Shifting Transliteracies in Elementary School: Understanding How Transliteracy Practices Contribute to Grade Three Students’ Construction of Meaning by Jacqueline L. Filipek A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Elementary Education University of Alberta © Jacqueline L. Filipek, 2020 Abstract Situated within social constructivist understandings of multiliteracies, this eight-month ethnographic study explored transliteracy practices in a grade three classroom. The intention of this research was to conduct an ethnographic case study to understand how digital and multiliteracies support the ways children construct meaning through transliteracy practices in elementary school. Findings revealed that transliteracy, using both digital and analog technologies across modes, media, genres, and platforms, is an effective lens to understand the shifting literacy practices of young 21st-century learners. Transliteracy is described in relation to four understandings of literacy: critical transliteracy, digital transliteracy, social transliteracy, and disciplinary transliteracy. Understandings and implications of a transliteracy mindset are articulated in their contributions to scholarship and pedagogy and through descriptive examples of transliteracy in the classroom. This study contributes to growing conceptual understandings of transliteracy and supports the fluid nature of transliterate learning. It promotes the use of multiliteracies, student choice, and opportunities to use more than one mode, device, or platform simultaneously at school. Canadian students constantly face many choices in literacies, thus, being transliterate becomes significant to their literacy education. ii Preface This thesis is an original work by Jacqueline Filipek. The research project, of which this thesis is a part, received research ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board, “An Ethnographic Study of How Multiliteracies Support Transliteracy In Primary School” No. Pro00069898, April 11, 2017. iii Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Chapter 1: Studying Transliteracy………………………………………………………... 1 Problem Statement…………………………………………………………..……….…… 2 Research Questions…………………………………………………………..………....… 7 Rationale for the Study……………………………….……………………………..….… 8 Technology Context in Canadian Schools……………………………………………..… 11 Chapter 2: Research Frameworks and Literature Review……………………...………… 20 Research Paradigm…………………………………………………..…………………… 20 Social Constructivism……………………………………………………..……… 20 Constructing Meaning…………………………………………………..………… 21 Theoretical Frameworks…………………………………………………….……………. 23 Understanding the Social Nature of Literacy……………………………..……… 23 Multiliteracies Theory…………………………………………………..………… 28 Multimodality……………………………………..……………………… 32 Digital Literacies………………………………………….……………………… 33 Digital Reading…………………………………………………………… 35 Transliteracy……………………………………………………….……………… 36 Literature Review…………………………………………………………….…………… 40 Seminal Research on Print-Based Literacies, Reading, & Constructing Meaning... 41 Current Research on Digital Literacies, Digital Devices, & Constructing Meaning 46 Studies about Literacy Practices in Schools and on 21st-century Learning……… 50 iv Studies about Multiliteracies and New Literacies in Primary School……………. 52 Studies about Transliteracy…………………………………..…………………… 55 Studies Using Ethnography to Study Literacy in Educational Settings with Children…………………………………………………………………………… 58 Chapter 3: Research Design Methodology and Methods………………………………… 62 Methodology: Ethnography……………………………………….……………………… 62 Ethnography as an Act of Writing and as a Process of Inquiry…...……………… 64 Researcher Stance: Participant-Observer……………….………………………… 65 Becoming an Insider……………………………………………………… 67 School Context - Eagle Peak Elementary School………………………………………… 71 School Recruitment…………………………………………..…………………… 71 Research Site……………………………………………………………………… 73 Participants and Focal Student Recruitment……………………………… 74 Duration of Data Collection………………….…………………………… 76 Digital Technology Context…………………………….………………… 77 Data Collection Methods…………………………………………..……………………… 82 Kidwatching…………………………………………………….………………… 83 Observation…………………………………………………..…………………… 84 Field Notes and Expanded Field Notes…………………………………………… 85 Interviews……………………………………………………….………………… 87 Collection of Artefacts…………………………………….……………………… 89 Audio and Video Recording………………………………….…………………… 91 Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………….……………… 91 v Thematic Analysis Process………………………………………………..……………… 95 Constructing Meaning and Analysis……………………………………………… 99 Researcher Reflexivity…………………………………………….……………… 101 The Transliterate Ethnographer…………………………………………………………… 101 Chapter 4: Transliteracy Findings………………………………………………………… 105 Focal Student Profiles…………………………………..