Secondary English Language Arts teachers face classrooms with increasing linguistic and cultural diversity, yet privilege an approach to literacy associated with monolingual forms of English. Adherence to this ideological approach to teaching English reinforces conditions of White Supremacy. Simultaneously, the increasing presence of digital technologies has changed our communication from print-only to communication through and across multiple modes. However, educational technology (EdTech) products teachers are required to use to teach the Common Core reinforce the same monolingual, print-based approach that has been traditionally used in teaching. Culturally and linguistically diverse students whose communicative repertoires include use of multimodal practices could be served through the use of digital tools that have the potential to serve as a conduit for those practices; however, ELA teachers' pedagogy leaves no space for these practices to bloom. Examined through a conceptual framework that positions critical digital literacies (Avila & Pandya, 2013) as a form of culturally sustaining pedagogies (Paris & Alim, 2017), this study aims to investigate how secondary ELA teachers can honor the communicative repertoires of culturally and linguistically diverse students through the use of digital, multimodal compositions. For this study, I used PAR methodology to partner with an eighth grade English Language Arts teacher to develop and implement a 4-week unit of instruction. Data includes transcripts of Zoom-recorded planning and debrief meetings, class sessions, three semi-structured interviews with teacher and 3 focal students, and focal student work from the unit. The major findings are that use of a critical, culturally sustaining approach to digital multimodal compositions 1) required crafting a pedagogy that involved translating research-based concepts, negotiating meaning, weaving curricular components, and using digital platforms grafted to the conceptual work of the curriculum 2) enabled students to agentically represent their lives and provided opportunities for empowerment 3) allowed us as teachers to address traditional English Language Arts skills while providing an opportunity to engage in transformative learning experiences using digital tools 4) unearthed and reinforced the complexity and dynamism of language, culture and identity. This study illustrates the importance of collaborative, dialogic professional learning spaces for teachers to rehearse culturally sustaining and digital pedagogies. Additionally, the study illustrates how use of digital multimodal compositions offer opportunities for teachers to center communicative expression, move within and beyond traditional focal areas in ELA classes, and open up communicative pathways for students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]