Student Background Knowledge
- May 29, 2015
- 3 min read
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 concept was constructed by Pat Thomson back in 2002 as she created a reading called 'Vicky and Thanh'. I first discovered this reading in my first year at university, in my second pedagogy unit, ETP102. This important concept of a “virtual schoolbag” has been a large contributor to my teaching pedagogy thus far. Alongside the term ‘virtual schoolbag’, is another term ‘funds of knowledge’, both of which can be linked. ‘Funds of knowledge’ is “historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning and well-being” (Moll et al. 1992, p.133). ‘Funds of knowledge’ come from “shared activities with families and communities” (Hill, 2012, p.67).
To create an effective learning environment, the teacher must take their students’ interests into consideration, to ensure all students are engaged and included within the classroom. The idea of each child coming to school with a different ‘virtual schoolbag’ and ‘funds of knowledge’ helps shift the idea of ‘equality’ to ‘equity’. It assists teachers in changing their view of students from just what they see in the classroom, to seeing the students as a whole and all of the small things that contribute to make that student who they are and how and why they learn. A ‘virtual schoolbag’ contains “…things [students] have already learned at home, with their friends, and in and from the world in which they live” (Thomson 2002, p.1). To ensure equity and maintain engagement within the classroom, I believe that teachers must explore and draw upon all students ‘virtual schoolbag’ and incorporate them into the classroom.
On reflecting on my time on placement, I found that the most effective way to get to know the students is by simply talking to them. I spent the first few days observing the students and then I really got to know them. My mentor teacher gave me the knowledge she had on the students’ background and then I would compare and expand on that knowledge by talking with the students myself. I felt that this really allowed the students to open up and begin to trust me. Throughout the classroom there were self-portraits of each student; being a very multicultural school, it was wonderful to see how proud each student was of their background, evident in their artwork. My mentor teacher ensured that content of each student’s ‘virtual schoolbag’ and ‘funds of knowledge’ were clearly appreciated and evident throughout her classroom.
By utilising the contents of the students’ ‘virtual schoolbag’ and ‘funds of knowledge’, teachers can ensure they meet Goal 1 of The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians: “Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence by ensuring that schooling contributes to a socially cohesive society that respects and appreciates cultural, social and religious diversity” (2008, p. 7). Meeting this goal promotes inclusivity and engagement for students, which is vital in any effective learning classroom.
‘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).
References:
- Hill, S. 2006, ‘Developing early literacy’, 2nd edition, Eleanor Curtain Publishing, South Yarra.
- Moll et al. 1992, ‘Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms’, Theory into Practice, [Online], Vol. 31 Issue 2, p. 132 – 141, Accessed 29 May 2015, http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=fe1bb909-f3d5-4802-85c3-9b9b23344a8c%40sessionmgr4004&vid=8&hid=4203
- Australian Education Ministers, 2008, ‘The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians’, Ministerial Council of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs
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