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1. Description and Functionality: Padlet is a collaborative digital board where users can post writing, images, links, videos, voice recordings, and documents. Teachers can create boards for class discussions, projects, exit tickets, brainstorming, and family resources. Students can respond in different formats, which makes Padlet useful for multilingual learners with different language proficiency levels.

2. Instructional Integration: Padlet supports collaboration, formative assessment, differentiation, and multimodel learning. It supports all four language domains. Students can listen to a video, record an oral response, read classmates’ ideas, post comments, view an image, and write their own response. Teachers can use Padlet to see student understanding before, during, or after a lesson.

3. Curriculum Alignment: I would create a board called “Cinderella Stories Around the World.”

Content objective: Students will identify one admirable trait of a Cinderella character.

Language objective: Students will use the frame, “I admire______because_______.”

Beginning learners could post a picture and label it with one word, such as kind. Developing learners could write one complete sentence. More advanced learners could write a short paragraph with evidence from the story and respond respectfully to a classmate.

TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Recount, Explain, Argue, and Discuss.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: I would share the Padlet link or QR code with families and invite them to add a photo, short message about a story from their culture, or folktale. This would connect home literacies to classroom learning and show students that their cultures are valued.

5. Critical Evaluation: Padlet is a very engaging platform because the students have many options to organize their work. They can read, share, and make comments on other people's responses. Students can also show their understanding through pictures, audio, video, and writing. However, teachers need to teach digital citizenship, monitor posts, and protect student privacy. Some families may not have access to devices or internet, so paper or oral alternatives should also be available.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected Padlet because it supports student voice and cultural sharing. It also works well as the platform for this portfolio because it is visual, organized, and interactive. I would adapt Padlet by allowing beginning learners to post images and recorded responses, while students with stronger English skills could write detailed explanations and give peer feedback.

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Technology strengthens education when used correctly. It enhances instruction for multilingual learners without replacing meaningful interaction among teachers, students, and families. For this portfolio, I selected nine tools that support literacy, classroom instruction, assessment, communication, and family engagement. My goal is to use technology in ways that give multilingual learners multiple ways to listen, speak, read, write, show understanding, and connect their home languages and cultures to classroom learning. I will connect these tools to my Grade 1 ELA curriculum, especially the Wit & Wisdom Module 4 unit on Cinderella stories from different cultures. The content objective for this unit is for students to compare Cinderella characters and use details from the text to explain admirable traits. The language objective is for students to orally and in writing state an opinion using a sentence frame such as, “I admire _____because______.” Students will use evidence from the story to explain their thinking. Throughout this portfolio, I connect the tools to TESOL Standards 1-5: language, assessment, culture, planning and instruction, and professionalism and leadership. I also connect them to WIDA Can-Do Key Uses, especially explaining, arguing, discussing, and recounting. I will use observation notes, student work, reading progress, participation, and formative-assessment data to decide whether a tool is helping students. If students are struggling, I will adjust the level of support by adding visuals, home-language resources, audio, partner work, sentence starters, or teacher modeling.

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This bilingual family infographic supports Grade 1 multilingual learners with opinion writing by giving families a simple, visual way to practice academic vocabulary, oral language, and evidence-based thinking at home.

[Note: I would post this card as a bilingual visual on Padlet and share it with families using ClassDojo, TalkingPoints, or Wakelet.]

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1. Description and Functionality: Google Classroom is an officially approved digital learning platform for New York City Public Schools. Teachers use this platform to post assignments, videos, announcements, documents, links, and feedback. Students can access classwork, view announcements, and submit completed assignments online. The platform organizes all lesson materials in one place, allowing students to review instructions independently. Its user-friendly interface makes it easy for students to follow along. Additionally, Google Classroom can send parents summaries of class activity, upcoming work, and missing assignments.

2. Instructional Integration: Google Classroom supports scaffolding by allowing teachers to post visual directions, translated vocabulary lists, videos, audio recordings, graphic organizers, and differentiated versions of assignments. While it primarily supports reading and writing, students can also listen to recorded instructions, watch videos, and respond using audio or video when appropriate. For multilingual learners, I would post short directions with visuals instead of giving only long written directions.

3. Curriculum Alignment: For the Cinderella Stories unit, I would post a digital Venn diagram comparing Cinderella and Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella.

Content Objective: Students will compare the experiences and traits of two Cinderella characters.

Language Objective: Students will use the sentence starter, “Both characters______, but_______.”

Beginning multilingual learners could sort pictures into the Venn diagram. Developing learners could complete sentence starters. More advanced learners could write complete comparison sentences with evidence.

TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Explain and Discuss.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: To connect families, I would use Google Classroom to post a weekly family update with vocabulary words, read-aloud links, and short home discussion questions. For example, families could ask their child, “Who do you admire and why?” and “Why do you admire this character?” Students could first discuss their answer in their home language with their parents and then practice sharing it in English at home or when they come back to the classroom.

5. Critical Evaluation: A major strength of Google Classroom is that it keeps learning materials organized and easy to revisit. The platform is simple for families and students to navigate, allowing them to view videos and easily submit student work. However, the platform also has limitations. Not every family has reliable internet access, a dedicated device, or familiarity with Google accounts. Additionally, automated parent summaries cannot replace direct communication with families. To bridge these gaps, teachers should provide printed alternatives and translated support when needed.

6. Reflective Commentary:  I selected Google Classroom because it is widely used across New York City schools, including my own. Since my classroom already has access to this platform, implementing it would be easier for my students, their families, and myself. My students have the necessary internet access and active accounts. To support implementation, I conducted a workshop to help parents log in and assist their children with assignments. I also chose this platform because it creates a single, consistent location for families to access learning materials. It connects to my TESOL philosophy because it supports organization, home-school communication, and differentiated instruction. For beginning learners, I would use visuals and audio. For immediate learners, I would use sentence frames and short written responses. For advanced learners, I would include independent writing, peer feedback, and discussion prompts.

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Sign in to
Google Classroom
The universal web address for logging into Google Classroom is classroom.google.com

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1. Description and Functionality: ClassDojo is a communication platform that allows teachers to send messages, receive messages from parents, share classroom photos or videos, post announcements, create events, and communicate with families. Families can use the app or website to receive updates about the classroom and the school. Messages and posts can be translated into many languages, making it useful for multilingual families.

2. Instructional Integration: ClassDojo mainly supports family communication, but it can also reinforce language learning at home. Teachers can share pictures of anchor charts, sentence starters, talking tools, vocabulary cards, class read-alouds, and student work. It supports listening, reading, and speaking when students discuss classroom activities with family members at home.

3. Curriculum Alignment: During the Cinderella Stories unit, I would post a picture of the class character-trait chart with words such as kind, brave, hardworking, and forgiving.

Content objective: Students will identify admirable traits in Cinderella characters.

Language objective: Students will orally state an opinion using, “ I admire_____ because____.”

Families could talk with students about someone they admire at home. Students could return to class and share their idea during partner talk or class discussion.

TESOL/WIDA alignment: TESOL Standards 2, 3, and 5. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Recount and Discuss.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: ClassDojo can be used to share classroom photos, family surveys, send reminders about literacy events, and publish bilingual newsletters. For instance, I can post pictures and videos from our Cinderella-themed party. By sharing details about the event beforehand, families can help their children dress up as their favorite characters, allowing them to connect with the classroom and stay informed about their child's learning. Additionally, I can share QR codes for family reading activities or invite families to message me about a folktale from their culture. This approach transforms families into active educational partners rather than passive recipients of information.

5. Critical Evaluation: ClassDojo makes communication faster and more welcoming for families by allowing teachers to post announcements at any time, which parents can then comment on and react to. To support diverse communities, teachers can schedule posts, add links or videos, and provide translated versions of announcements to ensure all parents can easily understand the updates. For critical announcements, the platform tracks who has viewed the post, enabling teachers to personally reach out to families who may have missed it. Additionally, parents can send direct messages and share pictures, while teachers can utilize the points system to share positive behavior updates. However, teachers should avoid using the platform solely for behavior tracking, as expectations can vary across cultures. Finally, to protect student privacy, educators must secure school approval and parental consent before sharing any photos or videos online.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected ClassDojo because strong relationships with families are important for multilingual learners. It is also user-friendly, and the majority of parents know how to use this platform, and they prefer this to communicate with teachers. For beginning learners. I would send visual messages and short translated directions. For developing learners, I would share home conversation questions. For advanced learners, I would invite students to help create a short class update or explain a project to families.

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ClassDojo helps teachers, parents, and students build amazing classroom communities.

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1. Description and Functionality: Raz-Kids is a digital reading platform that provides leveled eBooks, student progress reports, listening options, and comprehension quizzes. Through this platform, students can listen to books, practice reading at school or at home, and read independently. Teachers can assign specific texts and closely monitor progress. Specifically, the website tracks student reading speed, word count, and accuracy metrics. Based on this performance data, the platform automatically advances students to the next reading level.

