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Abstract

Collaboration is a vital component of educating emergent multilingual students, and technology plays an integral role in supporting the process. This article presents two tools to facilitate collaboration among emergent multilingual students: Jumpstart and Electronic Performance Log. The authors developed the digital tools in concert with paraeducators and teachers during a two-year, grant-funded, professional development program. In their roles as participant-observers, the authors were able to work with paraeducators and teachers to create tools that fit within the learning context during a professional development program for high school paraeducators. Concepts from activity theory are used to demonstrate that teaching emergent multilingual students takes place within complex contexts that are impacted by the introduction of new tools to promote collaboration. By describing the tools and how they were developed, the goal is to inform educators so that they might consider how best to use or adapt the tools presented. In addition, these professionals can use them as a jumping-off point to create their own resources. The purpose of this paper is to change previously-held assumptions as well as provide tangible solutions to aid high school teachers and paraeducators in teaching emergent multilingual students within the context of a two-year professional development project.

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