Session 5: Funds of Knowledge
For our discussion on Funds of Knowledge I posted my reaction to the information from the week's readings. This was my first exposure to the idea of the Funds of Knowledge project. I think it is evident from my post that I am beginning to recognize the benefits of students' diverse backgrounds and multiculturalism. Prior to reading the articles I had mostly been aware of the deficit model of English learners, in which it is seen that they lack English language resources. I had to face some of my assumptions through answering the discussion questions, about English learners and about how the teacher approaches these populations. By the time of the posts below I had come to understand how communities and families that speak other languages are rich in resources that contribute to the students' knowledge and learning.
Amanda's reflection on Feb. 16, 2014:
1. What does the "funds of knowledge" mean in Moll et. al's, Amanti's
and Haneda's papers? How is it different from a "typical" multicultural
education approach?
The funds of knowledge refer to the learner's out-of-school literacy and sources of learning that are not necessarily part of the public school curriculum. This includes culture, resources in the family and community, language experiences and classes not taken in school, important learning experiences the student engages in, and the efforts of the parent or community members to teach and train the child. There maybe family or extended family in the home of the learner who are skilled in some art or trade that is passed on to the student. Some families choose to send their children to schools where they learn heritage language & culture, religious lessons, or additional academic tutelage or acculturation. As we learned in Amanti, some communities hold communal class in the home or community centers for adults and children in the neighborhood. This is not the typical way that multicultural education is perceived in public education, where we are directed as teachers to include multicultural texts and experiences in our curricula but have very little information about the real lived experiences of our learners. Amanti calls today's approach "static, normative, exclusive, homogenous, and frozen in time." It is as though we want the cultures and backgrounds of others to fit into a neat package that can be learned in one lesson and then excluded from the rest of the curriculum. As Ms. Amanti says this is how sterotypes are created and people's diversity is marginalized. The "special event" approach is not empowering.
2. What benefits and limitations does the funds of knowledge approach have?
By drawing on the expertise of the people in the home and community, we can involve the community members in the learner's education, validating her and increasing her confidence and advantages for the content of our class. We also connect our classrooms to the communities they serve, breaking down the barriers between school and home. The different articles refer to the "deficit model" where it is assumed that the families of English Language Learners are deficient in academic support and goals of achievement for their children. This is rarely the case and leads to low expectations for the students and an unwelcoming environment for the families at the schools that are meant to serve them. We must take opportunities as educators to learn the backgrounds and current experiences of our learners and understand the different literacies and knowledge funds that are available to them and attempt to be "cultural workers" whenever possible.
The funds of knowledge may not be possible to investigate for every learner, but an effort must be made to learn more about the communities that students come from. Teachers would need to be trained how to conduct ethnographic studies to get close to the families of their students. If the families did not speak the same language as the school staff then perhaps an interpreter might be brought in, perhaps the learner if needed, although I got the sense that the parent and researchers talked about the child at times without including him in the conversation. Classrooms of public schools have their own culture of learning and achievement, but they do not have to be isolated from the rest of the world. Increased demands and oversight of teachers' curriculum makes this difficult but not impossible.
3. How would you build a community of learners in your current or future
teaching context? (see Ch. 14)
I liked some of the suggestions in Diaz-Rico such as reaching out early and contacting home, using the telephone as a method of positive communication. If possible I try to send important information home with students in their parents' preferred language. I thought that notifying families of resources and places in the community they can get assistance was important. I would maybe not be comfortable putting out the word that families could invite me to dinner, but thought that having a school social of breakfast or class presentations would be a great way to get any parents and families involved.
Kaylee's reply:
Hi Amanda,
I really liked your point about teachers hoping to fit "multicultural" texts and lessons into their classroom, without any actual, concrete knowledge themselves. Though it is impossible to gain in-depth experiences with every culture, it is important to explore your
students' cultures below the surface. When teachers just make a few assumptions based off of quick interactions, a book they read, or an article they saw once, they are not able to truly incorporate student cultures into the classroom with respect and quality. It's a
bit off topic, but it's unfortunate that traveling is so expensive and time consuming, because it would really allow more people to let go of stereotypes and gather hands-on experiences with various cultures. I would especially love to travel and gain that type of knowledge :)
Chris's response:
Kaylee, you make a really great point as well. It is very important for teachers to never make assumptions about their students. Each child's experience is different. It is important to get to know the students and learn about the families if they are willing to let you get to know them.
Brian's post:
Funds of knowledge is the knowledge, skills, and labor family and community members possess and share in order to survive and thrive. The educator, as they uncover the funds of knowledge existing within the students’ world, can create space for that world to become part of the classroom learning environment (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992). In this context, much of the learning is driven and inspired by students’ interests and questions.
In challenging the deficit model (Haneda, 2006) a curriculum, which allows for funds of knowledge to exist in the classroom setting can empowering. Students can make connections with what is being taught. Their topic interest is a source of motivation and can result in increased engagement due to their relationship with the “knower” in this instructional context.
