Journal

Table 4
Maddy Burns

Bibliography/Significant Course Content
Observations

A. Discuss two of the six listed sources B. What have you learned about the
for the annotated bibliography. specific knowledge base, skill sets,
experiences, activities, household
Pushouts, Shutouts, and Holdouts labor histories, or social networks of
By: M. Lukes the respondents you studied in your
clinical setting?
This study showed Hispanic students of
varying backgrounds and their struggles with I have learned about their hobbies and
school, and ultimately what caused them to extracurricular activities, the ways they are
leave schooling. This article was eye opening involved in the community and the things their
to the reality immigrant students face, families partake in together. A lot of this comes
especially those who are undocumented or from talking with the kids or with their
have family members who are parents at pick up. Some students have some
undocumented. The study showed how skillsets like karate, hunting, or archery. Some
important it is for teachers to know what of the students have family members who are
their students lives are like and have teachers in Winona; some are doctors, and
reasonable expectations for students so that many of a multitude of other different
they can further their education as best as professions. One of the parents I mentioned in
possible and still feel successful and involved. my observations who has been a teacher,
nurse, and engineer works with his kids to
help them be strong in the STEM topics.

How Can High-Poverty Schools Engage I have learned that the more differences there
Families and the Community? are in the children and their own personal
By: W.P. Budge and K. Budge funds of knowledge the more room there is for
creativity and exploration of things that are
This article was compiled by a group of unfamiliar. There was a student a few months
educators who aimed to include their ago who only spoke a little English but
students parents and families in the predominantly spoke Chinese and he had such
classroom and community more. The article a great time teaching the other kids Chinese
offers specific and practical ways to do this words and the other kids loved helping him
and even shared some of the experiences they with his English. This is just one example of
had when implementing these things. They how wonderful it can be when we show
also shared the benefits of doing outreach students that diversity is beautiful and an
activities and actively working to include asset, not just an obstacle.
families in each childs education. Many of
these are things I would really like to try one
day as an educator to build a community C. How can any of your Human
atmosphere in my classroom and school. Development and Learning
theories/theorists be used to explain
Experience: HOW your learner of set of learners
One of my favorite parents picks up his two makes use of the possessed
children everyday and he is so kind and has a knowledge bases, skill sets,
very warm personality, so throughout the experiences, activities, work
year we have gotten to know one another experiences of family member, or
much better. He has all sorts of different social networks as assets to
experience in various jobs, including learning?
education, nursing, and engineering, and he
has a ton of wisdom to offer. He is also very One of the theories I feel really encompasses
encouraging to us, as the Key Kids staff. this idea well is social constructivism.
Getting to know this parent has been an Vygotsky's Theory of Social Constructivism is
awesome asset to the job because when I the theory that we learn from others around us
interact with the children I can understand and we learn together. Each person furthers
much better what their family is like and their the other knowledge and understanding in
familys values. some way. Social constructivism also talks
about the zone or proximal development. This
I have also gotten to know the two mothers of explains that when we work together with
the boys I work with as a one-on-one aid. This other people, our potential varies depending
has also been very helpful for keeping lines of on the knowledge of the people we are
communication open about behavior and working with. So for example, if a first grader
progress at school, Key Kids, and at home. We is getting help on math homework from a
have also been able to establish some fourth grader, their zone expands because they
consistency between the three environments can include the knowledge of the older
with discipline, rewards, and expectations. student. However, is the roles were reversed
and the first grader was helping the fourth
grader, the zone would remain small because
the first grader does not have a larger
understanding on the subject.

This works in children's homes as well. They
learn what their family knows by sharing and
working together with one another in various
different scenarios where the learning and
potential of each person is expanded. The
students can then take that understanding
from home and bring it into the classroom to
share with other students and their teacher.

Another aspect of Vgotaky's theory is that we
all have groups we belong to, or communities
of practice, that help shape our knowledge
based on hobbies, occupation, religion, or
 other groupings. These groups also help to
define certain domains of knowledge as taboo
or wrong while emphasizing other areas of
knowledge. Each child has their own unique
group and these groups help build the child's
funds of knowledge, which we, as teachers,
must tap into and encourage.

These funds of knowledge are assets in the
classroom because each child can enlarge
others' zones of proximal development in
some way. Bringing in so many varying
understandings and backgrounds can make
mixing them difficult, but when done properly
it provides an incredible learning opportunity
for everyone involved.