Education Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2017
Journal
Language and Education
Volume
31
Issue
4
First Page
351
Last Page
373
URL with Digital Object Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2016.1276585
Abstract
This exploratory case study integrated digital media as placed resources into an intergenerational art class. Its goals were to generate knowledge of how to bring young children and elders together to expand their opportunities for meaning making and seeing themselves in affirming ways so as to generate transferable understanding of digitally-enhanced multimodal curricula across the lifespan. Participants included 15 elders and 9 pre-schoolers. Focusing on how the digital media were used and with what implications for participants’ literacy and identity options as well as relationship building, data were collected through ethnographic methods, and a qualitative thematic analysis with multimodal elements was conducted. The study found that the digital media were used in tangent with non-digital media for the creation of digital portfolios, digital text-making, and teacher- and participant-led referencing for text-making. Findings suggest that the integration of digital media enhanced literacy options by providing new tools for meaning-making and expanded identity options by highlighting achievements and promoting intergenerational relationships. The study contributes to literatures concerning literacy curriculum and practices across the life course.
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons
Notes
This is the author accepted version of an article originally published in Language and Education