Alice's Reading Notes for class 1/28

Moll, et al. "Funds of Knowledge for Teaching"

What do you think of the distinction the authors draw at the end of the article between the concepts of culture and funds of knowedge?  

How does the concept of funds of knowledge compare with the concepts of social and cultural capital?

How does the discussion of social networks as "thick" and "multi-stranded" contribute to our examination of role (coming from Dass and Gorman)?

When the teacher is present in the home, the anthropologist is surprised at how readily the parents share owing to their trust in the teacher.  Is this an example of using role in an empowering way?

What do you think of the participatory unit on candy that resulted from the ethnographic research?

Appadurai, "The Right to Research"

Do you agree with Appadurai that "all human beings . . . are researchers since all human beings make decisions that require systematic forays beyond their current knowledge horizons?"  

If so, why do you think this idea isn't more widespread?

Do you see yourself as conducting research in furtherance of your own interests, values, and vision?

What would it mean to "claim the right to research?"  What would this look like?  

If we consider research as a human right, what does that mean for formal education? 

Who gets to be a researcher?  The "Funds of Knowledge" paper takes this up by discussing the effect of a teacher's being in a researcher role.  This connects with issues concerning the character of teaching as a profession.

Rendon, Sentipensante Pedagogy

Rendon stresses the need to attend to inner life, and do inner work, in balance with the outer work of action and service.  Where do you see learning here?  Is it both inner and outer work?  More on inner and outer on p. 7.  I am not sure I agree that outer is what we do with our minds and inner what we do with our emotions and experiences.  Is she saying this is how it happens or how it is?

p. 5 -- ". . . nearly always there is a longing, a yearning to change something in their personal and work lives."

Does this connect with Tuck's desire-based approach?

on p. 5, Rendon describes the stress and pressure she lived with, and the sense that something was stirring in her soul.  What is it like for you to read material such as this in an academic book?

12 -- spirituality as bridging self-development and social justice . . . when have you seen the word "soul" in school?

24 -- The Four Agreements!!  What do we get from calling our waking life part of our dreamlife?  

Which of the agreements Rendon moves to revise is most significant to you?

Are there other agreements in our current pedagogical dreamfield that you would revise