Funds of Knowledge Activity 2: 7/17 10:45am by Sara Stoler

Interesting how they are looking at how a teacher's experiences (like those items we wrote on the white boards_ interacts with our pedagogical knowledge

2020-07-17 16:12:06 UTC

2020-07-17 16:12:25 UTC

I'm worried about people feeling invalidated due to the current times. Some may not want to speak about their personal experiences/background due to fear of being attacked.

I agree that it is important to know where a student comes from and how their culture is a huge part of who they are and how they learn

2020-07-17 16:13:19 UTC

I like the connection to Head Start that he makes. FoK is effective as a stand alone strategy in one class, but imagine if it was integrated into the fabric of teaching from pre-K!

varanoc1 — 2020-07-17 16:13:48 UTC

Like that funds of knowledge is starting at an early age. Like Head Start, and that's also being introduced to the families as well.

2020-07-17 16:14:02 UTC

julissabohannon — 2020-07-17 16:14:06 UTC

In my classroom, I do various activities early in the year to acquire more understanding of my students. The first assignment they turn in to me is a project that asks them to share anything they want with me. I call it "A Million Words or Less" The students turn in pictures of people that are important to them, share their interests, or share something personal. I make sure to follow-up with each students with a brief conversation. I also make sure to share a lot about myself, too.

Interesting

2020-07-17 16:14:18 UTC

I like the idea of developing documentation at the early stages of childhood. That would be extremely helpful

Kim Webb

2020-07-17 16:14:26 UTC

Teachers fund of knowledge effect pedagogical knowledge which is interesting, I also would love the chance to visit families and learn more about my students but at the high school level it isn't as feasible

Become the learners and get to know families – this is really important in terms of determining their funds of knowledge. I also need to be aware of how my own funds of knowledge impact my teaching and how I can use them to make myself a better teacher.

kcaughfield — 2020-07-17 16:14:33 UTC

I love how he makes the connection to social and emotional experiences

abrilhuertagarc — 2020-07-17 16:14:37 UTC

I like the acknowledgement of the teachers experiences and how they can be impactful on the students experiences in the classroom. I think we've become so test driven that we have forgotten how to connect with our students on a humane level.

bhorlick22 — 2020-07-17 16:14:38 UTC

Important to get to know who you are teaching

2020-07-17 16:14:41 UTC

2020-07-17 16:14:45 UTC

Often times it feels like there isn't enough time in the school day to sit and get to know our students or it feels like we should prioritize actual lessons. This however, is encouraging getting to know our students so we can be more effective teachers! Good reminder. :)

Virginia Torres

2020-07-17 16:14:45 UTC

I found it interesting that and true that a teacher's funds of knowledge begin to influence children at the start of their education and throughout.

nicole_horne — 2020-07-17 16:14:52 UTC

Personal experiences and academic knowledge are linked. Personal connections to content and each other make the strongest impacts.

I like that he mentioned home visits -- they are important, but, unfortunately, I don't feel like many schools make it easy or encourage it.

2020-07-17 16:15:04 UTC

I think the idea that identity and background has implications for learning and pedagological approaches is very intuitive. It's something we all intuit, but are now be made aware of explicitly.

2020-07-17 16:15:06 UTC

Jason Liles

2020-07-17 16:15:06 UTC

Teachers taking the role of learners is important in every facet of the profession.

I am amazed each year with parents/guardians who do not see the skills they have a notable or valuable simply because it is habit or mundane to them. What one family sees as a normal (read boring) activity can be wicked interesting to another.

2020-07-17 16:15:16 UTC

This sounds very familiar...basically know your students because it influences how they see things/respond

2020-07-17 16:15:20 UTC

I think people tend not to think about this with high school age students, but it's so important at every stage of life. It informs the way they learn and understand, and it informs the way we teach.

2020-07-17 16:15:30 UTC

Home Visits

2020-07-17 16:15:36 UTC

We become the learners instaed of the teachers

2020-07-17 16:15:38 UTC

How do we ensure that we take into consideration every individual students' funds of knowledge?

This, to me, is about making students and their families realize that they are experts and have unique experiences that inform their learning, and contribute to the learning of others.

varanoc1 — 2020-07-17 16:15:38 UTC

I hadn't really thought about how my own Funds of Knowledge intersect, diverge with that of my students which makes up the learning environment. Very important.

