Read more
Digital Learning for Young Minds: Equity, Access, and Engagement in P-6 Classrooms is an essential and timely resource for preservice and in-service teachers. What distinguishes this text is its holistic, practice-based approach to integrating technology into P-6 classrooms. It bridges the gap between digital theory and classroom application, empowering educators to thoughtfully select and implement tools that enhance learning while meeting rigorous standards such as those from the ISTE and the Common Core State Standards. This book arrives at a crucial moment, as educators continue to respond to post-pandemic demands for flexible, inclusive, and technology-enhanced learning environments. This book is additive in that it focuses exclusively on the pedagogical and developmental needs of younger learners rather than all K-12 learners, emphasizing design principles rooted in Universal Design for Learning, digital equity, and culturally responsive pedagogy. Readers will not only learn how to navigate Learning Management Systems and digital citizenship instruction but will also gain strategies for equitable access, ergonomic classroom design, and inclusive media use in platforms such as Google Classroom. The book addresses persistent challenges such as the digital divide, lack of inclusive instructional design, and the need for teacher confidence in using rapidly evolving tools. By centering intersectionality, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the authors equip educators with the frameworks necessary to engage all learners-especially those marginalized by socioeconomic status, disability, or cultural and linguistic differences. Grounded in both research and classroom experience, Digital Learning for Young Minds: Equity, Access, and Engagement in P-6 Classrooms empowers educators to make informed, ethical, and impactful choices that drive student learning and equity outcomes.
List of contents
Chapter 1: Standards: Information is Power
Chapter 2: Learning Management Systems
Chapter 3: Ergonomics: The Forgotten Topic
Chapter 4: Technology Tools
Chapter 5: Technology Design & Access
Chapter 6: Evaluating Resources
Chapter 7: Technology & Choice
Chapter 8: Media in Google Classrooms
Chapter 9: Designing Learning for All Learners
Chapter 10: Digital Citizenship and AI in Education
Chapter 11: Improving as a Professional
Chapter 12: Toolkit & Google Classrooms
About the author
Anne Tapp Jaksa, Ph.D. Professor of undergraduate and graduate Teacher Education, College of Education, Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, MI. Tapp Jaksa is the Chair for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Board of Directors. She serves on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Board of Directors and is the Director of Professional Development for the University of Michigan Center for Digital Curricula. Her research interests focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the P-12 and university classrooms and digital learning. Tapp Jaksa received the Teacher of the Year award when teaching P-12 and SVSU’s Landee Award for Teaching Excellence at the university level. She is the author of several publications.Alex St.Clair, M.A. is a first-grade teacher at McComb Elementary in Caro Community Schools and an adjunct faculty member at Saginaw Valley State University. He also serves as a data consultant and curriculum developer with the University of Michigan’s Center for Digital Curricula, where he has presented on their deeply digital Roadmaps platform. His work focuses on integrating technology in early elementary education to promote student engagement and differentiated instruction. St.Clair has co-authored multiple publications on AI in education and digital learning, and has presented his work at SITE and MACUL conferences. His mission is to empower young learners and fellow educators through accessible, innovative, and inclusive digital tools.
