Exploring Community Asset Mapping as Co-learning: A Multifaceted Participant Perspective

Abstract

In this study, a teacher educator and a high school teacher join forces with their respective students to explore Community Asset Mapping (CAM) as a tool to enhance literacy development. We define CAM as a process-oriented protocol and reflective framework that leverages teachers' unlearning, co-learning, and relearning stance to effect social change toward greater equity and inclusion. Within the CAM Project, teacher candidates are paired with MLL students in groups, engaging in a series of activities culminating in a collaborative podcast that highlights the sociocultural assets of MLL students. Employing collaborative autoethnography alongside thematic analysis, this chapter delves into stakeholders’ perspectives and reflections on the CAM process, pinpointing the pivotal factors and strategies that foster successful implementation within CAM. This immersive journey guides teacher candidates through a process of unlearning, co-learning, and relearning in partnership with MLL students and their communities, serving as a catalyst for transformative learning for MLLs.