2020-07-17 16:15:39 UTC

2020-07-17 16:15:44 UTC

The video made me think about how important it is to truly get to know your students and their backgrounds so that you can better meet their needs. It also made me think about how my own funds of knowledge could influence my teaching.

Starting early and building on that awareness really supports the student as they grow.

ewhite4 — 2020-07-17 16:15:46 UTC

"...changing the teacher’s role in teaching to that of detecting the knowledge and the school, family, and community experiences of the students, as if the teacher were an ethnographer."

2020-07-17 16:15:52 UTC

kcaughfield — 2020-07-17 16:16:02 UTC

Every person has different funds of knowledge. I can’t make assumptions about my students and their knowledge – I have to get to know them, and this will take time.

2020-07-17 16:16:02 UTC

I have my students fill out a student survey at the beginning of each year to help me get to know them. I also share my responses to the questions with them so that they feel like they are getting to know me as well. After watching the video I see now how important it is for teachers to be aware of their own funds of knowledge and how it affects our attitudes and behaviors in our classrooms. I believe this year I will send out the survey and I will also ask my students to create an identity web.

2020-07-17 16:16:08 UTC

Vegetarian, Agnostic, 26 years old, Writer, Middle-Class, Teacher, White, Fiancé, Cat-mom, millennial, educated, reader, teacher, leader, female

Video

melissa_maynard2 — 2020-07-17 16:16:09 UTC

I really love the idea that as teachers we also need to be learners in regards to our students. Throughout the beginning of the year we need to learn as much as we can about their "funds of knowledge" while also essentially questioning our own.

I think it is important to look at the teachers' funds of knowledge as well as the students, because those do influence how we interact in the classroom and how we approach the students, even if we don't realize it.

2020-07-17 16:16:13 UTC

Life-long Learning

meghancude — 2020-07-17 16:16:15 UTC

We are life-long learners and need to continue to become that. It isn’t just about the content that we need to learn but we really must learn our students. This involved getting to know them on a deeper level and analyzing how that knowledge can help us teach them.

Luis Molls Video

2020-07-17 16:16:16 UTC

What I got from the video was that it is very important to know where our students are coming from in order to make "real"learning a reality.

Connection

2020-07-17 16:16:16 UTC

Family experiences interact with academics. Everything we try to teach in the classroom is seen by the student through their social emotional filter which comes from home, If we can understand where thy are coming from we can make the learning more relevant to them.

In-the-moment-connections

2020-07-17 16:16:18 UTC

OR AHA Moments! - Once students and teachers make those connections, meaningful discussions can happen with in depth analysis of a text or topic. The learning enriches the lives of all involved. The teacher becomes a part of the learning community while the students become a part of the teaching community. This sparks more interest in learning other concepts.

TLagardere

2020-07-17 16:16:25 UTC

It's interesting to know how a child's background and family life can impact their learning. I try to do activities in the beginning of the school year that helps students reflect on who they are and have them share those reflections with the class.

I need to think more about how my own funds of knowledge is affecting my approach to teaching and how I can bridge the gap between the different FofK my students are coming in with

2020-07-17 16:16:29 UTC

It is sad to think that some students funds of knowledge are associated with abuse or neglect in order to function and how that can effect their learning in the classroom

2020-07-17 16:16:30 UTC

2020-07-17 16:16:34 UTC

It's important to see it as a "fund" or something to invest time in learning...

Observing vs. Sense-Making

2020-07-17 16:16:48 UTC

Learning to emphasize the act of observing rather than being so quick to make sense of something I hear/see/experience. More thoughtful, less reactionary

It is important to understand the funds of knowledge of the students in order to better serve them.

2020-07-17 16:16:50 UTC

The "Funds of Knowledge" idea reminds me of the Foxfire book series that began with English class' writing project--connections with family members to preserve history and traditions.

