Teachers as Digital Composers: Designing Digital Jump-Starts to Scaffold Emerging Bilingual Students

• In Event: The Role of Teachers in Technology Integration in K–12 Schools

Abstract

As educators and scholars continue in their search for innovative instructional approaches to effectively support emerging bi/multilinguals (EBs), many teachers are turning to digital resources. This case study examined how pre- and in-service teachers utilized digital storytelling technology to create resources to scaffold their EB students. During this project, teachers created digital jumpstarts (DJ) in the form of brief video clips that brought together various modes (e.g., images, music, sound, text) to support EBs engaging with complex content and language. Analysis revealed that digital storytelling technology appeared to allow teachers (1) to incorporate multiple modes to present content; (2) to provide embedded language supports for scaffolding; and (3) to make connections between their students and the content.

Authors

• Loren Jones, University of Maryland - College Park

• Sharon Lynn Smith, University of Miami