Creating Significant Learning Environments Through a New Culture of Change
Hi there! I’m Angela, a bilingual kindergarten teacher passionate about helping students learn with purpose and joy. This summer, I read A New Culture of Learning by Thomas and Brown (2011), and it gave me the spark to reimagine how I run my technology center. This post is my story of change guided by imagination, QR codes, and a lot of heart.
What Wasn’t Working?
Imagine trying to run a guided reading group while five Kinders at the tech center are raising their hands because they can’t log in… or don’t know what to do next.
That was me. Every single day!
I realized my students weren’t being “off-task” they just didn’t have the tools or structure to succeed independently. And I wanted to change that. That’s where my innovation journey began.
Learning from the Book (and beyond)
In A New Culture of Learning, the authors explain that real learning happens when we allow imagination, curiosity, and play to lead the way. I also connected deeply with Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk when he said we must stop treating students like products in a system and start nurturing their human potential, it felt personal. Another favorite insight?
“Questions are more important than answers.” That idea stuck with me.
What Changed in My Classroom?
🌟 Fewer interruptions
🌟 Students helping each other
🌟 Kids smiling when they scan the QR code and say, “I got it!”
🌟 More time for me to actually teach small groups
What I love most is seeing their confidence grow. They’re not just using technology they’re owning it.
Final Thoughts (and a Little Poetry)
This shift reminded me of the powerful quote shared by Sir Ken Robinson from Yeats:
That’s exactly what we’re doing when we create learning environments that respect children’s pace, language, and passions.
This isn’t just about tech it’s about trust.
Ready to Create Your Own Culture of Change?
Let’s keep building classrooms where imagination and structure walk hand in hand. If you’d like support designing your own tech routine, I’m happy to share what worked for me!
Before diving into this new project, I had already taken a previous class that introduced me to the Innovation Plan framework and that was a game-changer. It gave me the foundation I needed to start thinking strategically and creatively. Now, with each new tool and resource I’m exploring, I feel more confident in knowing how to take initiative, where to look for relevant tech-based references, and how to align everything to my students’ needs. That earlier learning planted the seed now I’m watching it grow.