2020-07-17 16:16:58 UTC

2020-07-17 16:17:01 UTC

The idea that we must be the learner and not always the teacher is so inherently true if we want to build strong relationships, not only with the student, but also with the family.
Children have become more disengaged and apathetic about their future -- and that's probably more true now with COVID -- that they feel more isolated. I fear that the more they don't interact with others we will have a generation of very stunted and ego-centric individuals. Exploring and allowing students to share their circles will become even more vital to the future of this country.

household responsibilities

2020-07-17 16:17:05 UTC

Family involvement

2020-07-17 16:17:07 UTC

This is something that I have always wanted to incorporate but so far I have only been minimally successful. I often don't get the results or participation I had hoped for, which I realize is most likely due to the fact that I was not implementing the appropriate strategies for this type of investigation.

Molls states we always have a filter when we learn and teach. This is an interesting point. Instead of just seeing the world through different lenses, we also learn through different lenses.

lesterj4 — 2020-07-17 16:17:10 UTC

2020-07-17 16:17:14 UTC

We have to understand that our students come to our classrooms full of knowledge. If we perceive our students to not “know” anything and it’s our job to give them “all” the knowledge, then we are not doing our jobs correctly. We must see our students for what they can bring into the classroom and help guide and expand the knowledge they already have learned.

nicole_horne — 2020-07-17 16:17:16 UTC

There are numerous forms of intelligence and knowledge and they all have value.

Curriculum reflecting funds of knowledge

2020-07-17 16:17:17 UTC

Though many of my school's course novels are chosen by the district, learning about students' funds of knowledge could inform my selection of supplementary texts and approaches to literature in a way that would help students connect to our course content in a meaningful and personal way.

2020-07-17 16:17:18 UTC

Teachers should be life long learners and continue to learn about our students. That's what makes an excellent teacher.

Jennifer

2020-07-17 16:17:19 UTC

I definitely agree that the knowledge we gain from our experiences is a part of us that has to be understood. Knowing our students’ cultural knowledge and respecting the same is important in order to build respect in a classroom.

2020-07-17 16:17:25 UTC

We must learn as much as we can from our students in order to find the successful way to approach teaching. Our teaching must correlate with their personal lives

It's interesting to relearn the concept of an SEL and family filter through which we experience our own pedagogy which might cause a disconnect between us and our students.

2020-07-17 16:17:29 UTC

It is important to understand the diversity among our students. Equity and access to education is impacted by these funds of knowledge.

2020-07-17 16:17:30 UTC

Kim Webb

2020-07-17 16:17:33 UTC

I've heard of teachers doing a teach me friday where one student a week brings something from home to either show or teach the class. It can be a hobby or just something silly but it enables the teacher to be the learner for a little while.

It is an interesting concept that to me, sounds like intersectionality. I think it is a great way to see how and why students perceive the world the way they do, and having this connection as a teacher builds stronger relationships

ariannaizaguirre — 2020-07-17 16:17:38 UTC

Teachers as Ethnographers

davidbossman — 2020-07-17 16:17:39 UTC

I love the idea that teachers are ethnographers (or social anthropologists) instead of experts

Reminds me of different learning styles and approaches

2020-07-17 16:17:40 UTC

If done properly, sharing and discussing these funds of knowledge can lead to better relationships and discussions in the classroom, but the current climate does present a challenge for acknowledging where students and teachers come from without someone becoming offended or attacking someone else.

2020-07-17 16:17:40 UTC

I've done the Rings of Culture activity with my students before and they felt like it was too personal. It did not have the effect I intended as a beginning-of-school activity

2020-07-17 16:17:42 UTC

Jennifer

2020-07-17 16:17:47 UTC

I have never heard the term “funds of knowledge” before, but I have understood that students are educated by their parents through culture and environment.

2020-07-17 16:17:57 UTC

It's so cool to think that every person you meet, knows something you don't! We can learn so much from each other. This thought is a great reminder of how valuable each individual is.

julissabohannon — 2020-07-17 16:17:58 UTC

I think it is also important to not assume we know what our students' funds of knowledge are. Growing up in Michigan, my teachers assumed that I spoke Spanish at home, but I didn't. They knew my mother was a single-parent and assumed my father wasn't involved in my life.

2020-07-17 16:18:00 UTC

I see students dismiss their own family history as "boring" or insignificant. They must be encouraged to share their story.

2020-07-17 16:18:04 UTC

The Funds of Knowledge and home visits would help build community between students, teachers, and parents/families.

melissa_maynard2 — 2020-07-17 16:18:04 UTC

I think it is important that students themselves understand that they have "funds of knowledge." Many students do not understand that they have "historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge" and maybe if they were more reflective of that, they would feel empowered in some way.

