Funds of Knowledge Resource Guide

Christian worldview

CULTURAL VALUES AND COMMUNITY BACKGROUND WITHIN MY PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT

Funds of Knowledge Resource Guide

When Jesus taught his disciples, he used his disciples’ life experiences, also known as their funds of knowledge, to help them learn about and understand God’s love for them (Walden, 2018). Just as Jesus used his disciples’ funds of knowledge to help them learn, educators can use their students’ funds of knowledge to help educate them. When educators use students’ funds of knowledge to help students learn, students are able to feel as though their cultural experiences are valued. Using students’ funds of knowledge to help educate others is important because it helps students realize that you care about them as individuals and value their cultural values and experiences. When students feel valued in the classroom, they are more likely to thrive both in the classroom and in life. Since human flourishing occurs when people are able to reach fulfillment and thrive in all aspects of their lives, using students’ funds of knowledge directly contributes to the Christian worldview of human flourishing (Grand Canyon University, 2022).

North Middle School is located in Great Falls, Montana and is home to 759 middle school students. 77.6% of the student population is caucasian, while 22.4% of the student population is considered to be from minority races (U.S. News, 2022). The school frequently receives donations from local businesses and is greatly supported by the community. Parental and community involvement is highly encouraged, and communication is one of the strengths of the school. Within the school and classrooms, there are students from many different cultural backgrounds. Our school district is home to students from 44 different Native American tribes, many foreign exchange students, students from military families who have resided all over the world, and students who were born and raised in Montana. Because our student body is so diverse, culture plays a big part in our school and classrooms.

REFERENCES

Grand Canyon University. (2022). Statement on human flourishing. Grand Canyon University. https://www.gcu.edu/sites/default/files/media/documents/about/christian-identity-heritage/statement-on-human-flourishing-4-20-22.pdf Jakupov, S. M., Perlenbetov, M. A., Ilimkhanova, L. S., & Telebayev, G. T. (2012). Cultural values as an indicator of inter-ethnic harmony in multicultural societies. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 69, 114-123. Johnson, E. J., & Johnson, A. B. (2016). Enhancing academic investment through home-school connections and building on ell students' scholastic funds of knowledge. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 12(1), 104-121. Moll, L. (2022, May 4). Funds of knowledge video [Video]. Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/funds-knowledge-video Pusey, S. (2018). How does culture impact our ability to learn? eSchool News: Innovations in Educational Transformation. https://www.eschoolnews.com/featured/2018/04/17/culture-impact-ability-learn/ U.S. News. (2022). North middle school. U.S. News: A World Report. https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/montana/north-middle-school-255935 Volman, M. (2021). The effects of using students' funds of knowledge on educational outcomes in the social and personal domain. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 28, 100472. Walden, K. (2018). Why culturally responsive teaching matters. The Journal of Adventist Education, 80 (3), 10-17. https://www.journalofadventisteducation.org/en/2018.3.3.

Morgan McDaniel College of Education, Grand Canyon University EDU-551: Differentiated Instruction Dr. John Essington March 1, 2023

FUNDS OF KNOWLEDGE AND CULTURAL VALUES EXAMPLES

Cultural Values and Communty background effects on learning

Funds of knowledge are the experiences, abilities, and social knowledge that students gain from their families’ cultural practices and from their own life experiences (Moll, 2022). Click the button to view examples. Cultural values are the beliefs, morals, and perspectives that a community of people share. People use these group norms to live in harmony with other individuals within their community (Jakupov et. al., 2012). Click the button to view examples.

Cultural values and community backgrounds can impact how students behave, learn, perceive knowledge, interact with others, and more. Because of this, they can have a big impact on student learning. Mismatch between school and home cultures can make learning very difficult for students. For example, in some cultures, children are taught to be seen rather than heard (Pusey, 2018). In these situations, students may be less likely to participate in classroom discussions, which can decrease a student’s ability to learn. When educators understand students’ cultural values, they can use their knowledge to better meet the needs of their students. Forcing students to behave in ways that do not align with their cultural practices can leave students feeling uncomfortable in the classroom. This can also decrease a students’ ability to learn. Furthermore, some students within the community experience poverty and do not have access to educational resources they need. Because of this, students may have gaps in their knowledge that prevents them from understanding classroom concepts. Supportive community partners can provide students with access to free resources. This can increase their abilities to learn and be successful. The partnership between the school and the community provides students with resources and learning opportunities that can boost their content knowledge and understanding. Volunteer and internship opportunities enable students to work within their community to further develop their knowledge. Lastly, parental and community involvement allows the school to further understand the cultures and needs of students and their families. Having open communication between school, staff, students, families, and community members helps ensure that the students are receiving all the materials they need to be successful and learn in the classroom.

Examples

Funds of knowldge effect on classroom instruction

Examples

Funds of knowledge intersect with students’ cultural values and practices. Because of this, it is important to ensure that educators are using culturally relevant teaching practices in their classrooms. Funds of knowledge can be used by educators to enrich students’ learning opportunities. When educators use students’ funds of knowledge to develop their instruction, students are more likely to relate to content, and thus are more likely to develop connections between their personal experiences and classroom content. Furthermore, incorporating students’ funds of knowledge into content can help increase students' engagement in the lesson and increase students’ investment in learning (Johnson & Johnson, 2016). Taking the time to understand students’ funds of knowledge is important, because it can help educators understand how to build on students’ experiences and abilities. Using funds of knowledge in classroom instruction can also help students gain confidence in the classroom, develop relationships with peers, and help create a more positive classroom environment (Volman, 2021). All of these things can make classroom instruction and learning more productive.

Intersection of funds of knowledge and cultural values

Culture influences everything people do. The way people behave, perceive things, interact with others, learn, etc are based on their cultural values and practices. Students often learn their cultural values by interacting with their family members. The accumulation of knowledge and experiences that students gain in their everyday interactions with their families is known as a student’s fund of knowledge. Funds of knowledge and cultural values intersect, because a student’s fund of knowledge consists of the cultural practices and knowledge that students learn about and gain while completing daily routines and by interacting with their families (Moll, 2022). For example, students gain knowledge about their religious practices at home through interacting with family members. The student’s fund of knowledge consists of those religious views, and those religious views stored in their funds of knowledge may cause the student to react to classroom content differently than other students.