Creating an interactive virtual community of linguistically and culturally responsive content teaching for English learners in a TESOL program

This qualitative case study was framed by an experiential learning approach

organized around video resources and linguistically and culturally responsive

content teaching. The study explored an overarching research question: How did

teacher-learners in a grant project interact with a multimedia learning platform

that combined teaching video and VoiceThread presentation, called VT project,

designed to enhance their linguistically and culturally responsive content teaching

(LCRCT) for English learners (ELs)? Data included participants’ VT projects,

online and face-to-face class discussions, survey results, and final reflective papers

in two TESOL courses as part of a National Professional Development grant

program in a Midwestern University. Analyses demonstrated that the technologyassisted

course design generally promoted a critical habit of mind among teacherlearners

through opportunities to attentively notice and critically reflect on one’s

own and others’ teaching practices. Teacher-learners demonstrated a shared

ownership over their teaching processes while establishing a reflective discourse

community, where the LCRCT framework guided their learning and practices of

LCRCT for ELs. Study implications include ways for the teacher-learners to

transfer their learning from this reflective multimedia-supported TESOL program

into their classrooms, schools, and districts, as well as the challenges. The research

was conducted by the three instructors who designed and implemented the course.