Funds of knowledge

2020-07-17 16:18:07 UTC

Interesting how Prof. Molls makes a connection to families practices and work experiences.

2020-07-17 16:18:13 UTC

Looking at their definition made the concept of "funds of knowledge" a little clearer to me. They specifically say that "funds of knowledge" refers to bodies of knowledge or skills which are essential for household or individual functioning or well being.

Jennifer

2020-07-17 16:18:17 UTC

To me, this is not anything new, other than giving it a name (funds of knowledge). I have always understood that teachers learn from students’ experiences. To create a good learning environment in the classroom, teachers get to know their students and their students’ experiences. For that to happen, the students must feel safe in giving that information.

I also learned through teaching that we must meet the students where they are and then bring them forward, not just start where the standards tell us to start. Because everyone has different experiences, not everyone starts at the same place. My job is to find out where that is and start there for that child.

2020-07-17 16:18:31 UTC

You can more effectively teach students when you know more about them and their background.

how do we keep our observations from impacting the funds of knowledge being observed

2020-07-17 16:18:33 UTC

2020-07-17 16:18:39 UTC

It is important to understand what is going on at home to understand how/why a student may act the way that they do.

2020-07-17 16:18:49 UTC

These things shape people from the moment they are born, in every aspect of life.

Virginia Torres

2020-07-17 16:18:50 UTC

As babies we begin to pick up behaviors the we see and we mimic them in order to learn them and internalize them in order to function in the world and the same goes with ideas and beliefs.

2020-07-17 16:18:51 UTC

This is such an important concept to remember when teaching any history class. As an APUSH teacher, students that have come into my class have also taught me things I never would have known or read in a book. It's experiences and 'funds of knowledge' that have made my course develop as much as it has. Listening to students can help us grow as educators!

2020-07-17 16:18:53 UTC

I start the year with an info chart - - illustrated when possible.

Jennifer

2020-07-17 16:19:01 UTC

Home visits feels like a good idea, but I don’t know how a teacher with 100+ students would genuinely have the time to do it. I like the idea of inviting parents in to discuss their knowledge. That definitely seems more manageable.

nicole_horne — 2020-07-17 16:19:11 UTC

2020-07-17 16:19:14 UTC

One thing I like to start the year with is six-word memoirs. I will change it up to encourage more self reflection with funds of knowledge to help brainstorm their life story.

At Home Life

2020-07-17 16:19:17 UTC

family visits, or just the ability to be able to see what the home life of our students is, will help us shape our instruction.

We are learners instead of teachers. Always true.

krystalcamacho — 2020-07-17 16:19:20 UTC

Donald Perkins

2020-07-17 16:19:24 UTC

Funds of knowledge is a very good concept but his statement is very vague.

FeThe

ewhite4 — 2020-07-17 16:19:25 UTC

This sounds like integrating student schema into learning

2020-07-17 16:19:26 UTC

Funds of Knowledge

2020-07-17 16:19:32 UTC

Seems to be the kinds of things that were never really discussed in a classroom as I was growing up. For example, I had a great interest in chemistry. I did not major in chemistry because I could not imagine a career path for myself. My friend's dad was a pharmacist; I did not want to dispense pills all day because that's all I saw him do at the hospital. Perhaps, if we ask students about their career choices and where they come from, then we could direct them more clearly as to where they need to go with knowledge and skill acquisition.
And, we could broaden their perspectives.

K webb

2020-07-17 16:19:33 UTC

This student seems to have a wide range of knowledge from economic/financial knowledge to more blue collar skills like ranching and crop planting

2020-07-17 16:19:33 UTC

I appreciate the idea of teachers as learners. To educate children, we must first educate ourselves about the children.

We need to know more about our teachers.

2020-07-17 16:19:35 UTC

I have never encountered this term before.

2020-07-17 16:19:36 UTC

I wish I had more time to devote to getting to know more about my students and their backgrounds. It is important but it gets lost when trying to get through curriculum.

2020-07-17 16:19:41 UTC

Luz Torres

2020-07-17 16:19:41 UTC

I consider this part of the info. very important. If you as a teacher knows about your students to can built your learning process and get your students more engage in what you want teach them. This is my experience. We need to start getting knowledge from the families and from our students too.

