#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—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.