Published in TEACH Magazine, September/October 2024 Issue
By Kayla M. Perry
I grew up in rural Arizona, in a house ten minutes outside of the nearest town, right beside a river and a forest. This was before the Internet was mainstream in every household, so my four younger brothers and I had to find other ways to stay entertained. And it was great! We would spend hours playing outside, finding places along the river that we dubbed “the rapids” and “fish rock,” or exploring in the woods that we had all to ourselves.
Much of my childhood featured activities that weren’t based around a screen: flipping through my mom’s Oprah magazines when I was sick in bed, or searching for just the right recipe in one of our many cookbooks, or making “back to school” wish lists by circling items in a physical catalogue. In fact, one of my most cherished memories is learning how to read with my mom at age three. Just me, her, the books, and phonics sounds. Not an iPad or tablet in sight.
Kayla M. Perry is a reading teacher from the Ponderosa Pine forest town of Payson, AZ. She has been in education for 9 years and holds a Master of E-Learning degree to continue broadening her passion for technology.
