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The photographs taken symbolize many things for reading, writing, and culture. The pictures hold great meaning that expressed my own culture. The pictures of my most valuable object and my family hold meaning for my culture, values, and beliefs. The picture that represents my favorite book holds meaning for what is important to me in reading. Lastly, the picture of my favorite literacy to engage in represents the importance and value of writing in my literacy practices. When completing my cultural selfie, I used a multimodal source known as Padlet. This contributes to literacy in many ways. I was able to demonstrate literacy through pictures that symbolize many things. Along with these pictures, I wrote descriptions that contribute to writing. Throughout this project, I was connecting writing to my pictures, therefore making meaningful reflections and furthering comprehension.

Language, literacy, and culture are different from one family to another. Based on the readings from, Mui & Anderson (2006), it depends on the culture. In their article, they expressed how teaching and learning came from the older siblings and cousins with the support of their caregivers, such as their nannies. Much like my home, I looked up to my elders, my older brother, for support in my education. Students may come into the classroom with these different kinds of experiences, and it may contribute to how they learn based on how they are already being taught at home. This article explains the idea of learning coming from the parents versus other caregivers. In the article by Mohr (2004), there is the approach of integrating lessons that emphasize reading and writing. Their method is nonlinear. They believe that teaching reading and writing first, gives the ELLs an accelerated learning start in English where listening and speaking will naturally come within the process.

My thoughts on literacy as I was completing the project have broaden. When I initially think of literacy, I think of reading and writing. However, as I was completing this project, I noticed that I was making meaningful reflections within my writing that connected to one picture. I was surprised as to how much meaning one picture could hold as I was writing my descriptions. Connecting visuals to writing was a big thing for me. In doing this project, I also gained a lot of information about myself. This project allowed me to reflect upon my own culture and beliefs. As my fellow classmates presented their work, I realized the diversity amongst us. This allows me to be more mindful and aware that I may have diverse students within my classroom in the future who have different values, cultures, and beliefs that contribute to who they are. This project gave me insight on who I am culturally. I am a Chinese individual who values respect, open-mindedness, and kindness. I can incorporate my values into my classroom by implementing norms that ask my students to be kind and respectful to one another. With this, I am considering my identity and who I am. Teacher identity is important in recognizing that children are not illiterate and fail at school due to deficits in their culture and in their cognition. Students raised in different cultures may think differently, but that does not mean a student is illiterate. The background experiences and knowledge that students bring into the classroom makes up who they are. There are many cultures that I may not know or understand, but I must be respectful and willing to be open to learning about them and how to better help them succeed.  This project also allowed me to realize my struggles and cultural biases. Now that I am aware of my weaknesses in teaching culturally diverse individuals, I can be more cautious and considerate. Understanding the funds of knowledge is also important in the classroom for a teacher. With this, the teacher is able to understand the type of home life their students come from, and then they are better able to teach their students. “Funds of knowledge, or the knowledge, skills, and resources present in homes, have been utilized to incorporate students’ and families’ experiences into the classroom” (Kiyama, 2011). The funds of knowledge takes under consideration language practices and social practices within an individual’s home culture. As a teacher, it is important to be aware of a students’ home life and use that as a means to better reach the individual in education. A teacher can use this to make better connections that the students can relate to.

Often times, a student’s cultural experience and understanding of literacy and education are sometimes a mismatch to the school and teacher’s ways and beliefs. My character trait of being open-minded allows me to break these barriers. I feel that I am very kind to all students, and I am willing to work with each student despite our differences. In this class, I have learned to be more aware of what people and books are saying and showing about “good literacy.” What may work for one individual, may not work for another. Not all students learn the same, therefore not all methods will work for everyone. I must get to know each of my students and find out what works best for each. To promote equity and to better serve my students, there are many things I can implement into my classroom. By being culturally responsive, I can allow choice in my classwork. I can let students choose how they want to present information to allow them to express themselves in the way that best suits them. To promote equity I can use name sticks. By using name sticks, I can ensure that I call on each student and give each student an opportunity to participate.

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Celina
Kind, respectful, caring, smart
Sibling of 3
Lover of adventure, culture, and food
Who feels happy, hopeful, and optimistic
Who fears disappointment, failure, and rejection
Who would like to see peace, happiness, and joy
Resident of Walker Dr., Lawrenceville
Chau

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The below picture is a self-portrait of who I am. I am an average individual. I am happy, optimistic, and simple. I see myself as a daughter and and a sister. I see myself as a caring and genuine person. In this picture, you can see me smiling.

