Virtual schoolbags and funds of knowledge

Thomson, P 2002, ‘Vicki and Thanh’, Schooling the rustbelt kids: making the difference in changing times, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW, pp. 1–18.

This reading had an important term that I was originally introduced to in my Humanities unit. Rather than give another summary, I will provide a paragraph from my essay based on the unit where these readings come from (Creating Effective Learning Environments: Primary) as I feel it best describes virtual schoolbags and how they contribute to the creation of an effective learning environment.

Effective learning environments take students’ interests into consideration, so all students are engaged and included in the classroom. In my opinion, virtual schoolbags is an important term for teachers to be aware of. A virtual schoolbag holds ‘…things they have already learned at home, with their friends, and in and from the world in which they live’ (Thomson 2002, p.1). For students to have sustained interest, I feel that teachers must elicit the contents of every virtual schoolbag. To do so, they must ‘…take the time to get to know each of their students’ (Smith, Danforth & Nice 2005, p.88). Reflecting on my teaching rounds, the most effective way to get to know students is by talking to them, to draw out their interests and elicit their prior understandings. Munns et al. (2012, p.173) discusses Sonia, a teacher who ensures her teaching draws on students’ funds of knowledge. By drawing on the funds of knowledge and the contents of students’ virtual schoolbags, teachers can ensure they meet the Melbourne Declaration Goal of successful learning, because all students will be engaged, as what they are doing will resonate with them. Principle three of the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PoLT) states ‘Students' needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests are reflected in the learning program’ (DEECD 2012). If teachers do not reflect the interests of students in the classroom, it will be impossible for students to learn effectively, as students will be disengaged, they will feel ostracised and consider themselves as not belonging. Therefore, extracting the contents of virtual schoolbags and using it in the classroom is vital. In addition, being aware of the Kounin model of management is important to engagement, where teachers ensure students’ engagement levels are high. By drawing on students’ virtual schoolbags, it will enable classroom environments to be highly engaging and enable successful learning for all students, as the Kounin model aims to prevent misbehaviour which could impact on the successful learning of others. Likewise, teachers must also be mindful of what they communicate. Mackay discusses how people only actively listen to ‘…things which are relevant to their own situation, their own needs, their own interests…’ (Mackay 1998, p.10). Consequently, teachers must be mindful of what they communicate so it is relevant to students, in construction of a learning environment that is supportive, engaging, stimulating and relevant for successful learning, as well as enabling students to feel as if they belong to the classroom community.

• Implications on our teaching with respect to virtual schoolbags
• Not all of the contents will be applicable to the classroom environment
• Some students will be more beneficial than others – ‘The children who are most often successful are those who already possess, by virtue of who they are and where they come from, some of the cultural capital that counts for school success (Thomson 2002, p.6).

·         Virtual schoolbags and funds of knowledge can be linked. Funds of knowledge is described as ‘...tools, strategies and activities families engage in to live their lives’ (Hill 2012). Moll et al. (1992) describes funds of knowledge as ‘…historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning and well-being’ (p.133). Teachers need to be aware of and make use of the funds of knowledge or contents of one's virtual schoolbags in order for them to be engaged in their learning. This is described in a paragraph from my essay for this unit as provided above.

Additional references:

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2012, ‘PoLT Online Professional Learning Resource’, retrieved 5 April 2013, <http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/pages/polt.aspx?Redirect=1>.

Hill, S 2012 Developing early literacy: assessment and teaching, 2^nd edn, Eleanor Curtain, Prahran, Victoria.

Mackay, H 1998, ‘The injection myth’, The good listener: better relationships through better communication, Pan Macmillan, Sydney, pp. 7–26.

Moll, L, Amanti, C, Neff, D & Gonzalez, N 1992, ‘Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms’, Theory Into Practice, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 132-141.

Munns, G, Arthur, L, Hertzberg, M, Sawyer, W & Zammit, K 2012, ‘A fair go for students in poverty: Australia’, in T Wrigley, P Thomson & B Lingard (eds), Changing schools: alternative ways to make a world of difference, Routledge, Abingdon, UK, pp. 167–80.

Smith, TJ, Danforth, S & Nice, S 2005, ‘Creating a participatory classroom community’, in S Danforth & TJ Smith (eds), Engaging troubling students: a constructivist approach, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, California, pp. 57–91. 

Communication

Mackay, H 1998, ‘The injection myth', The good listener: better relationships through better communication, Pan Macmillan, Sydney, pp. 7-26.

I absolutely loved this article as it made me reflect on communication and my own circumstances. Personally, I am an avid followed of political events. My younger brother, on the other hand, switches off when it comes to anything on this subject. When communicating, the mindset of the person must be taken into account and the reason my brother does not listen is because he is simply not interested in politics and so when I communicate something political, this message is not simply put into his brain. Effectively, it goes in one ear and out the other. Read my summary below on The Injection Myth. 

The Injection Myth, by Mackay (1998), discusses communication and its effects on other people. It begins by giving a scenario from a one-sided view on a person and later, the other’s point of view is established. Margaret, the main protagonist, says ‘…no one around here listens properly to me’ (Mackay 1998, p.10). This is a clear example of the injection myth, as is ‘I make myself perfectly clear… and nothing I say seems to make an impression at all’ (Mackay 1998, p.10). A person who is an ‘injectionist’, according to the article, believes that all people are passive, and the message they receive will be injected into their brain and they will understand what the other is saying. In actual fact, ‘…people only pay close attention to things which directly concern them’ (Mackay 1998, p.11). The communicator needs to treat people as active, and it is what the receiver does with the message that counts, not the giver. In other words, the onus is on the receiver, not the giver. Further, the article discusses how injectors will repeat themselves. As suggested, when the author says ‘We so easily fall into the trap of thinking we made ourselves clear’ (Mackay 1998, p.23), we find it baffling that we ought to repeat ourselves. This is because, as was mentioned above, the onus for communication is on the receiver, not the giver. To summarise, the author ends with the First Law of Communication, which is a great way to conclude this important piece and how it is extremely relevant to the Injection Myth: ‘It’s not what our message does to the listener, but what the listener does with our message, that determines our success as communicators’ (Mackay 1998, p.26).

What are some implications for us as teachers in considering the injection myth?

• Make sure what we say resonates with students to effectively communicate message
• For example – “If it's not raining we will go to the zoo”
• The important piece of the message is at the end. In my journalism unit in first year, we were told the first five (5) words in a newspaper article will determine whether a person reads on. I feel this could be applied to verbal communication. Think of the difference between “John, we should all be sitting down in our seats” and “John. Seat”. To change the above example to hook the listener, place the important part of the message near the beginning. Therefore, the message becomes: “We'll go to the zoo if it stops raining”.
• Messages that are communicated to people must take into account the interests, feels and needs of the person
• In regard to the First Law of Communication – “It’s not what our message does to the listener, but what the listener does with our message, that determines our success as communicators” – we need to ask students if they have understood the message. We don't want to, as the reading suggests, fall into the trap of repeating ourselves because continually injecting the same message will not cause people who initially did not understand to then suddenly get it. What we are communicating may need to be done so differently and this is something we teachers need to be aware of :)