………………………………… 105 Andrew………………………………………………….………………………… 105 Emily……………………………………………………………………………… 108 Kwento………………………………………………………….………………… 109 Benson…………………………………………………………..………………… 112 Classroom Teacher Profiles………………………………………………….…………… 113 Denise Carpenter……………………………………………………..…………… 113 Mila Rayne………………………………………………………………………... 117 School Description……………………………………………………………...………… 119 Classroom Description…………………………………………………………………… 121 Transliteracy Survey……………………………………………………………………… 122 Classroom Structures ………………………………………………………..…………… 124 A Typical Day in Grade Three…………………………………….……………… 124 Mrs. Carpenter’s Class Money System…………………………………………… 128 The Leader in Me – Leadership Groups in Grade Three…………….…………… 130 Transliteracy Examples…………………………………………………………………… 133 Example 1: Daily Morning Routines: Agendas, Schedule, & Literacy Centres….. 134 Agenda Writing…………………………………………………………… 134 vi Daily Schedule……………………………………………….…………… 137 Literacy Centres…………………………………………...……………… 139 Example 2: Using Google Drive and Slides (Andrew)…………………………… 141 Example 3: Remembrance Day…………………………………………………… 149 Example 4: Dance Unit Final Project…………………………...………………… 152 Example 5: Social Studies Activities: Transliterate learning Through Research……………………………………………...…………………………… 156 Tunisian Ceremonies Across Resources…..……………………………… 157 Choosing from Many Sources to Learn About Peru……..………….……. 161 Example 6: Transliteracy Across the Curriculum………………………………… 165 Chapter 5: Discussion…………………………………………………………..…….…… 167 A Transliteracy Mindset………………………………………………..…………….…… 167 Critical Transliteracy……………………………………………………………………… 169 Awareness of Cheating and Monitoring by Outside Sources ……………………. 171 Choosing Texts and Material……………………………………………………… 173 Critically Evaluating Appropriateness of Information…………….……………… 177 Using Transliteracy to Discuss Critical Topics from Media……………………… 180 Digital Transliteracy……………………………………………………….……………… 182 Directly Learning Digital Transliteracy Skills and Practices……………………… 184 Learning About Usernames, Passwords, and Storage Methods………...…………. 193 Text to Voice, Voice to Text……………………………………………………… 197 Editing Tools……………………………………………………………………… 200 Transliteracy for Troubleshooting and Problem Solving……….………………… 205 vii Social Transliteracy……………………………………………………..………………… 210 Internet Games Inspiring Traditional Literacy………………….………………… 216 Social Transliteracy in Student Created Clubs……………………….…………… 220 Technology-Based Language……………………………………..………………. 223 Disciplinary Transliteracy in Content Areas……………………………………………… 228 Simultaneous and Reciprocal Transliteracy Practices Across the Curriculum……. 235 Research: Learning to Use Search Engines and Their Intricacies…………………. 240 School Provoked Transliteracies…………………………………………..……… 242 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………… 247 Chapter 6: Contributions and Significance………………………..……………………… 249 Barriers to Transliteracy……………………………………………………...…………… 249 Equipment Barriers………………………………...……………………………… 250 Connectivity and Program Barriers……………………………..………………… 251 Systemic Barriers…………………………………………….…………………… 253 Financial Barriers…………………………………………………….…………… 254 Expertise Barriers………………………………………………….……………… 254 Pedagogical Barriers…………………………………………….………………… 255 Reducing Barriers……………………………………………………….………… 256 Defining Transliteracy……………………………………………………..……………… 256 Transliterate Learners…………………………………………………...………………… 259 Contributions to Scholarship……………………………………………………………… 260 Constructing and Expressing Meaning…………………………………………… 261 The Six Language Arts and Multimodality Theories - Trans versus Multi………. 262 viii Transliterate Research Methods: Implications for Qualitative Research Methods. 264 Contributions to Teacher Practice………………………………………………………… 266 Concept-Based Curriculum and Transliteracy……………………….…………… 266 Implications for Teaching………………………………………………………… 268 Confidence, Choice, and Differentiation………………..………………… 268 Guided Practice and Modeling………………………..…………………… 272 Resources, Tools, and Multiliteracies……………………………………... 276 Recommendations for Transliteracy Pedagogies in Elementary Classrooms….…. 282 Limitations of this Study…………………………………………………………….……. 283 Future Research…………………………………………………………………………… 285 Rethinking the Boundaries of Literacy Learning……………………….………………… 287 References………………………………………………………….……………………… 289 Appendices………………………………………………………………………………... 315 Appendix A: Information Letter to Accompany Consent Forms……….………………… 316 Appendix B: Parental or Legal Guardian Informed Consent Form………………………. 318 Appendix C: Teacher Informed Consent Form…………………………………………… 321 Appendix D: Minor Assent From………………………………………….……………… 324 Appendix E: Typical Features of Good Field Notes……………………………………… 325 Appendix F: Ethnographic