Disciplinary Literacy and Multimodal Writing with Emergent Bilinguals

What is disciplinary literacy and how does multimodal writing with emergent bilinguals fit within this definition? Disciplinary literacy encourages critical thinking of students by allowing them to “...use evidence and artifacts in each discipline to develop their own conclusions and relate their learning to real-life settings” (Colwell, Hutchison, & Woodward, 2020, p. 5). Using different modes in creating multimodal texts with emergent bilinguals can support their acquisition of content in a specific discipline. When teachers allow emergent bilinguals to have a choice in how to communicate their knowledge by using multimodal text, critical thinking and creativity are encouraged (Hasty & Fain, 2014).

In my previous post (November 14), I evaluated three different digital resources to promote creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and comprehension in the classroom. The purpose of this blog is to make a connection to my previous post by providing examples of how incorporating these five principles in disciplinary literacy in social studies and science encourages emergent bilinguals to make meaning.

Dalton (2014) explored creating multimodal texts in a fourth-grade diverse social studies class. Students were allowed the opportunity to use iPads to create multimodal texts to express their understanding of a unit on Colorado history. Students created multimedia to represent their knowledge through using multimedia poetry anthology, a historical image remix, and video narration as news reporters. Planning and layering the use of new digital tools created situations in which students used critical thinking skills in the creation of their text. Students also worked in pairs or groups when creating their representations. Although the students were expected to create each type of text, choice on the ways in which to represent meaning was given for each type. For example, the pictures to  or what facts to include for their voice recordings as news narrators were offered as choices. Students engagement in the project increased even when constrained choices were given.

Using language to express their ideas and understanding domain specific vocabulary in science classes can be challenging for emergent bilinguals. Many concepts and vocabulary terms can be abstract. At the same time, these students are navigating grammar and syntax in spoken and written form. Williams et. al (2019) incorporated using multimodal texts representation with 10 bilingual students in a fifth grade science class. These students worked in groups to explore a unit on forces in motion. The students were given an opportunity to use their knowledge to explain real-life examples. In one scenario, the students had to explain their understanding of why, when pulling a dollar bill quickly from under a stack of coins that was resting on top of a glass bottle, the bill detached while the other objects remained motionless. Students were given the inquiry question of  “Why did the coins stay on the bottle?”

Students worked in groups and used different modes such as gestures, verbal descriptions, drawings, and writings to explain their understanding. They were given a choice on which mode to represent their understanding of the concept. Students developed a better understanding of scientific understandings of complex terms when multiple representations were used to make and express meaning (Williams et al., 2019).

Although the examples in this post only included social studies and science, the same principles of creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and comprehension can be included in other disciplines. Students bring their own knowledge, values, and identities to create meaning (Shin, 2014). Emergent bilinguals can become designers and communicators by connecting new information to prior knowledge through the use of multimodal texts in different disciplines.

Colwell, J., Hutchinson, A., & Woodward, L. (2020). Digitally Supported Disciplinary Literacy for     Diverse K-5 Classrooms. Teachers College Press.

Dalton, B. (2014). Level up with multimodal composition in social studies. The Reading

 Teacher, 68(4), 296-302. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1319

Hasty, M.M., & Fain, J. G. (2014). Emergent understandings: Multilingual fourth grade students generating close readings and multimodal responses to global and informational texts.Perspectives on Urban Education, 11(2), 10-20.

Shin, D.-s. (2014). Web 2.0 tools and academic literacy development in a US urbanschool: A case study of a second-grade English language learner. Language and Education, 28(1), 68-85. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2013.771653

Williams, M., Tang, K-S., & Won, M. (2019). ELL’s science meaning making in multimodal inquiry: A case-study in a Hong Kong bilingual school. Asia-Pacific Science Education, 5(3), 2-35. https://doi.org/10.1186/s4102-019-0031-1

Resource Evaluation

    Using a variety of digital tools to create multimodal texts is an important way to increase student engagement and motivation with emergent bilinguals. In a previous post (October 24), I described ways to create multimodal texts with emergent bilinguals using iPads and laptops. Using digital tools allows emergent bilinguals choice when expressing their knowledge. Creating multimodal texts using a variety of modes will increase motivation by allowing emergent bilinguals to see themselves as “...active creators and distributors of knowledge” (Johnson, 2014, p. 12). The purpose of this blog post is to evaluate three digital resources for creating multimodal texts with emergent bilinguals in promoting creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and comprehension. The three digital applications reviewed are StoryboardThat, Book Creator, and Chatterpix. 

StoryboardThat is a website for students to create digital storyboards. I discovered this tool since the district I work for made it available on our Clever accounts. It is free for “light usage” and is compatible with Google Classroom for importing class rosters. Teachers can assign storyboards to their students after they are imported into the application. Once a student opens the storyboard, three cells are automatically displayed. If more cells are needed, they can be easily added. There are a wide variety of scenes, characters, and other graphics for students to choose from to communicate different ideas. Pictures can be uploaded to use if needed. 

This program is easy and engaging to use. In my previous diverse kindergarten classroom, I had students use this tool on iPads and Chromebooks. I found students' stories became more complex as they explored the wide variety of available graphics. However, this can also be a drawback. Students can become so immersed in different graphics that the meaning of their story loses clarity. Although students were not able to collaborate in real time on each other's storyboards, they were inspired to collaborate with each other on what they were creating. StoryboardThat does not have a way to include videos, voice recordings, or a read aloud feature. Created storyboards can be downloaded and shared. Although it is easy to use, accessing the website on a laptop seems to be more user friendly than on an iPad.  See Figure 1 for an example of StoryboardThat. Figure 2 contains a completed storyboard example.

