*Note: I had to use a Google image for because when I tried to take a picture of another driver, I was given multiple unfriendly fingers, and it became dangerous for my to try to take a picture and drive.

What are your thoughts on literacy as you are doing this project?

As I did this project, I realized how frequent literacy is in my life. One way being digital literacy, and I had the opportunity to learn a new digital literacy, Padlet, which I love! I also realized the importance of literacy in life through the analyzing and reflecting on each photo. For instance, why I chose to take the photo and how I took it. As I was working on my project, I kept thinking about the authenticity of my culture that is being seen through my Padlet, and after doing my research paper, I know how important it is that culture is authentically represented. Therefore, this project showed me how fun AND personal literacy can be.

What are the implications of the knowledge you gained about yourself for your future teaching career?

Other courses in the education program as well as this class have showed me wonderful teaching practices I want to implement in my future classroom. I know who I am, and I know I want to show myself as much as possible. However, I have to realize that my students might feel the same way. I cannot shut them down, but rather I have to encourage it. As a future teacher, I want my students to be proud of their cultural identity the same way I am. I have taken all the aspects we captured during this project, and now I know more about myself than I have took to the time to analyze. I realize now how deep a person's beliefs can be, and I want to know my students as deep as I know myself.

How does the awareness of who you are culturally impact your teaching?

This project really pointed out the specifics of who I am and my culture. Some of the topics were easier to represent with a picture than others, but more importantly, some of the topics opened my eyes to potential biases. I never realized these biases until I had to analyze my culture and myself. Although they are not major biases, they are biases nonetheless, and I need to keep these out of my teaching practices. I also know my goals and strengths that I want to pass to my students, so they can be the best they can be at everything. I know who I am culturally and I know what aspects of my culture I want to preserve when teaching, and I know what biases I have that I need to leave out of my teaching practices. In addition, I have now determined and analyzed my weaknesses. I want to practice these weaknesses until they become my strengths so my students are getting a culturally diverse environment to learn in.

How important is it to consider the identity of the teacher and her/his cultural background as a part of the teaching process?

I think it is very important because the peoples’ cultural shows everyday. For example, their beliefs of teaching will reflect their culture. Therefore, if their cultural background is identified, they will be able to ensure that their classroom is diverse and unbiased. Behavior management can show a teacher’s cultural as well. What their culture deems to be good or bad behavior may be different from what another culture, students’ culture, will deem good or bad behavior. This can cause an understanding gap between the teachers and their students and student parents. I think it is equally important that a teacher understand the culture of their students as it is for the students and their parents to understand the culture of the teacher.

How important is teacher identity in recognizing that children are NOT illiterate and fail at school due to DEFICITS in their culture and in the cognition?

This recognition is something all teachers should constantly monitor. Although it would be easier for all students and teachers to have the same cultural backgrounds, it is not the case. Therefore, teachers need to understand how to teach with cultural diversity to show students that uniqueness is ok. Teachers also need to consider this when evaluating students in different ways. If students did not do well or behaved poorly, was it because of their culture, or was it because the type of activity was not culturally responsive? These are things that teachers need to consider. Students are not always right or wrong. There are reasons for students being right or wrong, and it is up to the teacher to identify these gaps. One instance may be that a question on an assessment was not something students have ever done, see or heard, so how are they supposed to correctly answer that question? Teachers need to keep this in mind when analyzing student work to determine where the gap is, and they do NOT need to always assume they have a lower cognitive ability because they failed an assignment.

How important is the teacher’s understanding of funds of knowledge to promote a culturally responsive classroom?

Some households value culture more than others, but whether or not it is emphasized, culture is in every household and student. This is the variation of funds of knowledge in students. In other words, the funds of knowledge are the daily cultural practices and routines. Teachers need to know the depth of each student’s funds of knowledge in order to have a culturally responsive classroom.  The teacher needs to recognize these funds when they are applied in the classroom and encourage them to be used. For example, leave responses, projects, etc. open-ended so students can show their fund of knowledge and you, as a teacher, can learn it.

What are the funds of knowledge that you bring to school with you as a teacher?

When I got to the school, I bring my hard work, my sense of community, my sense of humor and my support. I want students to see how hard I work to make their school days to be effective and fun for them. In turn, I want my students to adapt my value for hard work and use it throughout their lives. I also want my students to see how I support them through any situation, and I want them to be able to take my support as a learning opportunity for them to be able to use. I want them to realize how much my support helps them, and how their support can help others. I also want students to have fun and enjoy learning. If I keep a smile on my face and have a good sense of humor, my students will too and they will be able to enjoy showing me their unique personalities through their work. All of these aspects of my funds of knowledge tie together to become my most valued fund of knowledge, my sense of community. Being in a Title 1 school, I realized that students might not have the family unit and support I was fortunate enough to have. Therefore, I want my classroom to embrace all students’ funds of knowledge so that they feel the love and support from both their peers and me. A strong community in a classroom goes along way for students personally and academically.

Children’s cultural experiences and understanding of literacy and education are sometimes a MISMATCH to the school’s and teacher’s ways and beliefs. Where are you as a teacher on that continuum?

On that continuum, I find myself being very culturally responsive. As I have already stated, student cultures are very different, and I think it is important for students to be allotted the opportunity to show their culture. I know that my cultural experiences are different from my schools and my students, and as much as I want my culture to be valued, I have to have the same respect for my students’ culture. In literacy, I want my practices to be culturally diverse so that all students’ cultures are address and understood authentically by all other students. This type of literacy instruction will give students the pride they should have in their culture and provide other students the understanding of the diversity around them.  All in all, understanding that a mismatch in cultural experiences and understanding of literacy is not a bad thing is when students are able to flourish and show who they really are.

How does what you learned in this class made you more critical of what people and books are showing about “good literacy”?

I have focused on the trends I have heard about “good literacy” in the articles we have read. I realize that people are going to have their own definition of “good literacy,” and I have realized that I have my own definition. However, there are trends in various definitions of “good literacy”. These trends work almost as a basis of what good literacy is. For example, cultural diversity is a guideline to “good literacy”. Although cultural diversity is a broad term that is practiced in different ways, it is still apparent in all “good literacy”. Through the readings and discussions in this class, I have realized that there is not one, solid definition of “good literacy” but that a person who keeps their own cultural identity in mind defines it.

What will you do differently in your own classroom to promote equity and better serve your students?

I will create activities and adjust teaching and learning methods to allow students to use their own funds of knowledge to gain understanding. I now know how to make various aspects of the classroom culturally responsive, and I want to take what I have learned and apply it to my classroom. I want my students to be proud of who they are and want to share their culture with other people. One main thing I want to do differently is to keep student cultures in mind when I am grading and planning, and analyze the gap that caused students to not do well on an assignment or not understand the information the way I presented it. I also was to begin including more multicultural literacy practices in my teaching methods, especially in literature. I use a lot of literature to teach my students, so I want to begin to use authentic, multicultural literature to teach culture and academic content.