Instructional coach, author, and PD presenter Katie Kinder joins Will and Liz to unpack the phrase “digital heroin”—how excessive screen time can dysregulate kids, erode attention, and crowd out real-world learning. Katie argues for balance: leverage powerful tools like AI with clear boundaries, then deliberately pivot to paper-and-pen, dialogue, and play. She shares classroom moves and home routines that rebuild focus, language, and social skills.

🔑 Key Takeaways

✔️ Balance over ban: Tech and AI are valuable when used with intent, not as default entertainment or digital worksheets.

✔️ Explain the “why”: Students comply more when they understand how devices affect learning and why boundaries exist.

✔️ Paper boosts retention: Handwriting notes/assignments tends to support long-term memory better than typing on devices.

✔️ Teach talk, not just tasks: Structured dialogue (e.g., Socratic seminar) grows executive function, empathy, and academic language.

✔️ Start early at home: Simple routines—like three tech-free family meals per week—can meaningfully support developing brains.

✔️ Model digital citizenship: Have students compare sources, spot bias, and understand online permanence/consequences.

✔️ Support “baby teachers”: New educators need concrete procedures and engaging plans to avoid relying on screens.

💬 Memorable Quotes

🗣️ “Our kids are growing up in a digital playground—and no one’s on recess duty.”

🗣️ “Putting a worksheet on an iPad isn’t innovative—it’s still a worksheet.”

🗣️ “If you’re getting dumber in my presence, how could I sleep at night?”

🗣️ “Teach kids to say, ‘I respectfully disagree—and here’s why.’”

🗣️ “We’re not anti-tech—we’re pro-intentionality.”

🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn

• Boundaries with a Why
  • Begin the year by annotating short, age-appropriate articles on attention, screens, and learning.
  • Post a one-pager: “Phones away because…” (attention, memory, community).

• Socratic Seminar, Scaffolded
  • Prework: students draft level-3/4 questions.
  • In-room norms: “I respectfully disagree…,” “I insist that you go first.”
  • Participation target: each student contributes 3 times; the teacher tracks with a simple checklist.

• Speed Discussions (3-minute rounds)
  • Pairs rotate; handshakes, eye contact, and academic stems are required.
  • Gradually lengthen time and complexity.

• Paper-First for Core Thinking
  • Notes, outlines, and draft writing by hand; devices for research, drafting, and collaboration afterward.

• Purposeful AI Use
  • Teacher prep: Use tools (e.g., Slides add-ons, quiz generators) to save time.
  • Student use: brainstorm, outline, and compare AI outputs—then verify sources and revise.

• Hands-On Alternatives
  • Math on sidewalk chalk, physical puzzles in primary grades, gallery walks, manipulatives, and making.

• Phone-Free Routines
  • Clear signals (e.g., “bell-to-bell phone park”), visible storage, and consistent follow-through.

👁️‍🗨️ Additional Practices

• Conversation Starters Jar (home or advisory): quick prompts to build language and reflection during tech-free meals or circles.
• Bias Detective mini-lesson: bring two short articles with opposite claims; have students investigate author, funding, and intent.
• Online Footprint Case Studies: analyze real examples of posts that resurfaced and discuss “future-proof” posting habits.
• Detox Moments: plan micro-breaks—2–3 minutes of movement, breathing, or peer talk between device tasks.
• Parent Communication: share a one-page guide: “3 Family Habits to Balance Tech This Month” (meals, bedtime charging station, weekend outdoor challenge).
• Staff PD Sprint: 30-minute share-out of one AI tool that saved planning time + one low-tech engagement move that same week.

📚 Resources and Links

🔗 Katie Kinder Website: https://katie-kinder.com/

🔗 Katie Kinder Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/untoldteachingtruths/?hl=en

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