The Visibility Cloak: Teachers' Reflections on In-School Digital Multimodal Composing With Emergent Bi/multilingual Newcomer Students

• In Event: Sharing Knowledge, Sharing Stories, Sharing Selves: Multimodal Media Composition in and out of Schools

Abstract

This qualitative case-study contributes a much-needed analysis of teachers’ reflections on the affordances, opportunities, challenges, limitations, and recommendations regarding digital multimodal composing (DMC) in school to meaningfully engage newcomer youth in school learning. Studies suggest that DMC can enhance emergent bi/multilingual newcomer learners’ communication practices and increase their visibility and sense of belonging, yet few studies explored the crucial perspectives of teachers on employing DMC with these youth. Through reflexive thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups with teachers in a Canadian secondary school, where the author led a two-year study of DMC projects with their newcomer learners, the study helps education researchers, educators, and teacher-educators better understand the possibilities of DMC with this linguistically, culturally, and racially diverse population.

Author

• Amir Michalovich, University of British Columbia
  Presenting Author