David Buckingham says in “Introducing Identity” that digital media shapes young people’s identities. I think that the internet makes it easier for people to create multiple identities.
In “Students Who Teach Us” by Cynthia L. Selfe talks about how composition teachers are slow to utilizing media texts in the classroom. New media is different from print text in that it increases interactivity and creates multiple literacies (seeing, listening, writing and reading)
People who are familiar with printed text may have a difficult time adopting the new media.
Something that print text cannot offer is aesthetics and design along with information. New media, therefore, caters to a wide audience. Some interesting quotes are brought up in this article:
“New media texts now exist on William Blake, the Salem Witch trials, hip hop, the architectural history of Rome… among many other topics” (44)
Coverage of historical events is more accessible and convenient for the younger generation to get a hold of.
Also, “Imaginative texts percolates through the sub strata of composition classrooms in direct contrast to students’ laissez faire attitudes toward more conventional texts” (44) This means that there is more enthusiasm to learning. If teachers can utilize this enthusiasm, it would make for a dynamic curriculum.
The essay also talks about how students can be teachers as well, as they can teach the older generation of new computer capabilities. Rather than curriculum being teacher-centered, students can benefit from teaching their teachers new computer skills.
In Selfe’s “Becoming Literate in the Information Age” there is talk of increasing computer usage. Selfe says “writers might compose differently with computers but probably not better.” This is problematic because computers may not help people become better writers.
Two people’s lives were followed as case studies in Selfe’s article. Both of these people, Melissa and Brittney grew up in middle class families. The term “cultural ecology” was introduced. Selfe points out that schools are not the sole places where people gain access to digital literacy (644). From 1978-2003 personal computers slowly became commercially available into composition classrooms. In the 1970’s computer programming was introduced into classrooms. Britney was born into an era of internet and email. She grew up with computer as a child while Melissa taught herself how to use computers when they were first being used in the military. Britney says, “I appreciate when my teachers embrace technology” (660). She also says, “We do best at things we have a genuine interest in, not those that are spoon-fed to us.”
If English teachers can address new literacies in their classrooms, that would make a more dynamic way for students to learn.
Teaching Writing in a Digital Age 
I like the idea you pointed out about how students can in a sense, me teachers themselves. Teaching teachers new forms of digital literacy and more importantly, teaching an older generation about technology as well. One aspect of you blog though that really gets me excited, is the fact that students now (myself included) are able to get a hold of classical and very old documents and are able to research events, such as the Salem Witch trials, so closely. I’ve always been apprehensive about technology, I see there are some negatives about it, but I feel how easily available information has now become, is a major positive for technology.
Thanks for the interesting topics you chose to discuss. ~Luke