Technology Stalled: Exploring the New Digital Divide in One Urban School

A wide array of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are fundamentally changing the literacy lives of developing readers and writers (Coiro, 2007; Greenleaf & Hinchman, 2009). Our exploratory study examined the current practices and challenges for 21st century literacies - defined broadly as the skills, cultural competencies, and experiences necessary for active participation in the 21st century - and asked the question, How is technology used for literacy learning in the classrooms of one urban K-8 school? Although computer and multimedia technologies were available for use by teachers and students in many spaces throughout the school, technology did not play a significant role in literacy learning. Implications for literacy instruction within the context of 21st century literacies are discussed.