How much knowledge is out there when you think about the people around the 150 kids we teach that is not in the books, course, or curriculum we are handed

2020-07-17 16:19:54 UTC

It's also great for those aha! moments in class. When you're addressing these differences in background/experiences, it's not unusual for students to realize that their friends that they see regularly are experiencing the same world very differently than they are.

2020-07-17 16:19:56 UTC

I think this is a great way to understand the students on a deeper level, and a great way to validate their own experiences. It is your life, your truth, and your experience.

ariannaizaguirre — 2020-07-17 16:19:59 UTC

2020-07-17 16:20:02 UTC

Tough to do home visits during Covid. Maybe video conferencing? A video tour? How can we ask for that to be done in a way that's not totally creepy and invites a "mask" to be put on the home culture?

2020-07-17 16:20:05 UTC

It is interesting to see that the student and their family have knowledge of these things, considering that these things are not common knowledge.

2020-07-17 16:20:13 UTC

As a young teacher who teaches at the High School level, I feel pressured to know more than my students. This is a good reminder that it's ok and impossible to do so! But that's a good thing. I love to learn so it's ok to learn from my students and take what they know and push it further in my lessons.

Home visits have been eye-opening for me. I have learned so much from how my students interact with their parent figures and younger siblings within the home. I have left every home with greater knowledge about my student and myself.

2020-07-17 16:20:15 UTC

Lauren - Getting to know the backgrounds of your students and their families is essential to our work as teachers.

2020-07-17 16:20:17 UTC

I agree that it is important to recognize that many of our students come from extreme abuse and do not want to talk about home or past

2020-07-17 16:20:24 UTC

What we learn is so valuable. In my classroom, I make analogies all the time to try to break down difficult concepts into understandable chunks. If I know I have a few farmers, or hunters, or hockey players in the group, I can make my analogies and other instruction more relevant and engaging to the kiddos.

varanoc1 — 2020-07-17 16:20:27 UTC

Incorporating the backgrounds of our students can allow us to better reach those students who might otherwise feel marginalized and isolated.

2020-07-17 16:20:32 UTC

I've always said that I learn much more from teaching than I ever learned in professional development. I let my students know up front that I do not know or pretend to know everything but that we can always find an answer that we need.

2020-07-17 16:20:32 UTC

Stacey

2020-07-17 16:20:41 UTC

It is important to bring not only our also our our book knowledge but also our funds of knowledge to the classroom.

2020-07-17 16:20:51 UTC

Home visits become difficult when you have 200 students and with the Covid pandemic.

Stronger relationships you have with your students the easier it is to teach them

2020-07-17 16:20:56 UTC

I think this is true until neglect, incarceration, and abuse enter the picture, which is common for a large group of my students.

2020-07-17 16:21:03 UTC

kcaughfield — 2020-07-17 16:21:11 UTC

As someone who grew up in a rural community, this one hits home. A lot of texts aren’t aimed at kids growing up in agricultural families in the 21^st century. The job has changed, but the texts have not.

Test post

homalosa — 2020-07-17 16:21:19 UTC

Being aware of home life of our students has always been relevant, but it is even more important as students are often "going to school" on the computer or device at home now.

lesterj4 — 2020-07-17 16:21:19 UTC

I think this notion is crucial

2020-07-17 16:21:20 UTC

Engage..engage....

tirwin2 — 2020-07-17 16:21:22 UTC

I would love to steal some resources with specific graphic organizers or questions to use

2020-07-17 16:21:23 UTC

"Identifying student interests in an ongoing fashion"

2020-07-17 16:21:24 UTC

I like the idea of developing these funds of knowledge as a developing process as opposed to a quick"icebreaker" done at the beginning of the year. I think using it as a tool that is revisited shows students that their teacher truly is invested in who they are as an individual.

nicole_horne — 2020-07-17 16:21:31 UTC

Everything listed, though vastly different, are essential/useful parts of society.

Engage....engage....engage

tirwin2 — 2020-07-17 16:21:32 UTC

AP Spanish Lang

2020-07-17 16:21:32 UTC

There are so many ways I can incorporate this into my class. One of the things I have had moderate success with was having my students interview their family members based on questions that we created as a class. My goal was to have them delve deep, to involve parents, and engage in family conversations. I also wanted my students to realize the wealth of knowledge they have just within their own family and to value their cultural backgrounds.

