The use of various multimedia tools can help students develop their critical thinking, reasoning, language skills, and creative confidence.

When creating multimedia projects, ELL students who were once consumers of content are now producers, creating content through collaboration with the use of various digital applications. Bloom’s Taxonomy is reversed, where students apply their higher-order skills by creating first and then evaluating and analyzing, followed by the lower-order skills of applying, understanding, and remembering. By using digital tools, students participate in authentic learning, which allows for deeper learning and long-term retention of information. They create original work which can be supplemented with the addition of images, videos, and audio. An added bonus is the students’ ability to collaborate synchronously with others virtually.

When ELL students create multimedia projects, language learning is supported because these digital tools provide a multi-sensory experience which will increase their engagement. Students will learn through repeated exposure, helping them to develop their understanding of the English language.

Teachers can create lessons that are student-centered and act as a support for their students, allowing them to make their own choice regarding which digital tool to use in order to exhibit their work. Students can transfer their ideas to tools like Book Creator, Powtoon, or Thinglink.

By using the SAMR model, teachers can follow the four levels of substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition to use technology and improve their lessons. When teachers understand how digital tools can be applied to their instruction, they can give their students various ways to represent their learning.