2. Instructional Integration: Raz-Kids supports reading and listening most strongly. It can also support speaking and writing when students discuss a book or write a response after reading. For multilingual learners, the audio option can help students hear fluent reading, connect spoken and written words, and build vocabulary. The platform can support differentiation because teachers can assign books based on students' reading needs.

3. Curriculum Alignment: I would assign a book connected to folktales, kindness, or cultural traditions.

Content objective: Students will identify a character trait using details from a text.

Language objectives: Students will explain, “The character is____because____.”

Students could listen to the book first, reread it independently, and then record or write a response. I would use their reading activity and comprehension responses to determine who needs more vocabulary support or a small-group lesson.

TESOL/WIDA alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Recount and Explain.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: I would send families a simple bilingual guide explaining how students can log in and listen to books at home. Families could ask students to retell one part of the book in their home language or English. This would encourage reading practice without requiring families to teach the lesson themselves.

5. Critical Evaluation: Raz-Kids provides repeated reading practice, audio support, and useful progress information. However, reading levels should not limit multilingual learners’ access to grade-level conversations or texts. Teachers should use Raz-Kids for independent practice while still including students in grade-level read alouds, discussions, and writing activities.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected Raz-Kids because I have used it before and have seen how it can support reading confidence. For beginning learners, I would start with listening and picture-supported books. For developing learners, I would add simple oral or written responses. For advanced learners, I would ask students to compare books, explain character traits, and write evidence-based responses. Students find the platform highly engaging, which is especially beneficial for beginning language learners. Ultimately, Raz-Kids serves as an excellent, versatile tool for both classroom instruction and independent practice at home.

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1. Description and Functionality: i-Ready is an adaptive assessment and personalized instruction platform for reading and mathematics. It gives teachers information about students’ strengths and areas of need. The program adjusts questions and lessons based on student responses, which can help teachers identify skills that need additional instruction.

2. Instructional Integration: i-Ready supports assessments and differentiation. It mainly supports reading and digital literacy, but teachers can use the data to plan small-group speaking, vocabulary, writing, and comprehension lessons. For multilingual learners, i- Ready data should be used with classroom observations, student work, oral language samples, and knowledge of the student’s home language.

3. Curriculum Alignment: Before beginning the Cinderella unit, I would review reading data to identify students who may need more support with vocabulary, sentence structure, or key details.

Content objective: Students will identify evidence that shows a character trait.

Language objective: Students will say, “I know____is _____because______.”

Students who need support could work in a small group with picture cards, trait charts, and sentence frames before completing the opinion writing task and oral rehearsal.

TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Explain and Argue.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: I would use strengths-based language when discussing i-Ready data with families. Instead of only sharing a score, I would explain one skill the student is working on and one activity families can do at home, such as reading together, retelling a story, or practicing vocabulary.

5. Critical Evaluation: i-Ready can help teachers make data-informed decisions and plan targeted instruction. However, one assessment score does not show everything a multilingual learner knows or can do. Teachers should avoid using data to lower expectations or place students into fixed groups. Data should guide support, not define the student.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected i-Ready because it can help teachers notice learning patterns and adjust instruction. For beginning learners, I would rely more on observation, visuals, and oral responses. For developing learners, I would use data to plan vocabulary and combination groups. For advanced learners, I would use the results to provide enrichment while maintaining grade-level expectations.

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Log in to i-Ready®, online assessment and instruction that helps teachers provide all students a path to proficiency and growth in reading and mathematics.

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1. Description and Functionality: Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform where teachers can create quizzes, polls, and review activities. Students can participate live as a class or complete activities independently. Teachers can review reports to see which questions students understood and which concepts need to be retaught. It is a great platform for engaging students.

2. Instructional Integration: Kahoot! supports formative assessment, active participation, immediate feedback, and vocabulary review. It supports reading and listening most directly, but teachers can add speaking by asking students to explain their answer with a partner before choosing a response. Visual questions can make academic language more accessible for multilingual learners.

3. Curriculum Alignment: I would create a Kahoot! review on character traits, conjunctions, story vocabulary, and text evidence.

Content objective: Students will identify traits and evidence from a Cinderella story.

Language objective: Students will explain their answer using, “I chose____because_____.”

Before answering each question, students would have 20-30 seconds to discuss with a partner. This would make Kahoot! a language-learning activity instead of only a fast -paced game.

TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Discuss and Explain.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: During a family literacy event, I would invite families to join a short Kahoot! activity about story vocabulary or reading strategies. Families could see the types of questions students are practicing and learn simple ways to support language development at home. I have used this platform before in my class to engage families during a family night event, and parents really enjoyed it.

5. Critical Evaluation: Kahoot! can increase engagement and quickly show misunderstandings. However, competition and speed can make some multilingual learners feel pressured. I would use team mode, include visuals, read questions aloud, give wait time, and focus on discussion rather than public rankings.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected Kahoot! because it is engaging, and students really enjoyed it. It also makes practice more interactive and enjoyable. For beginning learners, I would use pictures, fewer answer choices, and partner support. For developing learners, I would add sentence frames. For advanced learners, I would ask students to create their own questions or explain why an answer is correct.

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

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1. Description and Functionality: TalkingPoints is a two-way communication platform that helps educators communicate with families in their preferred languages. Teachers can send class announcements, photos, links, documents, individual messages, videos, and polls. Families can receive messages through text message or the app, which can make communication easier for caregivers who do not regularly use school websites or email.

2. Instructional Integration: TalkingPoints does not replace classroom instruction, but it supports language learning by connecting families to what students are learning. It can help teachers send translated vocabulary, literacy resources, home discussion questions, and reminders. It supports speaking, listening, reading, and writing when families discuss school topics with the students at home.

3. Curriculum Alignment: For the Cinderella unit, I would send a short translated message explaining the essential question and the word admire.

Content Objective: Students will identify admirable traits in a character.

Language Objective: Students will state an opinion using, “I admire____ because____.” I would ask families to discuss the question in any language: “Who do you admire and why?” “Why do you admire this character?” Students could bring their ideas back to class for speaking and writing activity.

TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 2, 3, and 5.  WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Recount and Discuss.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: TalkingPoints could be used for bilingual newsletters, literacy-night invitations, family workshops, surveys, and reminders. I would use it to ask families what languages they use at home and what types of learning resources would be most helpful.

5. Critical Evaluation: TalkingPoints can reduce language barriers and make family communication more equitable. However, translated messages may not always capture complicated meanings perfectly. Teachers should write clearly, avoid idioms, use professional interpreters for high-stakes conversations, and protect family privacy. Teachers must always ensure that their translated messages convey the exact intended meaning. Automated translation tools can sometimes alter intent, create awkward phrasing, or entirely mistranslate key information. Therefore, educators should verify the accuracy of translations before sending any communication home to families.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected this platform because families should be able to communicate with schools in their home language. For beginning learners. I would send visual and audio-supported family activities. For developing learners. I would share simple discussion prompts. For advanced learners, I would invite students to help create a bilingual message or video explaining a class project.

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TalkingPoints - Improving student outcomes through meaningful school-family partnerships.

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TalkingPoints - Improving student outcomes through meaningful school-family partnerships.

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1. Description and Functionality: Wakelet is a digital curation platform where teachers can collect and organize links, PDFs, videos, articles, images, and learning activities in one collection. Collections can be shared through a link, email, QR code, or website. It is useful for creating a classroom resource hub that students and families can revisit.

2. Instructional Integration: Wakelet supports multimodel learning because students can access content through visuals, reading materials, videos, audio, and interactive links. It supports reading and listening most directly, but it can also support speaking and writing when students respond to activities connected to the collections.

3. Curriculum Alignment: I would create a Wakelet collection titled “Cinderella Stories Family Resource Hub.”

Content Objective: Students will compare two Cinderella characters.

Language objective: Students will use the words same, different, admire, and because to explain their ideas.

The collection would include a read-aloud video, a visual vocabulary chart, a family discussion question, an opinion-writing model, and an optional bilingual activity. TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 2, 3, and 5. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Recount, Explain, and Discuss.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: I would share the Wakelet QR code through ClassDojo, TalkingPoints, classroom newsletters, and a poster near the classroom door. Families could access materials whenever they need them without searching through multiple messages.

5. Critical Evaluation: Wakelet is organized, user-friendly, and helpful for sharing many resources in one place. However, families still need internet access and support using links or QR codes. Teachers should avoid adding too many resources at once and should provide translated or printed materials when needed.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected Wakelet because it helps teachers create a clear bridge between school and home. For beginning learners, I would include visual and audio resources. For developing learners, I would add sentence frames and short videos. For advanced learners, I would include independent resource links, writing models, and opinion extension activities.

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1. Description and Functionality: Nearpod is an interactive lesson platform that allows teachers to combine slides, drawing activities, polls, formative assessments, videos, and collaborative boards into one lesson. Students can participate in a teacher-led lesson or work through activities independently. Teachers can see student responses during the lesson and use the information to adjust instruction.

