The Challenge of the Multi Media Essay

Where should technology be taught?
Lester Lewis compares the immersion of the World Wide Web into society to that of the telegraph, suggesting that the latter made greater change within society then did the Internet. According to Lester, “That the World Wide Web has expanded so rapidly suggests that it is not so new, because people immediately recognize its uses.” (181). He goes on to define the major changes that had occurred over time following the introduction of the telegraph. Personally, I see tremendous changes within our society since the access to the Web has become commonplace. Similar to the scene beginning the essay, I find people instant messaging their friends, whereas prior to the Internet, office workers walked to the next office and kids walked to their friend’s houses. Many more people work from home and shop from home. Research time has been reduced and distance to other nations has been shortened. On the down side, predators and exploitation has increased and privacy decreased.

At any rate, the point of Lewis’s essay is that composition classes will need to include the use of new technologies available so that students are prepared for the real world. Given that, as Lewis points out on page 179, “Employers, administrators, and even accrediting agencies want more technology intensive courses . . .”, technology will need to be utilized in most courses. However, while the author promotes the inclusion of “images” in composition, I wonder if time spent on technology such as web design would steal time from the study and implementation of writing. Should learning these skills be taking time away from academics or should they be taught as a separate class dedicated specifically for that purpose? Students could then supplement their assignments with the skills they have already mastered.