For our discussion, we listened to Luis C. Moll explain the Funds of Knowledge and what it is. We were to respond with ways we can implement it in our classroom.
Discussion Post |
Discussion Post (created November 7, 2017 by Amanda Johnson)
After watching the video and learning more about Luis Moll's "Funds of Knowledge," I have come to the understanding that it involves what a student comes to the classroom already knowing; it is their background knowledge. This knowledge may not even be much of anything that is taught in the classroom, but it is something that the teacher needs to consider in order to help make lessons something that the student can make a connection to. The teacher needs to become the researcher, or student, in this instant and try to learn as much as they can about their students background. This information includes what they have learned at home based on the work experience, social practice, and social experiences of the household.
One possibility for instruction that I can look at doing are working on different "themes" for lessons. I can do this by finding out what my students are really interested in and then getting them to do a "quick-write" where they will briefly tell me about what they know on that particular subject. Once I have received those, I will be able to look through and analyze the responses to see where the overall knowledge is on that subject and then build the lesson from there. They will be exposed to more instruction and activities and could end in a more in-depth writing assignment where they can show how much they have learned over the course of that theme.
I also like the idea of sharing their own heritage and culture with each other in the classroom. Even though culture is not necessarily a "Funds of Knowledge" area, it is something they come to class knowing a lot about and other students do not, including myself. Each student would be given the opportunity to tell the class about their culture and some practices and then as a class, we can delve a little deeper in to some of the things that they do and the reasons for them. This not only helps that students to better understand their background, but the class as well and can help really build that community that is needed for learning. I really like the idea of making these in to art projects where they can display what they have learned about themselves and each other. It can be something as simple as one specific holiday that they celebrate and why; which would also include foods, activities, and anything else that may happen during that special time.
Here are a few of the resources that I used when constructing my examples:
After watching the video and learning more about Luis Moll's "Funds of Knowledge," I have come to the understanding that it involves what a student comes to the classroom already knowing; it is their background knowledge. This knowledge may not even be much of anything that is taught in the classroom, but it is something that the teacher needs to consider in order to help make lessons something that the student can make a connection to. The teacher needs to become the researcher, or student, in this instant and try to learn as much as they can about their students background. This information includes what they have learned at home based on the work experience, social practice, and social experiences of the household.
One possibility for instruction that I can look at doing are working on different "themes" for lessons. I can do this by finding out what my students are really interested in and then getting them to do a "quick-write" where they will briefly tell me about what they know on that particular subject. Once I have received those, I will be able to look through and analyze the responses to see where the overall knowledge is on that subject and then build the lesson from there. They will be exposed to more instruction and activities and could end in a more in-depth writing assignment where they can show how much they have learned over the course of that theme.
I also like the idea of sharing their own heritage and culture with each other in the classroom. Even though culture is not necessarily a "Funds of Knowledge" area, it is something they come to class knowing a lot about and other students do not, including myself. Each student would be given the opportunity to tell the class about their culture and some practices and then as a class, we can delve a little deeper in to some of the things that they do and the reasons for them. This not only helps that students to better understand their background, but the class as well and can help really build that community that is needed for learning. I really like the idea of making these in to art projects where they can display what they have learned about themselves and each other. It can be something as simple as one specific holiday that they celebrate and why; which would also include foods, activities, and anything else that may happen during that special time.
Here are a few of the resources that I used when constructing my examples:
Peer Responses
I like the idea of doing a quick-write to discover where your student's interests and knowledge is currently, then modifying a lesson based on that. I think students will be more invested knowing that they played an important role in creating the lesson itself!
Alexis Lipson, November 8, 2017
Alexis Lipson, November 8, 2017
I agree with you. Teaching should not be simply a one way transfer of information from teacher to student. In a good class the teacher is often learning just as much as the students. Information is exchanged and a dialogue is initiated. This builds rapport and trust between teachers, students, and classmates. It helps build a community within the classroom. This makes learning interesting, subject matter engaging, and educational development fun!
John Foster, November 8, 2017
John Foster, November 8, 2017
Hi Amanda! I really like the quick-write idea, because it is simple and doesn't take much time, yet it also gives you information about your students' knowledge and interests. I also think the cultural art projects are great. I did this with a second grade class during my student teaching, and the students loved it. It is always wonderful to integrate art into the general classroom too.
Amanda Akridge, November 8, 2017
Amanda Akridge, November 8, 2017
Amanda,
The quick-write idea that you mentioned is one that I have done with my students before. I learned so much about them after I read what they wrote. My prompt to them was to list what they missed about home and what was scary about being in the United States. You will be surprised by their responses.
Phil Cena, November 9, 2017
The quick-write idea that you mentioned is one that I have done with my students before. I learned so much about them after I read what they wrote. My prompt to them was to list what they missed about home and what was scary about being in the United States. You will be surprised by their responses.
Phil Cena, November 9, 2017