Multiliteracies in ELA Classrooms

After reading Hayles, N. Katherine. (2007). Electronic literature: What is it? The Electronic Literature Organization, I found that most of the information wasn’t all that surprising. I really liked how it was acknowledged that e-lit challenges the reader and stretches the imagination. Hard cover books, whether they include pictures or not, can not evoke the imagery and limitlessness that interactive media can preform. The link that I selected from e literature collection, shows the by clicking your mouse pad, new works appear, new sentences move around, and have the potential to evoke different emotions then what may have be able to happen but having all of the words displayed upon the screen, or page all at once. This video, smooth, also had moving imagery, and music. The creator is playing on all of our senses that are possible through a computer screen. Even though smell can not be preformed, it can be conveyed through the imagery. Showing sunflowers blowing in the summer sun, someone drinking hot coffee, and many more images can show us what we are supposed to be smelling. Creating a sensation within our senses that makes us believe what we are watching. In “smooth” there are images of grass type things moving back and forth. Through the sounds I first believed it to be outside in a meadow at night, smelling the warmth in the air, however as it goes on there are noises of water and then I believed that I was under water and could smell the stale dampness of a swamp. There were many images and thoughts that were evoked by this poem. It also took me more then one time of watching and clicking to actually read what the words all were. Through this I also found a downfall. When is too much stimulation, too much. When we are dealing with a book, there are words, and sometimes images. All of this being interpreted by our eyes, while e literature can use so many senses that it may become overwhelming. I got lost in these poems and watched, and clicked for more time then I would have liked to. I still don’t really understand the thoughts behind each section, and that leaves me vaguely remembering what I saw, and more wanting to move on. I enjoy reading and digesting what is going on. I feel the need to pick some things apart and see how it effects me, and if it changes my outlook on the world, however I found that this was too much for me to process, and therefore will likely be forgotten in a few days.
I guess my question is, how much is too much? We are supposed to enlighten our students, but where do we draw the line between encouraging their own imagination, and showing them everything and seeing if they have any other “thoughts or feelings” on the matter?

http://collection.eliterature.org/2/works/johnston_sooth/sooth_FULL_SCREEN