
Rhetorical Listening
Silence as More Than Passive Pause
Rhetorical Listening Practices
Rhetorical Listening and Your Own Process
Citation as Rhetorical Listening Praxis
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Rhetorical Listening Annotated Bibliography
Chapter 5—Reading Rhetorically by Jennifer Whalen and Scott Fenton
Student Profile: Ollie
Reader Response Theory
Reading Rhetorically
Reading as a Process
Prereading
Annotation
Postreading
Physical vs. Digital
Reading in the World
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Reader Response Assignment
Chapter 6—Writing Rhetorically by Elizabeth Imafuji
Student Profile: Mirai
Rhetorical Appeals
Pathos, or Persuasion Through Emotion
Logos Is an Appeal to Logic and Argument
Ethos, or Persuasion Through Character
Kairos Is Rhetorical Timeliness
The Rhetorical Triangle
All About Audience
Understanding Rhetorical Appeals Through Research and Analysis Online Reviews
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Policy Statements
Interlude III on AI by Livia Arndal Woods
Chapter 7—Process by Brittany Anne Carlson
Student Portrait: Jamarion, Lee-Anthony, and Jordan
“The” Writing Process
Parts of the Process
Invention
Brainstorming
Freewriting
Research
Drafting
Rhetorical Plan
Outlining
Drafting the Prose
Revision
Revising
Editing
Sharing
Responding to Feedback
The Writing Is Done, Now What?
Publication
Reflection
Process-Based Writing Beyond the Classroom
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Class Activity
Chapter 8—Genre by Sami Pierce, Sarah Collins, and Stephanie Hedge
Student Profile: Santiago
What Is Genre?
Why Are We So Focused on Categorizing Things?
Where Do Genres Come From?
Why Do We Think About Genre When We Write?
Genre and Rhetoric
Encoding What We Value
Genre and Writing
What Genre Is This?
Encountering Genre in the World
Common Academic Genres
Common Professional Writing Genres
Common Digital Genres
Navigating New and Unfamiliar Genres
Genre and Research
Genre in the World: Social Justice and Civic Engagement
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Fairy Tale Genre Swap
Interlude IV on Literacy Narratives: It’s Not (Just) Your Story by Akash Belsare
Chapter 9—Multimodality by Elisabeth Buck
Student Profile: Clara
Defining Multimodality
Why Write in Multiple Modes
Multimodal Strategies for Understanding Your Writing Processes
Becoming a Critically Engaged Multimodal Composer
Multimodality and Social Media
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Sample Assignment: Building an Ideal Working Environment
Chapter 10—Remix by Stephanie Hedge
Student Portrait: Jamal and Shanae
Remix
Why Do We Remix?
Context
Purpose
Audience
Practicing Remix
Participatory Culture
Remix and Research Papers
Remix and Audiences in Academe and Beyond
Remix and Protest
Ethical Remix
Research and Analysis: Memes
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Podcast Remix
Interlude V on Student Language Trauma: Using “More Educated” Language by K.M. Begian-Lewis
Chapter 11—Voice by Molly Ryan, Rita Kondrath, and Stephanie Hedge
Student Portrait: Annie
What Do We Mean When We Say “Voice” in Writing?
Your Unique and Irreplaceable Voice
Why Does Your Voice Matter?
Diverse Voices
Who Gets to Speak, and What Voices Do We Hear?
Writing and Identity
Finding Your Voice
Using “I”
Developing a Lexicon
Making Stylistic Choices
Experiment with Other Maneuvers
Including Footnotes or Endnotes
“Authentic” Voice
Research as an Act of Lifting Voices
Lifting Your Own Voice
Lifting the Voices of Others
Speaking in Chorus
Conclusion: Entering the Conversation as Yourself
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Interview with Yourself
Chapter 12—Kairos by Matthew Schering
Student Profile: Jeff
Writing and Time
What Is Time: Chronos
What Is Time: Kairos
Encountering Kairos
Kairos and the Other Appeals
Ethos
Logos
Pathos
Kairos in Digital Media
Research and Analysis
Reading and Researching Kairotically
Writing Kairotically
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Annotated Timeline
Interlude VI on Place, Wandering, and Voice by Sara Lupita Olivares
Chapter 13—Space and Place by Daymon Kiliman
Student Portrait: Rashawn
Introduction
Multiple Ways We Experience Space and Place
The Spaces and Places Where Compositions Go (and What Happens When They Get There)
Peers, Audiences, Feedback, and Practice
How Difference Impacts Our Experiences of Space and Place
The Spaces and Places That Influence Who We Are and How We Communicate
Understanding Space and Place Through Research and Analysis
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Exploring the Significance of Space and Place
Chapter 14—Community-Sponsored Literacies by Lauren McPherson
Student Portrait: Jules
Literacy: What It Is and Where It Comes From
People as Literacy Stakeholders
Systems as Literacy Stakeholders
Marks of Literacy: Beyond the Page
Conclusion: Toward Civic Literacy
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Sample Assignment: Literacy Narrative
Interlude VII on Community-Sponsored Literacy: Understanding the Conditions for Learning by Jason Conde
Chapter 15—Research Writing by Liping Yang
Student Profile: Louisa
What Is Research Writing?
Research Writing Theory: An Ongoing and Unending Conversation
Research Question and Method
Primary Research
Secondary Research
You Are Already a Researcher
Listening in: Critical Engagement Through Research Writing
Critical Reading
Putting in Your Oar
The Genre of Research Writing
Research Writing: Structure
Title
Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Results and Discussion
Conclusion
References and Resources
Using the Words of Others as We Converse
Synthesizing Sources
Summative and Analytical Writing: Précis and Annotated Bibliography
Source Integration
AEC Method
Source Integration Techniques
Quoting
Paraphrasing
Summary
Synthesis Versus Integration
Citation Theory and Practice: In-Text Citations and References
American Citation Style and Format Citation Management Software
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: The Research Paper
Interlude VIII on Information Literacy: A Story of Vulnerability in Three Acts by Stephanie Hedge
Chapter 16—Engaged Citizenship: Joining the Conversation by Jessica Kubiack
Student Portrait: Tristen
What Is Citizenship?
Citizenship and Literacy
Understanding Citizenship
Civic Engagement and Change-Making
Mechanisms for Engagement
Writing and/as Action
Genre Awareness and Action
Reflection and Acti
Observation and Action
Action Research: Joining the Conversation
Step One: Problem Finding
Step Two: Make a Plan
Step Three: Take Action
Step Four: Refle
Step Five: Revise
Conclusion
Suggested Readings
Classroom Activity
Assignment Sheet: Step One of the Action Research Process
Interlude IX on Civic Engagement: Palestine by Stephanie Hedge
Conclusion by Courtney Cox
Contributor Bios
Dr. Stephanie Hedge (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor of English and the director of the Writing Program at the University of Illinois Springfield, where she teaches classes on digital literacies, the intersections between English studies and emergent technologies, and the ways that words do work in the world. She researches digitally mediated pedagogies and games, and she is the coeditor of Roleplaying Games in the Digital Age: Essays on Transmedia Storytelling,Tabletop RPGs and Fandom from McFarland (2021).
Courtney Cox (she/her/hers) is a doctoral candidate at Illinois State University, where she teaches classes in rhetoric, composition, and technical communication. She earned her MA in Digital Publishing at the University of Illinois Springfield in 2017. Courtney is also Assistant Editor of Rhetoric Review
and Associate Managing Editor of Xchanges.
.