Teach Me, Teacher

#400 How Technology Can Support Literacy (Tinsley Galyean pt.2)

In this episode, we sit down with Tinsley Galyean—co-founder of Curious Learning and author of the forthcoming book REFRAME: How Curiosity & Literacy Can Redefine Us [https://www.amazon.com/Reframe-How-Curiosity-Literacy-Redefine-ebook/dp/B0FCJ628PD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JERQ3JHBXPG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.U1Leoe57ejBFh0-zXpd8uQ.ux9vE8FoXH382YRcSAIu2mxrV537WNjlLyJdj_-nLwc&dib_tag=se&keywords=TINSLEY+GALYEAN%2C&qid=1764557763&sprefix=tinsley+galyean%2C%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1]—to challenge everything we think we know about technology, kids, and learning. As debates rage over screen time, AI, and the impact of digital tools on child development, Galyean offers a powerful counter-narrative: what if technology, used intentionally, could become one of the most transformative forces in global childhood literacy? Drawing on fieldwork across Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh, South Africa, and beyond, Tinsley reveals how low-cost smartphones and child-driven learning apps are helping children learn to read in their mother tongue—even in communities with no formal schooling. We explore why curiosity is the secret engine of learning, how tech can support (not replace) human connection, and why it's time to reexamine the role technology can and should play in childhood literacy. If you're an educator, parent, or leader searching for evidence-based insights on technology and kids, digital learning, or the future of literacy, this conversation will expand your thinking and push you to reframe what's possible.

#399 Reframing Tech and Literacy with Tinsley Galyean (pt.1)

In this episode, we sit down with Tinsley Galyean—co-founder of Curious Learning and author of the forthcoming book REFRAME: How Curiosity & Literacy Can Redefine Us [https://www.amazon.com/Reframe-How-Curiosity-Literacy-Redefine-ebook/dp/B0FCJ628PD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JERQ3JHBXPG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.U1Leoe57ejBFh0-zXpd8uQ.ux9vE8FoXH382YRcSAIu2mxrV537WNjlLyJdj_-nLwc&dib_tag=se&keywords=TINSLEY+GALYEAN%2C&qid=1764557763&sprefix=tinsley+galyean%2C%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1]—to challenge everything we think we know about technology, kids, and learning. As debates rage over screen time, AI, and the impact of digital tools on child development, Galyean offers a powerful counter-narrative: what if technology, used intentionally, could become one of the most transformative forces in global childhood literacy? Drawing on fieldwork across Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh, South Africa, and beyond, Tinsley reveals how low-cost smartphones and child-driven learning apps are helping children learn to read in their mother tongue—even in communities with no formal schooling. We explore why curiosity is the secret engine of learning, how tech can support (not replace) human connection, and why it's time to reexamine the role technology can and should play in childhood literacy. If you're an educator, parent, or leader searching for evidence-based insights on technology and kids, digital learning, or the future of literacy, this conversation will expand your thinking and push you to reframe what's possible.

180 Days with Penny Kittle — Greatest Hits

Hello everyone and happy Thanksgiving break! We will be back to our regular scheduled programming next week, but for our off week, let's revisit one of the top minds in education to look at reading and writing practices that actually work in secondary classrooms. NOTE: This episode featured a giveaway that has already been honored. If you're in ELA, you probably know who Penny Kittle is [http://pennykittle.net/index.php?page=about]. If you don't know who she is, you're in for a treat, regardless if you teach ELA or another subject. In this episode, Penny and I discuss her new book (co-written with Kelly Gallagher), 180 Days, [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0325081131/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0325081131&linkCode=as2&tag=teachmeteache-20&linkId=5a76130d171a1b49f32630ccf0797de1]and how we can better our literacy practices and deepen the learning of our students. We hit on: * Beliefs that drive teaching decisions * Why teaching a LOVE for reading and writing is paramount * The power of modeling * The need for conferencing with students …and much much more. Enjoy the show. Don't forget to subscribe and review the show on iTunes! [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/teach-me-teacher/id1130488614?mt=2]

#398 Ruthless Equity (Ken Williams pt.3)

This week, we're back with Part 3 of my conversation with Ken Williams — and we're pushing even deeper into what real leadership looks like when the excuses are stripped away. If you missed Part 2, make sure you catch up first. [https://teachmeteacherpodcast.com/2025/11/10/397-how-schools-make-teachers-invisible-ken-williams-pt-2/] In this installment, we go beyond the question of whether teachers matter and dig into the systems, habits, and mindsets that either amplify teacher expertise or quietly suffocate it. Because here's the truth far too many leaders avoid: You can't claim to believe in teachers while building a school that doesn't trust them. We talk about how some schools unintentionally create environments where demographics set the narrative, expectations shrink, and teacher talent is overshadowed by fear, compliance, or "initiatives" that don't move the needle. And we explore the opposite—what it looks like when leaders actively remove barriers, create clarity, and build cultures where teachers are empowered to be the experts they were hired to be. This episode gets into: * Why "context" can't become a convenient excuse for low accountability * How leaders can shift from managing teachers to developing them * What high-functioning schools do differently — no matter the zip code * The mindsets that help leaders create conditions where every teacher can succeed * Why student demographics must never determine adult expectations Ken pulls no punches as we examine what it really takes for leaders to support teachers in any school, with any students, under any circumstances. This is the deeper work — the work that transforms schools from the inside out. If you're ready to move past rhetoric and toward real leadership that elevates teacher expertise, this is the episode. Learn more about Ken's work at Unfold the Soul and check out his book Ruthless Equity.

#397 How Schools Make Teachers Invisible (Ken Williams pt.2)

This week, I sit down with Ken Williams — educator, speaker, author of Ruthless Equity, and founder of Unfold the Soul — to dig into a question that hits the core of what schools are becoming: Do teachers still matter? If you missed part 1, click here. [https://teachmeteacherpodcast.com/2025/11/07/396-do-teachers-actually-matter-with-ken-williams-pt-1/] In far too many places, we've slipped into treating demographics like destiny. Schools get so wrapped up in predicting outcomes based on factors kids can't control that teachers end up feeling obsolete before they even step into the room. When we assume what students can't do, we quietly remove the people who can change everything: the teachers. If we actually want better schools, we have to treat teachers like the experts they are and let them do what only they can do. Because kids from every background and every circumstance can learn when we trust and empower the people closest to them. Ken brings his trademark clarity and candor as we dig into how schools can rebuild belief in teachers and what leaders must do to support that shift. It's real, it's challenging, and it's the kind of conversation that refuses to settle for easy answers. Learn more about Ken's work at Unfold the Soul and check out his book Ruthless Equity.