As Amanti asserts, “culture does not come in a neat package” (132) nor does learning about a family or student. If we are to know are students we must inquire. This may often require the educator to leave the comfort of the classroom and to explore the richness of the families and communities they serve. There were times where such home visits were difficult for me to realize, not because my presence was awkward or unwanted, but because many of my students’ parents worked several jobs. I recall a colleague of mine commenting on how a certain culture’s parents just don’t care because they never show up for IEPs or parent teacher conferences.
Funds of knowledge differs from a typical multicultural education approach in that the influence of the teacher is less pronounced in the former approach than the latter. With funds of knowledge the community has space to participate in the learning of their children. Whereas, the teacher is the selector provider of the cultural knowledge students are exposed to in the multicultural approach.
One of the benefits of implementing funds of knowledge is that it allows for a richer more meaningful experience to emerge as familial capital is uncovered by the educator. As the educator seeks to know and understand their students through home visits a result lessons are developed and space is created where relational curriculum (Huber, Murphy, & Clandinin, 2011) can direct and advance learning. As Moll, Amanti, Neff, and Gonzalez (1992) observe, funds of knowledge creates and active and flexible relationship between multiple stakeholders allowing individuals from outside the home to enter into the classroom environment as knowledge holders.
Such exchanges of knowledge are particularly meaningful as children participate in the activities with individuals they trust. It is through safe and nurturing environments where learning can occur. The educator, through conducting home visits, may earn a revered status with the families and community they encounter. My wife and I have been invited to many weddings, quinceañeras, performances, birthday parties, games, and award ceremonies. Often when in a public setting we would encounter our students and their families. This was an opportunity to reinforce our identities as more than educators, students, or parents. We learned the value of such interactions as we continued doing home visits, for the purposes of uncovering funds of knowledge, only to discover that these new families had a sense of “knowing” us through their interactions with other members of the community who shared positive narratives of their experiences with us.
A cautionary warning is important. Educators must be careful to not bring what Moll et. al (1992) identifies as “cultural and emotional baggage” (p. 135) when conducting home visits. Many of my preservice teachers were frightened by the thought of entering sketchy neighborhoods. Good people exist in a myriad of environments. While I am not dismissing safety, I think it is important to enter the homes of our students and their families with humility rather than fear or an air of superiority. As far as safety I always conducted and instructed my preservice teachers to conduct their home visits with a partner.
I would build a community of learners through interaction with students, their families, and the community. Education is more than a lesson prepared and administered within four walls called a classroom. The more of the students’ world that can be incorporated into classroom experiences the stronger connections can be made. I would like to incorporate elements of the community as part of the classroom décor. I believe the classroom should be a familiar and safe environment where students can feel they have ownership over what classroom is and can become.
I believe collaborative learning can be an effective means to help students acquire language and academic content (Díaz-Rico, 2008). Creating multiple simultaneous learning activities can be means for peers to interact in a small less stressful setting. Such activity centers can support ELLs in becoming part of the classroom culture.
Incorporating family involvement into education works to combat the deficit model prevalent in schools. Parents can be a rich resource toward meeting the learning goals of the school. In addition, through creating space for parents to become involved in the education of their children I am acknowledging the rights of families (Díaz-Rico, 2008). In addition through providing documentation, newsletters, and notes in the language parents communicate in I can create a positive communication pattern that builds and supports a community of learners.
Amanda's reply:
Hello, Brian. Thanks for your post. I am glad you mentioned the "deficit model" although it saddens me to hear that others have seen examples of the stereotyping and assumptions that otherwise skilled educators can make when speaking about their students' families. There are such myriad situations that occur in students' home lives. Perhaps the parents did not support their students in the parent-teacher conferences because they do not have working telephone or email, do not speak English, are working several jobs, or are otherwise under hardship to take time to visit the school. This does not mean that they do not care about the success of their child or that they do not want to contribute to their education. How would we as community members ourselves know how to assist these families unless we could get to know them and their circumstances? We might even find that the student has a rich home life full of learning experiences and funds of knowledge that we never suspected.
The home visits, I had always assumed, were for social workers or elementary school teachers, but I like the idea of visiting the homes of students with an open mind and heart to see the reality of students' lived experiences. I value your caution to go into the home without baggage or prejudice in a safe and prepared manner. I think that educators who visit should posess or be trained to develop cultural appreciation, tact, and caution so that they do not impose on these families or fall into what the teacher in Haneda (2006) referred to as judging the parents and traditional resources or parenting skills that the family does or does not have. We might be on a mission to uncover funds of knowledge, but this subject can be approached respectfully and with the cooperation of the families and should develop naturally, not through invasive interviews that ask uncomfortable questions or give a "score" on the appropriateness of the home.
Finally, I agree that the classroom should be a safe space where students feel welcome and at home. I try early on in the school year to have students create some project to represent themselves that we can leave in the classroom as a decoration, therefore marking it as "their space".