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Strength in Teaching Culturally Diverse Students in the Classroom

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Strength in Teaching Culturally Diverse Students in the Classroom

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My strength in teaching culturally diverse students is that I am very caring. Due to my character trait of being open minded, I am very accepting of diverse individuals. Because I am a person with a diverse cultural background, I feel that I am more mindful and considerate of other's cultures. I understand what it is like to be different than the majority. The picture below is of me and my good friend's daughter, Natalia. She is half Puerto Rican and half white. Her parents are raising her as a Jehovah witness. Although Natalia and I look different, have different cultures, and share different religious beliefs, I am still respectful and open to her differences. This picture represents my strength of being accepting of diverse cultures in the classroom

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Struggle  Teaching Culturally Diverse Students in the Classroom

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Struggle  Teaching Culturally Diverse Students in the Classroom

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Although I am accepting of new cultures, ideas, and opinions, I find it challenging to differentiate students based on their needs. Since I am limited to what I know about other cultures, I find it hard to teach around ones' culture and  previous experiences if I, myself, cannot relate to it. Below is a picture of a book I have that is about the Jewish culture. This book symbolizes the integration of another culture as a resource in the classroom. Finding resources to integrate that can be relatable to all of the different cultures in my classroom is my struggle.

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I read this book during my senior year of high school. This book is written in  multiple perspectives of Asian Americans and was deeply rooted in Chinese culture. I could relate to this book a lot, and it often reminded me of my family. This book holds a lot of my cultural beliefs, struggles, and realities that I have experienced with my family. The top left picture is a family portrait of us in our traditional Chinese clothing. This represents my Chinese roots. The top right picture is of my mother's handwriting. Like in the Joy Luck Club, this is my mother's reality with literacy and the English language.

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There is a round sofa that is in the common area near my living room. This is my favorite spot to engage in literacy. The sofa is big and comfy. I have three dogs who like to jump onto the sofa and cuddle up next to me while I engage in literacy. The picture below is a picture of my favorite spot to relax and engage in literacy. In the picture is my dog, Cody, who loves to cuddle beside me during this tiime.

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My favorite literacy practice is Tumblr. I have the ability to make my account private to secure my privacy. I also enjoy being able to create my Tumblr page the way I want to design it. I also love re-blogging photos based upon my own interest, much like Pinterest. Tumblr is a visual representation of my hobbies and likes. I also enjoy the aspect of being able to create different blogs for different categories of interest. The picture below is a picture of me interacting with my Tumblr profile.

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My daily literacy practices include Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Tumblr, texting, and emailing. I check Facebook to read my friend's statuses, watch video posts, and interact through Facebook messenger with friends. I also use Facebook to connect with my family members overseas. I use Snapchat daily to interact with friends and post about my daily activities. I check Instagram to see the activity of my friends, and I occasionally post my own picture of an event that is important to me. I text every day between friends. family, and my significant other. I also read and write emails for school. I also have a Tumblr account where I reblog and post pictures of my interest. The top right photo is an image of me interacting with Facebook. I am messaging my uncle who lives in Malaysia. The top left photo is an image of my River of Reading. The picture contains all of the literacies I've engaged in.

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A cultural value/ belief is to always respect your elders. Elders not only include your family members, but strangers as well. I was taught to always be a better listener than a speaker. I learned to hold my tongue and be respectful. This may contribute to the notion that Asians are passive and not confrontational in situations. However, I believe this to be due to this cultural belief of respect that we've become accustom to. I chose this value, because this has contributed to my character as a person.  The picture at the top was taken to symbolize my respect for my elders. In the picture, I am holding onto my grandpa's hand. The bottom picture was an old photograph taken of me and my grandma at the temple praying.

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The first day of the education program I noticed that I was the only visible oriental Asian person in the entire cohort. As I continued the program I noticed that there were not many teachers in the schools, or student teachers, who were of Asian decent. I began to feel a bit different and awkward. In a way, I felt judged. Many people often confront me asking me why I am not in the medical field. I am well aware that I am different than many in this field, however I am working on not letting my discomfort hinder my success. The picture  below is of me and two girls from my cohort in the education program. We all have different cultural backgrounds, and I have become close with them. They have allowed me to overcome my cultural discomfort by providing me with support and encouragement.

