New Culture of Learning
Introduction
I have seen the classroom before digital learning, a world of no computers, no internet for the students, worksheets and page numbers, that is turn to page 25 and read to page 30 when finished answering the 5 questions on the worksheets. It was simple for teachers but it was not an environment that promotes learning. Then Covid happened and the teacher's world, mine especially, was turned upside down. This was my first real introduction to a digital world environment and although there were a lot of strategies that did not work there were several that did and those are the ones that I continued using years later. This changed my perspective and truly gave me a growth mindset and the idea of how much better our classroom environment can be. I believe the learning environment is the key for a successful classroom, and must include physical, psychological and instructional digital environments in order to be successful. Thomas and Brown (2011) explains that learning can be viewed as an environment combined with the resources provided by the digital information network. The context in which learning occurs, its boundaries, and the students, teachers, and information within it coexist and shape each other in a mutually reinforcing way. This new culture of learning is one that will not only lead to increased involvement from students but also increase teachers' awareness of how to better serve our students in a digital world.
What will change and how will we manage it?
This next year we will not only have 1 to 1 student to Chromebooks but also have GoGuardian to go with this new digital environment; as I indicated in my Innovation plan, this will give us the ability to monitor the students but also allow them to be use the computers to search and more effectively use the chrome books as tool to aid in their learning. They also will be able to play more games that will aid them in their learning as well, yes I said games. Thomas and Brown (2011) explains it better, considering an environment where continuous learning occurs because participants regularly seek, share, and evaluate new information. Finding an environment like that may seem challenging, but it is possible. Such environments already exist in a new generation of games. MMOs like World of Warcraft, EVE Online, Skyrim, and Fortnite show that learning happens through the communities built around the games. In essence, the game provides the impetus for collectives to take root. Some educators dismiss games as trivial entertainment or view all of them as antisocial and violent. However, new research indicates that games can enhance learning. Furthermore, we believe that massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) exemplify an innovative learning environment. So of course we are not going to let our students play Fortnite or World of Warcraft but we can get them to play Gimkit, Blooket, Kahoot, Nearpod or other games out there that we as teachers can direct them with the questions we have incorporated into those games. There also has to be a direction given for these games that reinforces what we are learning in class along with this we will be able to monitor the games we play by using GoGuardian. This will allow us to manage, and redirect our students without the entire class noticing and also providing a way for us to help when the student needs help on certain questions. We need to make learning fun and engaging and by adding games to our classroom environment it adds a level of engagement the students had not had before and brings fun for both the students and the teachers into the classroom.
What Challenges will we face and how will we face them
First, there will be some students that will just not be interested in games of any kind, and we must find a way to still interest those students in the things we do in the classroom environment. For an educational model to be effective, it must meet a specific learning objective while being engaging and entertaining. Educational games may not engage students if there is no proper alignment between the activity and the curriculum (Bayer et al., 2022). So we as teachers must know our students' likes and dislikes and act accordingly even if it means we need to stay away from certain games in that class. For example, if a student does not like the Gimkit game “knockback” but enjoys the individual play of “don’t look down” then we need to have them available for the students to play. I did experience this just last year and the different games available to play on google classroom and I found the students worked as hard as the others because they had interest in what they were doing and had the data to show for it. Second, we will have those students that will push the limits and go to “cool math games” and try to play the tank game or super mario brothers. That is where GoGuardian comes into play and according to Go Guardian when educators notice a student engaging in inappropriate behavior, they can redirect the student's attention by sending a message, blocking distracting sites, or having a private conversation. This approach helps reduce disruptions, keep learners focused on the lesson, and maintain a constructive classroom environment (GoGuardian Team, 2025). This will allow us to not only redirect the student without causing a scene in the classroom we also be able to block the site so no student can visit those sites again. Having a classroom environment that incorporates this kind of digital learning will add fun for the students and teachers along with the teachers having the availability to control the direction in which the class goes.
How will this approach impact our organization?
I believe we at Hillcrest have always thought outside of the box and allowed teachers to use different strategies and different classroom environments to meet our kids needs. Of course, there may be teachers that may struggle with that advent of a digital teaching environment or GoGuardian. I have addressed any problems we might have with GoGuardian through my Innovation proposal, Literature Review. I realize some of our teachers may experience some difficulty with technology but we will have PD’s, individual rollouts and teachers that are willing to give one on one attention to those who need it, which is explained in my Implementation Outline. Overall I do feel both the digital classroom environment and GoGuardian will have a positive impact for our school and allow teachers to better serve our students while allowing parents to see growth in their children.
How can you encourage broad, holistic thinking (not just holistic learning)?
I believe that incorporating a digital class environment will certainly create a student centered learning where the students will take control when using digital material in learning to play games that reinforce the material that has been or will be taught. As stated by the Education Revolution Association (2025) student-centered learning is where students take control of their learning, with teachers acting as guides. Instead of a rigid curriculum, students can choose from various projects to show their understanding. This method promotes autonomy, responsibility, and engagement in learning. I can encourage it by doing, basically there are several teachers at Hillcrest that already use these methods in the classroom, we can encourage others through doing, and also have data to show that these methods work. All in all we have to have a growth minded environment where everyone is open to change and letting the students take control of how they learn.
Is your perspective broad enough to shape your learning philosophy and actions?
By incorporating the idea that it is important for students to have touchpoints and interests related to the world in order to discover their passions and apply lessons effectively. Connecting lessons to the outside world encourages students to ask questions and pursue their interests, which supports holistic development (Heller et al., 2023). The idea of a digital environment is opening one's mind to changing how we teach and how we relate to our students. We must understand that the world of teaching is changing and that we must find other ways to encourage, motivate, and empower our students so they will be successful not only in the classroom but also the world outside of the classroom. So the answer to the question is my perspective broad enough to shape your learning philosophy and actions is yes. But only if myself and the teachers around me continue to have a growth mindset, with the idea that we are here to create life learners and must continue to embrace change in the classroom to move forward.
References
Bayer, D., Mondelli, T., & Hilborn, M. (2014, March 11). 7 things you should know about
games and learning. EDUCAUSE Library. https://library.educause.edu/resources/2014/3/7-things-you
should-know-about-games-and-learning
Education Revolution Association (2025, May 27). Holistic education: Whole-child development
for lifelong success. https://ed-rev.org/insights/holistic-education-nurturing-whole-child-development
for-lifelong- success/#:~:text=Group%20projects%2C%20peer%20teaching%2C%20or,interpersonal
%20skills%20alongside%20academic%20achievement.
GoGuardian Team. (2025, March 20). How GoGuardian teacher helps educators address the
needs of every student. GoGuardian. https://www.goguardian.com/blog/how-goguardian-teacher-helps
educators-address-the-needs-of-every
student#:~:text=3.,positive%20and%20productive%20classroom%20atmosphere
Heller, M., & Sedra, M. (2023, May 21). 7 tips to bring holistic learning to your classroom.
Planbook Blog. https://blog.planbook.com/holistic-learning-classroom/
Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant
change. Soulellis Studio.
