John Seely Brown suggested that learning environments should be spaces in which all work is public, is subject to iterative critique by instructors and peers, and in which social interaction is primary. In such spaces, students and teachers engage in a situated cognition approach to teaching and learning where “cognitive accomplishments rely in part on structures and processes outside the individual”. Here we describe a qualitative analysis of a socially situated learning setting that aimed to develop children who can design, analyze, critique, and transform media, subjecting existing social media, their designs, and their peers’ designs to public and iterative critique. In this setting, adult mentors supported children’s self-expression, self-reflection, and skillbuilding through authentic, socially situated reading, writing, and discussion, and media production. Creating and leveraging such spaces is essential for preparing all children for successful experiences in the new knowledge economy in formal and informal educational settings.

With over 30 years in education and as an early adopter of emerging technologies, Professor Emerita Gomez (UCLA) emphasizes that technology integration must go beyond being an afterthought. She argues it should intentionally embed equity within education programs and implementation plans by focusing on pedagogical equity, addressing systemic challenges at classroom, school, and district levels, and engaging in actionable strategies. As Prof. Gomez notes, there is no “silver bullet” to technology integration—only deliberate, equity-centered practice. Follow her as she illustrates what this looks like in classrooms, schools, districts, and broader curricula.