S2:E5 - Digital Heroin w/ Katie Kinder
S2 #5

S2:E5 - Digital Heroin w/ Katie Kinder

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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