2. Instructional Integration: Nearpod supports multimodel learning, scaffolding, differentiation, and formative assessment. It supports all four domains because students can listen to videos or teacher directions, read text and visuals, discuss with peers, draw responses, and write short answers. It is useful for multilingual learners because teachers can include images, audio, vocabulary support, and interactive checks for understanding.

3. Curriculum Alignment: I would create a Nearpod lesson comparing Cinderella and Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella.

Content Objective: Students will compare the adventures and experiences of two Cinderella characters.

Language objective: Students will use,  “Both characters______, but________.”

Students would complete a visual Venn diagram, respond to a poll about admirable traits, and post an idea on a collaborative board. I would use their responses to decide whether students need more modeling, vocabulary support, or partner practice before writing.

TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Discuss, Explain, and Argue.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: Nearpod could be used during a family literacy workshop. Families could experience a short interactive lesson, learn the vocabulary students are practicing, and see how visuals and sentence frames support multilingual learners.

5. Critical Evaluation: Nearpod makes lessons interactive and gives teachers immediate feedback. However, it requires devices, internet access, and preparation time. Technology should not become only clicking answers. Teachers need to include conversation, writing feedback, and meaningful language practice.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected Nearpod because it allows teachers to see student understanding during the lesson and adjust support immediately. For beginning learners, I would use pictures, audio, drawing, and partner talk. For developing learners, I would add sentence frames and word banks. For advanced learners, I would require written explanations, evidence, and peer discussion.

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Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

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Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

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1. ClassDojo. (n.d.). ClassDojo. https://www.classdojo.com/

2. Curriculum Associates. (n.d.). i-Ready learning. https://www.curriculumassociates.com/programs/i-ready-learning

3. Google for Education. (n.d.). Google Classroom. https://edu.google.com/workspace-for-education/products/classroom/

4. Great Minds PBC. (2023). Wit & Wisdom: Cinderella Stories (Grade 1, Module 4, Teacher ed.).

5. Kahoot! ASA. (n.d.). Kahoot!. https://kahoot.com/

6. Learning A-Z. (n.d.). Raz-Kids. https://www.learninga-z.com/site/products/raz-kids/overview

7. Nearpod. (n.d.). Nearpod. https://nearpod.com/

8. Padlet. (n.d.). Padlet. https://padlet.com/

9. TalkingPoints. (n.d.). TalkingPoints. https://talkingpts.org/

10. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages International Association. (2018). Standards for initial TESOL Pre-K–12 teacher preparation programs. https://www.tesol.org/media/v33fewo0/2018-tesol-teacher-prep-standards-final.pdf

11. Wakelet. (n.d.). Wakelet: The all-in-one content platform. https://wakelet.com/

12. WIDA. (2020). WIDA English language development standards framework, 2020 edition: Kindergarten–grade 12. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/WIDA-ELD-Standards-Framework-2020.pdf

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After exploring these nine technology tools, I learned that technology can support multilingual learners in many different ways when it is used with a clear purpose. Tools such as Raz-Kids, i-Ready, Kahoot!, and Nearpod can support literacy, vocabulary, formative assessment, and student engagement. Google Classroom, Padlet, and Wakelet can organize learning materials and give students different ways to access information through visuals, audio videos, writing, and discussion. ClassDojo and TalkingPoints can strengthen communication with families by sharing updates, resources, and learning activities in families' preferred languages. However, teachers should not completely rely on technology to make decisions or teach the classroom because technology alone does not make learning equitable. Teachers still need to do observations and use their professional skills to make decisions to support multilingual learners. Teachers need to think about students’ English proficiency levels, access to devices and the internet, digital literacy skills, cultural backgrounds, and home languages. I would use participation, classroom observations, student work, and family feedback to determine whether a tool is helping students meet the content and language objectives. If students need more support, I would add visuals, partner talk, home language resources, sentence frames, small-group instruction, and audio directions. My emerging TESOL philosophy is centered on high expectations, collaboration, inclusion, and respect for students’ identities. I want to use technology to help multilingual learners become confident readers, speakers, listeners, writers, and digital learners. I do not want to use technology to erase my students' identities or rely on it entirely to evaluate them. Furthermore, I refuse to let the use of technology lower my expectations for what they can achieve.  Most importantly, I want families to feel welcomed as partners in the learning process. These tools can help connect school and home, but teachers must use them thoughtfully so that every student and family has meaningful opportunities to participate.