2020-07-17 16:21:33 UTC

This is absolutely correct. Having this dynamic can make for a better, safe, and open learning environment.

2020-07-17 16:21:40 UTC

As students grow older, they begin to choose what they relate to. Some things are based on the sub-culture of family, but as they experience the world, things change for them. We need to help them through this process and celebrate who they are becoming.

I appreciated the discussion of both the students’ funds of knowledge AND the teacher’s funds of knowledge. Recognizing both and considering how they interact with one another is key to creating a harmonious and supportive classroom environment.

2020-07-17 16:21:40 UTC

As individuals, we only know our own personal experiences. Everything we believe or understand is shaped through our own specific lens. Broadening that lens to understand and appreciate the funds of knowledge from those around us, including our students, is key to becoming both culturally sensitive and culturally responsive instructors.

2020-07-17 16:21:59 UTC

Tyler Garcia

2020-07-17 16:22:01 UTC

Its so important to recognize how some, non dominate cultures, have been marginalized in the past and see the outcomes that occur as a result of so many different forms of inequality, oppression to drive home the importance of this.

I agree that it is important to let students know how valuable their FOK is. I tend to share my FOK with students as a way of easing the tension and making everyone feel more comfortable sharing.

2020-07-17 16:22:04 UTC

melissa_maynard2 — 2020-07-17 16:22:05 UTC

At the beginning of the year I like to get to know the students with a survey so I can tailor content and my approach to individual students. I think it would be very helpful for students to understand how their own identities shift their knowledge and understanding of content too.

Getting to know our students at the beginning of the year is always a challenge. Doing so electronically this year will make this task even harder. Finding ways to learn about our student population will be even more critical as we try to find ways to support them via distance learning.

2020-07-17 16:22:16 UTC

Greg H

2020-07-17 16:22:17 UTC

Knowing more students' backgrounds coming in to class helps to assess the level of knowledge they may or may not already have.

I've always been humbled to hear the things my students know and have personally experienced. Making home visits would increase that feeling I'm sure.

ewhite4 — 2020-07-17 16:22:17 UTC

I love the idea that as it has always that we build connections this way

2020-07-17 16:22:20 UTC

Don Perkins

2020-07-17 16:22:23 UTC

Being politically incorrect can carry such trauma in today's climate. I worry about how I can discuss this with my students for fear of isolating one or more of them.

I have my students write their"story" the first day of class. It is private and shared only with me. they are quite open.

tirwin2 — 2020-07-17 16:22:27 UTC

johnsondana1 — 2020-07-17 16:22:30 UTC

I find it interesting that they visited the families. How can we do this as HS teachers to gain insight into our students’ lives when they are not willing to share?

I’m honestly not sure what we’re supposed to do with this portion of the activity...

2020-07-17 16:22:31 UTC

Stacey

2020-07-17 16:22:37 UTC

Each family has experts in different areas that we need to tap into as a school community.

Background

2020-07-17 16:22:39 UTC

It's so important to know the background of our students and for them to know about their teacher as well

I really like this table. It is a strong reminder that our students have strong knowledge in another areas of life - not just school work.

ariannaizaguirre — 2020-07-17 16:22:39 UTC

I appreciate the way this teacher approaches her student population collaboratively rather than as the “expert” who is there to give knowledge. I’m not sure how feasible it is to expect teachers to visit the homes of the 150+ students they teach - even pre-COVID that is not a realistic goal - but there may be other ways to engage the community in meaningful ways such as project-based assessments that pull from students funds to support their academic growth and utilizing parent-teacher conferences as a tool for getting to know one another rather than to pass along good or bad news solely as it pertains to academics.

2020-07-17 16:22:45 UTC

Virginia Torres

2020-07-17 16:22:49 UTC

Our students come to us much more knowledgeable than we give them credit for and that education comes from the home.

Legal issues come to mind here, also social awkwardness. We don't want our families to feel like "test subjects" or "curiosities to be observed". When do these visits occur? On whose dime? I like the idea of home visits in principle, but it seems some details are needed.

varanoc1 — 2020-07-17 16:22:54 UTC

I love this idea of charting a sample of funds of knowledge. It's a bit like taking a core sample in geology.