Book Creator is another website for creating stories. There is a free version available in which there is one library with a limit of 40 books. This application also has resources for teachers to create different multimodal texts types from pre-k through high school. This application supports creativity and critical thinking by having different modes for students to express ideas through text, images, audio, and video. Students are able to collaborate and create books in real time. Although the real time collaboration is part of the paid version, there is a free 90 day trial. However, a drawback for this application is the limit on the free version. A goal for my classroom is to use this tool during the second semester of school. This application seems easy for students to navigate. 

The books created on this application also have some of the same features as print books. For example, when pages are “turned”, they flip like reading a paper book. Book Creator supports emergent bilinguals by having the option to have a book read aloud. There is a virtual assistant and 27 languages to support the read aloud feature. This application is available on iPads or laptops. 

Chatterpix Kids is an app available for iPads and Google Play. This app allows students to upload an image and then manipulate the image to talk using their voice recording. This app is free but only available on iPads. This app supports creativity by allowing students to use images and their own voices to communicate knowledge. Although there is not real time collaboration available when using this app, students can still collaborate by sharing ideas when creating their Chatterpix. One drawback is the voice recordings on this app are only allowed to be 30 seconds long. Click here to see an example of Chatterpix Kids.

I will be using Chatterpix Kids in my implementation plan as the final artifact on our exploration of sharks. Students will make their Chatterpix based on the information we gather about sharks. This will foster critical thinking since they will have to decide on what picture to use, where to place the speaking part of the picture, and the facts to present in their voice recording.

The three applications outlined in this blog support emergent bilinguals in multimodal writing. Each one of the applications allows for students to be the communicator of their knowledge by using different modes to share information. Creating multimodal texts using digital tools allows emergent bilinguals to be active participants in expressing their knowledge by representing meaning through images, videos, and voice recordings. 

Figure 1 StoryboardThat.

Figure 2 Completed StoryboardThat.

Johnson, D. (2014). Reading, writing, and literacy 2.0: Teaching with online texts, tools and 

resources. Teachers College Press.

Multimodal Writing Implementation Plan

This blog outlines the implementation plan for including emergent bilinguals and using multimodal writing in a second grade English Language Development (ELD) classroom. In creating this plan, I reflected on the research and ideas I posted in previous blogs.  In order to create an effective implementation plan, I used the Planning Elementary Digitally Supported Disciplinary Literacy Framework (PEDDL) (Colwell, Hutchison, & Woodward, 2020). The PEDDL framework has six phases with guiding questions to help teachers prepare for digitally supported disciplinary literacy.  One key question the PEDDL framework outlines is the consideration of the core disciplinary practices supported by the standards. The disciplinary practice in this implementation plan is to recognize and comprehend multiple text types. The outline in this blog post includes the choice for standard alignment, topic, materials, and timeline for implementation.

I work in a large urban district. The District English Language Department outlines the standards for instruction in the pacing guide which we are to follow. This pacing guide closely aligns with what is expected in each grade level general education class. The second grade standard of finding the main idea and supporting details is the one outlined in the pacing guide. This is the reason the main idea standard was incorporated into our digitally supported disciplinary literacy journey. In reviewing the core disciplinary practice, recognizing and comprehending multiple text types, I added fiction and nonfiction texts. In reviewing the second grade standards, I also added a multimodal standard that supports what we will be creating.  The specific standards used are found in the infographic.  

The implementation plan for my second grade ELD students includes a topic of high interest chosen by them. In our first class meetings on-line, during get to know each other activities, I discovered the students were curious about sharks. They identified this animal as their favorite. Although they didn’t know a lot of information about sharks, they were excited and curious to know more. This is the reason I decided to focus on sharks in our digital disciplinary literacy exploration. Get ready for Shark Week in our second grade ELD class! In a previous post (October 17), I described how including families in literacy is an important aspect in literacy engagement. I realized in my draft implementation plan, this piece was missing. Although I am still deciding on the best way to include families, the current plan is to share our KWL chart with our families before, during, and after our disciplinary literacy journey.

In my draft PEDDL implementation plan, the materials chosen for this lesson only include digital formats. We are transitioning from distance learning to in-person learning in November.  This will not change the format of the materials chosen. I described in a previous post (October 24) how using digital tools, such as iPads and laptops, allows emergent bilinguals to express themselves with the use of different semiotic systems. Each second grade student has an iPad which they will bring to my classroom. They will access the books chosen for this lesson on the EPIC website. These texts include fiction, nonfiction, and audio books, as well as one shark blog. We will use digital graphic organizers to sort our information found in the multiple text examples. For our final artifact for the lesson, students will use Chatterpix to create a multimodal representation using pictures and voice recordings of the information they gathered from our digital graphic organizers. A suggestion from a colleague in reviewing my PEDDL plan was to include a lesson on using Chatterpix. This is now part of my implementation plan. The infographic shows the specific book links and Chatterpix link. 

Since we are on a hybrid school schedule (A/B), the timeline of implementation might have to be adjusted as we transition to in-person learning in November. With the return of students, I will only see groups two days a week instead of four. The current timeline is for these lessons to occur over three weeks. Week 1 will include a KWL chart and reading fiction and nonfiction texts. Week 2 will focus on a blog post about sharks and an audio book about a marine biologist. Week 3 will be the creation of our multimodal representation using Chatterpix and our digital graphic organizers we created. 

Once I begin implementing this plan, I will be reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of incorporating multimodal writing with emergent bilinguals. My final blog entry will summarize my reflections, include what changes I would make, as well as suggestions for others. Shark Week, here I come!

Click to view my draft PEDDL Plan.

Colwell, J., Hutchison, A., & Woodward, L. (2020). Digitally supported disciplinary literacy for diverse         K-5 classrooms. Teachers College Press.