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"All African Americans are Good at Sports"

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"All African Americans are Good at Sports"

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The notion that all African Americans are good at sports is a stereotype. This is my own cultural bias. I think I may believe this to be true only because most of my friends who are African American are good at basketball or football. Of course, this is not true or everyone. There can be some African Americans who are not good at sports. This is a cultural bias I need to remind myself not to make. I should not think this of the majority race. I should make my judgments based on individuals.  Below is a picture of me and my good friend Brandon. Brandon is African American and he is into working out, but he is not good at sports. This disproves my cultural bias that all African Americans are good at sports.

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My mother was a Lao refugee. Both of my parents immigrated here. My mother fled Laos during the war and her family was divided during their journey to the United States. At the time, Laos was a communist country, and my mother fled for a better future. My mother fortunately became a U.S. citizen. My father still holds a green card. He came to America from Malaysia to start a new life. He started his own computer business called Genisys and made a living for our family. I am fortunate to have been born and raised in the United States. I was given ample opportunities here than I would have had in Laos or Malaysia. The picture to the left is of my parents when they had reached the United States, met in college in Louisiana, and got married. Their union created me. The picture to the right represents my first time being able to vote in this country for this past election, 2016. I would not have had this opportunity without my parents' sacrifices.

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My necklace is the most important object in my life. The gold chain comes from Thailand from my grandparents from my mother's side. The gold Chinese coin pendant comes from my grandparents from my father's side. I was given this golden pendant to wear on the day of my birth for good luck. The Jade eggplant pendant is a Chinese family heirloom passed down from my father's side. My great grandmother gave it to my grandma, who gave it to my father, who gave it to me. The necklace resembles my family and my culture. Gold, or yellow, represents purity and good luck in Chinese. Jade is also an important stone that represents the five virtues: benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, bravery, honesty, and purity. It carries much of the Buddhist beliefs. This necklace reminds me of who I am and my values. The picture below is the necklace that contains the gold and jade pendant.

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"The mind is like a parachute. It works best when it is open"

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"The mind is like a parachute. It works best when it is open"

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My favorite characteristic is my open-mindedness. I am very open to new ideas, opinions, and cultures. I am considerate of everyone and everything. I was raised in a Buddhist home, where I was taught to love everyone despite any differences. Along with being open-minded, I learned to be respectful of others' differences and cultures. The picture above is a picture of Elotes, or Mexican style corn on the cob. This represents my open-mindedness to new cultures. I love experiencing different cultures, and a way that I do that is through foods.

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"A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear"

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"A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear"

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My favorite physical trait is my smile. I am a friendly person who loves to smile. I believe you can tell a lot about a person by your first impression of them. The appearance of someone is the first thing that a stranger sees. My smile is a big part of who I am. I am a kind individual. I was raised to be kind to everyone. Smiles are also a nonverbal sign that carries much meaning. I can smile at a stranger and make their day without saying a word. I have been told many times that I have a contagious smile. I love my smile, and I love how my smile can affect others around me. The recent picture below is of me smiling in the car  like every other day.

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Celina Wai-Ling Chau

On April 18, 1994, a baby girl was born. She was the second child born in a Chinese/Thai family, following a son. Both Mom and Dad struggled to pick a name for their newly born daughter. They both loved the name Nina, but unfortunately another aunt in the family had already named their newborn Nina. During the year 1994, a famous singer named Selena rose to fame. “Selena” had a nice sound to it and closely resembled Mom and Dad’s favorite name, Nina. Nina would then be her nickname. To give their new daughter a bit of individuality, they decided to name her Celina, spelled C-E-L-I-N-A. They wanted her to be unique and to set her apart from the famous singer. Celina also means “heaven.” In considering her name, Mom and Dad also thought about naming their daughter with a name that was easily accepted in America and was not too difficult for Americans to speak since she was born in the United States. However, in order to keep her Chinese cultural roots from her father’s side, Mom and Dad gave her “Wai-Ling” as a middle name and “Chau” as her last name. “Wai” means great and “Ling” means precious in Chinese. The Chinese believe in naming children with strong meanings behind them to give them good luck and good fortune. The Chinese also believe their name can also represent the child’s character. “Chau” is a family name passed down from many generations. Its origin is from China where Dad’s ancestors are from. “Chau” means to surpass or exceed. It is important for every family member to take the Father’s last name in Asian culture. Lastly, in order to keep her Thai cultural roots, Mom and Dad gave her a Thai name “Siriphon” meaning glorious blessing. This name was thought of by her grandmother on her Mother’s side. Whenever she would visit her Mom’s side of the family they would call her by her Thai name, and whenever she would visit her Dad’s side of the family they would call her by her Chinese middle name. Her immediate family will know her as her nickname Nina, and her friends and others will refer to her by her name Celina.