By now, we all have realized how essential digital literacy and digital resilience are for full participation in education, work, and daily life. As adult English language instructors, we work very hard to create opportunities for our multilingual students to acquire these critical skills. With learners at different levels of proficiency not only in English but also in digital skills, the reality in our classrooms poses some big challenges.

Imagine a class with some students unsure of how to navigate the internet while others surf with ease, or a class in which some are unfamiliar with using computers but are adept at using their phones to text, take photos, and make video calls, and where others’ only devices are phones with poor cellular service and/or limited data. Chances are you do not need to “imagine” such a class because this scenario is all too familiar throughout adult education.

In this session, ESOL practitioners explore five adaptable, learner-centered instructional routines that promote digital literacy skill development within any lesson. Participants will experience, analyze, and plan the integration of digital skill development during task-based instruction for beginning and intermediate-level English learners in both distance learning and in-person learning environments.