{"id":182,"date":"2024-04-19T14:57:11","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T14:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eccser.org\/seamypath\/?p=182"},"modified":"2024-05-02T22:46:20","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T22:46:20","slug":"who-am-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eccser.org\/seamypath\/2024\/04\/19\/who-am-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Am I?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before faculty can begin infusing equitable entry points into their classroom and curriculum, they must first know their student’s identity and experiences. One way to accomplish this objective is by having students share who they are with faculty. Identity (personal and social) is the \u201cset of traits and characteristics, social relations, roles and group membership that define who one is.\u201d These identities can be self\u2013claimed or ascribed by others. An individual\u2019s identity impacts how one perceives and mediates the world and their place in that world. For example, a faculty members\u2019 identity will undoubtedly impact their curricular and pedagogical approaches to the classroom. It will also define their interactions and relationships with students. In the same manner, a student\u2019s identity will impact how they perceive and approach learning in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funds of Identity<\/strong>

The concept of Funds of Identity (FOI) comes from a theory of learning that emphasizes the importance of recognizing and using students’ cultural, linguistic, and personal backgrounds to enhance their educational experiences. FOI is like a \u201ctoolbox\u201d of resources that people gather over time. These resources are shaped by historical, cultural, and social experiences and \u201care essential fora person\u2019s self-definition, self-expression, and self-understanding.\u201d

A core belief of FOI is that educators should use the knowledge, skills, and experiences that students themselves feel are valuable (Veerman, et al., 2023), and which students use to define and express who they are (Esteban-Guitart & Moll, 2014). In doing so, FOI becomes a way for teachers to enhance classroom practice while giving their students a richer understanding of academic content and motivating them to learn. Teachers can also use FOI approaches to strengthen assets-grounded and culturally sustaining practices. Going further, FOI can be integrated into teacher professional development programs in which they go through the process of exploring their own FOI to better understand and create their pedagogical values.<\/em>

<\/p>Funds of Identity: An Assests-Based Toolkit of Student Supports<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The following is a student activity entitled Who Am I? <\/em>The activity helps faculty gain insights about how students themselves define their identity. Using this information as a foundation, faculty can now create equity-minded designs for the classroom that taps into their student\u2019s identity. More specifically, the activity’s objectives seek to accomplish the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n