Technology Integration on Three English as a Second Language (ESL) Language Arts Middle Sschool Classrooms

English Language Learners (ELLs) are the fastest growing school population in US schools. ELLs are mostly underserved in US schools and trail behind other student groups' achievement levels in math and reading. ELLs have to learn both the content and the language in US schools besides multiliteracy skills. In the context of constant presence of technology in everyday life, literacy does not encompass any longer all the skills needed in the 21 st century, rather the term multiliteracy is more adequate. In the context of a digital divide of technology access at home between low and high socioeconomic status families, and technology integration divide between low-poverty and high poverty schools, the use of technology to the benefit of ELL's content, language, and multiliteracy learning is important. Technology integration and use with ELLs has the potential to increase student learning. This study looked at how three middle school teachers integrated and used the available technology in their English as a Second Language (ESL) Language Arts classes to the benefit of their student learning. Classroom observation, teacher interviews, interviews with four focal students, student and teacher document collection formed the data for this study. A qualitative-interpretative methodology was employed. Findings suggest that all the available technology at the classroom and ESL Department level was regularly used and shared by the three teachers. The use of technology aimed at supporting ELLs learning, but was not used at its maximum capacity.

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