Chapter 7: Digital Technologies In The Middle Grades

The integration of digital technology into school environments has been increasingly widespread over the past few decades. Yet, while technology offers the potential for positive student outcomes (Bebell, Clarkson, & Burraston, 2014), increased access does not always equate to increased student engagement or achievement (Donovan, Green, & Hartley, 2010). Understanding the role of technology in schools holds particular relevance for middle grades education, as young adolescents are among the greatest users of digital technologies (Lenhart, 2015; Rideout, 2015). Some suggest that technologies such as social media and gaming offer a contemporary way to meet the young adolescent needs of affiliation, competence, and responsibility (Downes & Bishop, 2012). It is not surprising, then, that some of the largest technology initiatives in U.S. schools historically have occurred in Grades 5 through 8 (e.g., Lowther, Strahl, Inan, & Bates, 2007; Silvernail & Lane, 2004; Texas Center for Educational Research, 2009).