Pre-Service Teachers Examine Digital Equity Amidst Schools' COVID-19 Responses

Abstract

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 schools and higher education rapidly deployed distance education approaches. Persisting inequities were illuminated by overwhelmingly digital responses and became vivid sources for observation and analysis by pre-service teachers (PSTs). This brief article details a process and resources for facilitating discussion, analysis, and reflection on the digital divide. PSTs first explored diverse experiences with the digital divide. They then investigated data on access to devices and broadband internet. The process concluded with observations and analyses of districts' responses to COVID-19 and attention to societal inequities. Early results indicate PSTs' increased awareness of digital inequities and critical attention to societal contexts when assessing technology integration strategies.