Technology has the potential to inspire significant change within the educational landscape, offering myriad opportunities for learners. Though lauded for its many benefits, technology is not always used in ways that support learner-centered best practices and instead perpetuates outdated, unevolved methodologies. This is particularly concerning for low-income K-12 schools, which tend to promote lower-order uses of technology compared to their high socioeconomic counterparts, thereby perpetuating stratified learning experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these inequities and ultimately forged a more pervasive divide.
This session will share current research surrounding disparate technology use practices in Title 1 public middle schools and reveal the integration approaches of exemplary middle-level educators working to counter trends in literature and incite systematic change. Strategies and resources to promote technology-centered, higher-order thinking (HOT) practices as they align with the upper tiers of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy will be explored. Additionally, implications for both classroom practitioners and researchers will be shared to promote social justice through digital equity in a post-pandemic world.
Amy Var