A new educational normal an intersectionality-led exploration of education, learning technologies, and diversity...

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the learning technologies disparity in the U.S. K-12 education system, thus broadening an already existing and troublesome digital divide. Low-income and minority students and families were particularly disadvantaged in accessing hardware and software technologies to support teaching and learning. Moreover, the homicide of George Floyd fostered a new wave of inquiry about racism and inequality, questioning often enabled with and through technology and social media. To address these issues, this article explores how parents and teachers experienced the pandemic through intersectional and digital divide-driven lenses. Data were collected from eight parents of underserved children and nine U.S. K-12 teachers to better understand challenges and best practices related to learning technologies during the pandemic. Data collection also focused on conversations about social justice, exploring specific needs and strategies for addressing technology inclusion and diversity in educational environments. Results from the study suggest that COVID-19 was a source of increased digital divide in terms of community and social support rather than economic means. At the same time, staying at home facilitated family discussions about racism and intersectionality-related themes. Implications are suggested for improving school communities and contexts in dealing with pandemic and emergency learning.