# data[].attributes.body
I've always hated the way my middle name sounds: Aline. However, it has sentimental value that I often forget. My great-grandmother, Aline, died while giving birth to my grandma. I share my middle name with my mom. If I have a daughter, I plan to pass it on. A third-generation name means something, right?

# data[].attributes.body
What I like the most about myself is that I'm a fiery personality. I'm unapologetically myself. I refuse to let other people's negative opinions control me. At the same time, I'm not afraid to own up to my mistakes. I hate waiting for other people to do things for me; I'm very passionate and zealous. These characteristics usually reflect the outlook of strength and self-confidence. However, they aren't always associated with positive connotations. I can come off as intimidating and confrontational to people around me. I chose to take a photograph of fire because it represents my fiery personality: fierce, strong, and wild/free-spirited.

# data[].attributes.body
The object that carries a lot of relevance for me personally and culturally is my childhood charm bracelet. Growing up, my mom, step-sister, and I bonded by shopping for charms to add to our matching bracelets. Our bracelets told stories of our lives. For example, I had a megaphone charm because I was a cheerleader. We also shared charms, such as mother/daughter and big sis/lil sis. My parents divorced when I was in kindergarten, and my older brothers decided to move in with my dad. This bracelet represents the development of new family relationships and values.

KAG ♥ CAB ♥ BDB
My mom and I share the "A" because we have the same middle name. My mom and step-sister share the "B" because they have the same last name. Although we don't always get along, we will always be connected. This image represents that relationship.

# data[].attributes.body
My mom and step-dad always told me, "Anyone can achieve their dreams if they just work hard enough." This is a common belief among middle-class white people. It took me twenty years to understand that I am privileged in more ways than one. These are all things I was born into, not earned, that afford me opportunities that others have to work harder for, or may never have. In other words, there are some challenges I won't experience simply because of who I am. I created a collage to represent some of these privileges. I rent my own home in a safe and private community. Also, I'm white. I can turn on the TV or open a magazine and see people of my race widely represented. I don't have a disability. One of my favorite TV shows, "Switched at Birth," has opened my eyes to what life is like with a hearing disability. Moreover, I was born straight and cisgender. Lastly, I am an American citizen, and my first language is English.

# data[].attributes.body
My cultural biases are related to my empty passport. Mark Twain once said, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." I drew this picture because my perspective of the world is very narrow. I've never left the United States, so I've only heard our version of history. Also, I've lived in Gwinnett County, Georgia my entire life. I don't find myself openly stereotyping people from different cultures and lifestyles. However, implicit biases can be much more dangerous.

# data[].attributes.body
As mentioned, my parents divorced at a young age, and my mom had custody of me. When I visited my dad's side of the family, I always felt awkward and uncomfortable. I never left my dad's side. They called me "Mike's Little Shadow." If I wasn't hiding behind him or holding onto his pant leg, I was sitting in his lap (seen in the photo below). To this day, when I feel uncomfortable around people that I don't know or situations that I'm not accustomed to, my first instinct is to hide, especially if I'm alone. I chose this discomfort because there will be students in my classroom who feel similarly: uncomfortable, and they just want to hide. This reminds me of affective filter. It is critical for English learners to feel confident and comfortable taking risks in my classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
I am a hard worker; I cannot settle for anything less than my best. I inherited this value from my grandpa. He graduated from Georgia Tech, but more importantly, he relentlessly pursued the career of his dreams. I am the first in my immediate family to go to college. I'm proud of my accomplishments. For example, I'm currently on the President's List for earning a 4.0 grade point average. I took a photograph of the certificate. It hangs above my desk, and it's a constant reminder of my perseverance. As a teacher, I will set high expectations for all my students.

# data[].attributes.body
These are the literacy practices of my everyday life! According to Harste, "Instead of thinking about literacy as an entity (something you either have or don't have), thinking about literacy as social practice can be revolutionary" (2000).

