Constructing a Teaching Identity That Centers a Multilingual Stance Using Digital Literacies (Poster 3)

• In Event: Expansive Views on the Role of Computing and Digital Literacies in Teacher Education

Abstract

Summary
Throughout their preparation programs, bilingual education teacher candidates (TCs) are asked to develop a “multilingual stance” (Garcia et al, 2017) which emphasizes valuing their own and their students’ multilingualism and linguistic diversity (Morea & Fisher, 2023; Duek & Nilsberth, 2022), as well as planning and implementing culturally and linguistically responsive lessons. Our study sought to understand whether and how taking part in computing and digital literacies (CDL) integrated teacher education activities could support TCs to develop this multilingual stance.

Objectives and significance
Authors of this poster teach three courses that span the course sequence of study in a Pre-K to Grade 6 teacher preparation program. TCs complete a language foundations course, those who pursue the Bilingual Extension (BLE) certification complete a language methodology course and all TCs complete a teaching seminar either as an intern or student teacher. We sought to understand how, if at all, teacher educators’ CDL-integrated activities helped TCs cultivate their multilingual stances. Our research also investigates in what ways TCs' multilingual stances surfaced in the CDL artifacts they produced.

Theoretical framework
Literature shows there is an opportunity for CDLs to play a role in supporting teacher candidates to learn about and take up equitable teaching practices (CUNY CITE Equity Working Group, 2023) and specifically a multilingual stance (Vogel et al., 2023). CDLs can support TCs to promote creativity through digital storytelling (Çetin, 2021; Kolano-Sanczyk, 2021) to engage in computing-enhanced textual analysis (Lynch, 2023), to question language ideologies of tools (Vogel, 2021), to promote multimodal reflection among pre-service TCs (Price-Dennis et al., 2015; de Jong & Gao, 2022;) and to design family communications in culturally responsive ways (Song, 2022).

Data and methods
Data includes three sources: the CDL activity’s instructions; a descriptive narrative about implementation from each course instructor, and TC work samples. Activities engaged TCs in three ways: using the programming environment Scratch to craft a family workshop; using Scratch to tell the history of your first name; and creating a video essay to self-reflect and discuss teaching in the student teaching seminar. Participating investigators employed a collaborative descriptive inquiry (CDI) methodology (Carini, 2011) to understand instructor practices and TC attitudes about multilingualism.

Results
We observed two initial themes across data related to our two research questions. Linguistic insecurity existed among our TCs - this manifested as a large number choosing to use a computer generated voice rather than record their own in their digital storytelling projects speaking to families. TCs self-reflected in their video essays on culturally responsive techniques often without mention of linguistic practices in a (CR-SE) (NYCDOE, 2019).
The results from this study examine how the TCs’ audience: families, colleagues, and/or classroom students impacts attention to reflecting on language use as a cultural practice. TCs computing and digital integrated artifacts helped reveal the kinds of unlearning students might have to do around language as much as what they learned about developing a multilingual stance. Implications directly address the field as well as the Early Childhood and Childhood programs at our institution.

Authors

• Melissa Garcia, Lehman College - CUNY

• Jayra Sanchez, Lehman College - CUNY

• Nancy E. Dubetz, Lehman College - CUNY