By Shaquille Barrett 
When you hear that today’s students are “digital natives,” what comes to mind? Kids who can navigate the web like pros, right? Young people with tech skills that should make our lives easier? Unfortunately, when it comes to actual tech literacy — skills they’d need to succeed in school and beyond — the reality is pretty different. Sure, they know how to scroll, swipe, share, like and subscribe, but hand them an assignment that involves research, typing a report, or even navigating a Google Classroom Quiz assignment, and you’ll quickly see that being “born in the age of tech” doesn’t guarantee being tech-savvy.
The Great Tech Myth: Digital Native ≠ Digital Literacy
It’s easy to assume that because students are glued to their screens, they must know their way around them, right? Wrong. Ask many high schoolers to take a portrait and add some filters, they become a modern day Picasso. Ask them to research a topic, and write a report on it and you might get a blank look. To even suggest to some that they compose a simple, correctly formatted paragraph on a word processor, and it might feel like you’re asking them to learn a foreign language. The assumption that students come to class “ready to go” with tech skills is one we pay for dearly — especially in subject area classes like math and science, where the goal should be solving problems, not teaching keyboard skills. For teachers, this “digital illiteracy” of sorts leads to constant tech troubleshooting — which takes time and energy away from, you know, actual learning.
Imagine a math class where time is spent helping students navigate to the proper URL or showing them how to upload a file instead of diving into equations or problem-solving. When tech which is supposed to be a vehicle for learning but becomes a roadblock, it’s a sign that something’s off.
Why a Low-Tech Intervention Could Be the Answer
It’s tempting to throw more tech solutions at the problem, thinking we just need to offer more in terms of exposure to the students. I believe I speak for us all when I say, I wish we had that luxury, but, in thinking of a solution, perhaps it’s time to step back and think differently. The more we rely on tech that students have limited to no access to and can’t fully use, the more we risk alienating those who struggle — and they’re often the ones who would benefit most from straightforward, hands-on learning.
What if we went back to the basics? Instead of leaning on devices and digital platforms for the heavy lifting in the teaching-learning process so to speak, we could refocus on tools that allow students to understand concepts in real, tangible ways. Imagine a math lesson where they’re solving problems to be first to complete a puzzle, and drawing out their calculations as they go — activities that don’t require them to remember yet another password or learn another “intuitive” interface. In the hands-on realm, learning is direct and immediate. They can touch, see, and experiment without the barrier of a screen or the pressure of technical skills they haven’t fully developed.
Beyond Devices: The Value of Practical Learning
Consider how powerful it would be to bring back practical tools and activities that don’t depend on technology. Let’s say we’re teaching fractions or ratios. Instead of a digital simulation, students could use actual objects — beads, blocks, paper! – anything they can move around and manipulate. It gives them a break from screens, sure, but it also builds a kind of understanding that is hard to replicate digitally. This hands-on learning also helps those students who struggle with literacy, as they’re engaging with concepts in a more instinctive, physical way.
And the truth is, the vast majority of classrooms in Jamaica lack the tech resources that other countries might take for granted. Instead of pouring energy into tech that doesn’t fully meet students’ needs, a shift toward practical, accessible tools could close the gap in ways that last. By focusing on low-tech resources, we’re giving students learning tools that don’t expire, don’t need an update, and aren’t vulnerable to a forgotten password.
Reclaiming the Classroom for Learning
Pushing tech when there’s no tech and students have shown that they lack the basics to make it work anyway; seems that we’re flogging a dead horse. Instead of fighting an uphill battle to get students comfortable with tech they may or may not even have access to, we could give them something far more valuable — a real understanding of the subject at hand. If anything, that’s the one aspect we have greater control over.
At TANGENT, we’re dedicated to finding solutions that actually meet students where they are, not where we wish they would be. We want learning to feel accessible and real, even if it means swapping out a tablet for a tangible, hands-on experience. After all, if students leave school without foundational skills, have we really given them an education at all?