2020-07-17 16:22:57 UTC

Students have the potential to teach us so much about the things they know from home, and that can support a student's learning by turning school into a more equal transfer of knowledge rather than a one-sided instruction.

2020-07-17 16:23:00 UTC

norma_ayala — 2020-07-17 16:23:05 UTC

Learning who students are in order to adapt to student’s needs.

bfowler22 — 2020-07-17 16:23:20 UTC

I like the idea of learning from my students, and I learn things from them all the time, and I love that aspect of teaching. They see the text or the materials we're covering in ways I never would have thought of because our experiences are so different. We're all able to learn from each other in our classroom community.

2020-07-17 16:23:20 UTC

I teach many kids who come from a background similar to the example. I should use this in my lessons more to make them relatable and also to challenge what they know and of course learn more about my students' life styles.

nicole_horne — 2020-07-17 16:23:21 UTC

All of this information stems back to forming relationships and acknowledging and celebrating the diverse backgrounds of our students and caring enough to want to celebrate these backgrounds. Relationships have to come first and students have to know we care before they will learn from us effectively and one of the best ways to show we care is to know our students.

Connections with students are very important. Funds of Knowledge reminds us to take a step back and let the student's backgrounds guide instructional choices.

2020-07-17 16:23:26 UTC

norma_ayala — 2020-07-17 16:23:27 UTC

Knowledge based on experience, social practices, and work experience. Interesting!

K Webb

2020-07-17 16:23:33 UTC

I love this approach! I definitely want to incorporate something like this at the beginning of the year, teaching high school I won't be able to visit all of my students families, but I can send home questionnaires and do some calling to get parents on board, I am excited!

norma_ayala — 2020-07-17 16:23:35 UTC

Knowledge based on experience, social practices, and social culture.

How might these be incorporated into the daily teaching experience and how can students bring their experiences and expertise into the classroom to help us all learn from them?

2020-07-17 16:23:37 UTC

Don Perkins

2020-07-17 16:23:38 UTC

When I speak with families, I always consider myself the learner. By listening and encouraging discourse, I learn much more than by guiding with my own feelings.

johnsondana1 — 2020-07-17 16:23:39 UTC

This makes more sense now that I understand that it is a family’s knowledge. Not the academic stuff but the survival stuff.

Giving value to things that students do not always see as academic--hunting, building or trades--is great and would make students feel more comfortable in a classroom

2020-07-17 16:23:41 UTC

A student's first school = HOME

lovinagoad — 2020-07-17 16:23:46 UTC

Children begin learning well before they ever enter a school building, and it is important for teachers to recognize and value the education role that PARENTS/CAREGIVERS have and to continue to support that home education positively.

Valuable

2020-07-17 16:23:49 UTC

I have always believed this to be important in my classroom, but failed to see how it would have been incorporated into all disciplines. Now I see how much this can apply to all areas.

This is empowering for students. Creates a sense of pride.

2020-07-17 16:23:59 UTC

C

2020-07-17 16:24:05 UTC

2020-07-17 16:24:06 UTC

We need to remember not to limit learning to a building but also to reach out to the community for learning experiences.

julissabohannon — 2020-07-17 16:24:09 UTC

There is a really cool activity that I believe I saw in Teaching Arguments that asks the students to write about something they consider themselves an expert in. They can write about anything from gaming, cooking, ranching, etc.

Program development is a partnership with data collected from all stakeholders for evaluation and use.

2020-07-17 16:24:12 UTC

2020-07-17 16:24:18 UTC

This is pretty easy to use in AP World History, as I have a diverse enough group of students that the content covering the whole world lets different students share their own histories across the world.

Learners

2020-07-17 16:24:21 UTC

Love it! Learners instead of teachers <3

Sometimes our backgrounds don't match those of our community.

2020-07-17 16:24:33 UTC

The term “funds” connects to wealth and richness for me. Funds of knowledge means the wealth of rich information that can pay-off for communities.

2020-07-17 16:24:35 UTC

johnsondana1 — 2020-07-17 16:24:40 UTC

This is how I helped Nick get past his fear of math with his daughter. He did not realize how good he was until he really understood the amount he had to do for carpentry.