Examples:
music
planner/schedule
Snapchat stories
emails
children's literature
online shopping
course readings
video games
restaurant menus

# data[].attributes.body
I took a photo of my car dashboard/radio to represent one of my favorite literacy experiences: car rides. I enjoy listening to my favorite radio stations, such as "The Bert Show" on Q100. I love singing my favorite songs and hearing new songs. Also, I've gone on more road-trips than I can count. I remember playing "The ABC Game" as a child. My relatives and I would find words for all the letters of the alphabet. On road-trips with friends, different conversations arise. This is another literacy practice in itself. I chose this experience because I have countless memories tied to it. These memories involve so many different people; I love that aspect the most. ♥

For my "Literacy in Diverse Classrooms" research paper, I learned a lot about the parallels between music, literacy, and language. Based on my love of music and what I learned this semester, I plan to integrate music and literacy in my classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
An Important Book / Literature Experience

# data[].attributes.subject
An Important Book / Literature Experience

# data[].attributes.body
In high school, I read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and participating in class discussions. I was captivated by the way Fitzgerald conjured various scenes, characters, and emotions. The story reminded me of an artist painting a picture. I represented this author/artist association using the photograph below. After reading The Great Gatsby, I fell even more in love with literature. I truly believe that books are an art form. We explored this concept earlier in the semester when we discussed arts-based literacy. The symbolism in The Great Gatsby is undeniably brilliant. Personally, I started putting a lot more thought into the words I write after reading this American classic.

# data[].attributes.headline
My Weakness on Teaching Diverse Students

# data[].attributes.subject
My Weakness on Teaching Diverse Students

# data[].attributes.body
"There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, 'Morning, how's the water?" And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, 'What the hell is water?'"
David Foster Wallace

My weakness on teaching diverse students is my indifference to my American culture. When something is so pervasive, it is easy to forget that it exists. As mentioned, I've never left the United States. I've become so habituated that my cultural identity seems camouflaged. I took a photo of a camouflage pattern to represent this feeling. As an educator, it is critical to acknowledge my own cultural values in order to understand how they impact my teaching practice.

# data[].attributes.headline
My Strength on Teaching Diverse Students

# data[].attributes.subject
My Strength on Teaching Diverse Students

# data[].attributes.body
I am a proud graduate of the Gwinnett County Public School System. I attended two different high schools, Central Gwinnett and Dacula, but I graduated from Dacula in 2013. I attached an image of my graduation card below. Both of these schools/communities were, and continue to become more, diverse. Growing up, my closest friends came from all around the world, e.g. Bosnia, El Salvador, Nigeria, ... As a result, I developed a heightened interest in getting to know people. This will support my work with culturally diverse students because I have a genuine desire to get to know all of my students. I believe classrooms are enriched by the funds of knowledge and assets that students and their families bring. I can be an advocate for these students by incorporating their values and interests into the curriculum. This relates to the asset perspective.

# data[].attributes.body
This photograph represents how I see myself: "au naturel." I'm not a big fan of wearing makeup. When I feel anxious, I tend to cover my face with my hands, or I bite the skin around my nails.

My blue eyes are my favorite physical trait. Both my mom and my dad have blue eyes.*

# data[].attributes.body
A multimodal project such as this is an invaluable contribution to literacy education. My thoughts on literacy expanded as I completed this project. The concept of “multiliteracies” is evident to me now. I enjoyed taking these photographs; they say a lot about reading, writing, and culture. Clearly, I value reading and writing. However, it is important to understand that my students' cultural experiences and understanding of literacy and education aren't going to match my ways and beliefs. I learned so much about my cultural self by compiling these images, including what I identify as my funds of knowledge. My funds of knowledge include: video games, music, literary elements, etc. They will undoubtedly help me as a teacher. I can use my FoK to form stronger connections with students and their families. My awareness of who I am impacts my teaching through implicit biases. I must consider my identity and cultural background as part of the teaching process. At the same time, the development of my cultural identity is ongoing. It is continually influenced by society and interactions. My awareness/understanding of my personal values removes unintentional barriers to a student’s success. Implications of the knowledge I gained for myself include the advantages of drawing on these various family/everyday literacies in the classroom. I will promote a culturally responsive classroom by understanding the FoK my students bring and recognizing that children are not illiterate due to deficits in their culture or cognition. According to Kiyama, “When funds of knowledge are incorporated into classroom teaching, it provides an opportunity for a child to learn from multiple spheres of activity with family relationships, social worlds, and community resources rather than a single-stranded relationship between the student and the teacher” (2011).