As evolving digital technologies reshape the context of contemporary classrooms, the integration of technology into literacy instruction must become a significant focus of teacher development. This action research study employed a qualitative approach to investigate how teacher preparation programs can prepare pre-service and early-career teachers to effectively utilize digital applications, thereby enhancing literacy teaching and learning. The context of this research was an asynchronous elective course in a graduate program for students pursuing professional certification in literacy at a public university in the northeastern United States. The course, Digital Literacies, was designed to support emerging teachers in meaningfully integrating technology into literacy instruction. Learning activities within the course modeled strategies for technology integration, provided opportunities to engage with various digital platforms and tools, and supported ongoing reflection on instructional pedagogy. Using a qualitative design, this study examines how pre-service teachers perceive, engage with, and apply digital practices, drawing on data from course surveys, student artifacts, and a focus group interview. Data analysis employed a grounded theory approach, involving iterative coding that facilitated the creation of categories and led to the emergence of key themes. An integrated theoretical framework informed the analysis, incorporating constructivism (Piaget, 1954; Vygotsky, 1978), identity theory (Gee, 2000; Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop, 2004), and the TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). These perspectives provide a lens for understanding how emerging teachers develop the confidence and knowledge to integrate technology into their classrooms through their teacher preparation experiences. The findings indicate that pre-service and early-career teachers develop their professional identities related to technology integration through exposure to models of effective digital practices for instruction, authentic literacy experiences with digital applications, and reflection on their experiences simultaneously as both learners and educators. As they negotiate their roles as literacy educators, technology serves both as a tool and a context for shaping their pedagogical beliefs and self-efficacy for professional practice within the digital age. The study highlights the importance of designing purposeful and supportive teacher preparation programs that integrate digital technology in ways that contribute to the development of professional identity. Implications for teacher educators include promoting reflective, inquiry-based approaches to technology integration and designing coursework that centers digital literacy as fundamental to effective literacy instruction.

Keywords: Technology Integration, Teacher Preparation, Digital Literacies.