2020-07-17 16:24:42 UTC

I find it interesting that teachers can apply the Funds of Knowledge theory to Headstart/Early Childhood to get a better understanding of their student by learning their social and economic experiences and also getting familiar with their own.

Don Perkins

2020-07-17 16:24:51 UTC

I too am planning to use a student survey to get my students' information for funds of knowledge.

I would like to get to know my students better and understanding their home life would be very helpful.

2020-07-17 16:25:05 UTC

johnsondana1 — 2020-07-17 16:25:05 UTC

Interesting. Having family members share their lives with the class instead of visiting the families. How can we draw that out for HS students who are struggling to break free from their families?

I try to take student backgrounds into account when selecting literature for a given year. It is important that everyone sees reflections of themselves as well as diverse perspectives

2020-07-17 16:25:23 UTC

I have been amazed by some of what I have learned about my families.

2020-07-17 16:25:28 UTC

Students

2020-07-17 16:25:31 UTC

Emphasizing that students have their own fund of knowledge seems to empower students who typically think of themselves as unsuccessful in an academic setting.

The idea of bringing families into the classroom to help share their knowledge can do so much for changing the perspectives those families have of teachers and the school system, which can only benefit the students.

2020-07-17 16:25:41 UTC

Teachable moment happened as we were reading the novel Piecing Me Together (young lady from a low economic family is at a get together at a wealthy home) - the author used the food selection at the gathering to show wealth. Hummus was one example. My students who eat homemade hummus on a near daily basis didn't make the connection that hummus meant financial privilege.

2020-07-17 16:25:46 UTC

melissa_maynard2 — 2020-07-17 16:25:47 UTC

This would be very interesting in terms of parents communication and behavior management. I think often I email parents and state something their son or daughter has done wrong and I give my recommendation for a consequence. I think this would be interesting to open it up to parents to discuss how they would approach certain circumstances and behaviors.

Comfortable

2020-07-17 16:25:54 UTC

Love the conversations teachers can have with students once they both feel comfortable with each other. We learn so much from one another.

A simple phone call

lovinagoad — 2020-07-17 16:25:55 UTC

Logistically, most schools where I have worked would not have the resources or engagements for full-on home visits to ALL students enrolled. However, if teachers could make a simple phone call home to just CHAT and get to KNOW the parents, I believe that could be a great starting point to developing an understanding of the students' communities and families.

Virginia Torres

2020-07-17 16:26:25 UTC

I love the idea that teachers enter the home as anthropologists and use their findings to build on in the classroom, and to help educate all students. Teachers as learners- not the end all, be all.

Tyler Garcia

2020-07-17 16:26:25 UTC

This is awesome. My background is in psychology and counseling and I love this concept of allowing people to be the authority of their own lives and the teacher is there to learn about them.

It is tragic that my school struggles to establish home-school connections and our parent connections are limited. It is an area we have worked on for years. I love home visits.

2020-07-17 16:26:27 UTC

johnsondana1 — 2020-07-17 16:26:40 UTC

Use the acquired knowledge to build relationships and discover commonalities so that you can show how the two intersect.
It also allows the teacher to tap into prior knowledge and bridge the gap.

My students have funds of knowledge that I don't have, but I want them to be able to see how they bring themselves to the reading and writing and make connections. When they make these connections, they create relevance for themselves.

cherylv1 — 2020-07-17 16:26:41 UTC

2020-07-17 16:26:55 UTC

Many times we reach out to parents/families for disciplinary reasons. This is a good reminder that we can and should reach out to learn from them! Talk to families to better understand their behaviors and knowledge.

Donald Perkins

2020-07-17 16:26:57 UTC

I have been working from the position of facilitator instead of teacher for several years now. Students learn better when they teach themselves.

I liked this article, but I think this approach can fall into some of the same failings ignoring "Funds of knowledge" does if not executed properly. I worry it may lend itself to exoticisizing. So Im interested to learn best practices.

2020-07-17 16:26:58 UTC

julissabohannon — 2020-07-17 16:26:58 UTC

This year I want to make sure to personally reach out to each of my students' parents. I know this will be vital, especially with distance learning.

I have learned so much from my students. Always welcome an opportunity to spend time with family.

2020-07-17 16:27:44 UTC

I like this approach. As teachers I do not think we were not doing this but this way makes it so we get to know each and every student.

2020-07-21 14:24:47 UTC