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Rafalow’s introduction lays out the full scope of his essential argument that
educators are contributing to a new type of digital divide:
A contemporary ethnographer will notice some significant differences
from school ethnographies of even a decade ago. Digital technologies
are everywhere: nearly all students and faculty carry mobile devices like
smartphones, and classrooms are equipped with computers and even
interactive whiteboards. In the words of one teacher, internet access is “like
Dr. Judith Merz is a oxygen.” (p. 4)
member of Epsilon I ultimately argue that the way educational institutions cultivate innovators
Chapter in Nevada State is through their capacity to discipline play. Digital youth culture is rich with
Organization. A recipient
of the DKG International new ideas, forms, and styles. But schools set the terms for whether students
Achievement Award in can mobilize their playful digital pursuits for achievement, and they do so
2019, she has been active differently by student class and race. (p. 8)
at all levels of the Society Noting how the playing field has been leveled considerably in terms of access to
and currentlyl serves technology equipment and support, Rafalow argues that unequal student outcomes
as editor of the Bulletin may now be attributed to educators’ divergent paths as “gatekeepers” (p. 13) of
and co-editor of the DKG
NEWS. She is a retired students’ digital play. Awareness of how they discipline such play may help educators
superintendent of schools avoid creating a somewhat deeper digital divide.
and a doctoral advisor
for Nova Southeastern A Well-formed Argument
University. jrmerz@aol. Rafalow presents a well-formed argument, with each point presented in detail
com
in a chapter. Chapter 1 is devoted to providing a sense of each of the three middle
schools that were the sites of his study:
• Heathcliff, a private school with enrollment reflecting the “wealthy and White
families living in its vicinity” (p. 1), provided iPads to all students—for use in
class and at home.
• Sheldon Junior High, a public school serving mostly middle class students, with
a heavy population of Asian American immigrant families, also emphasized
up-to-date technology, in this case via computer stations within the classrooms.
• Cesar Chavez Middle School, a public school “serving mostly working-class
Latinx students” (p. 17), had technology comparable to that at Heathcliff,
supported by annual purchases of iPads and laptop carts and an education
technology support specialist who ensured the technology was operable.
Heathcliff educators saw technology, in this case the ubiquitous iPads, as
a “portal” or “bridge between students’ lives and school” (p. 30). Students were
encouraged to use the devices for note-taking, calendaring, communication, and
creative activities. Interactive whiteboards were used to engage students in activities
rather than as simple projection devices. Grade-reporting software was used to
connect teachers, parents, and students actively to real-time reports of students’
educational progress” (p. 33). Access to creative software, such as that found within
Adobe Creative Suites (https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud), opened a world of
expression for all involved.
At Sheldon, a 1-to-1 Chromebook program was used in most classes—chosen in
part because these web-based devices made everything a student was doing online
visible to the teacher and could thus serve as a surveillance tool. “Sheldon went to
great lengths to use their digital platforms to discipline and punish students for their
online behavior” (p. 36). Educators at this school also made a conscious decision not
to purchase interactive whiteboards because administrators were concerned that such
devices would anchor teachers at the front of the room when they should, instead, be

36 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators