Dr.

Nicholas Wysocki 1
Funds of Knowledge Group Discussions:
(Norma Gonzalez, Michael Genzuk, and Nicholas Wysocki Resources)

Students will be placed into Groups 1-6 (Please write your group number on your
Course Syllabus!!)

Each group must start by reading pages 1-5 of the Michael Genzuk reading (Module
2) and Dr. Nicholas Wysockis Ethnography Guidance Sheet. Groups will also be
assigned a specific section of the Norma Gonzalez reading (Module 1) to analyze
closely:

Group 1 Sections: Introduction paragraphs; Who are the Teachers?

Focus of Analysis:
1) How are Culture and Cultural Incongruence defined in the Culture and
Competence PPT located in D2L-Module 1? How can you help the class
groups connect these two concepts to the Intersectionality Graphic?
2) How can you help the class groups connect the concepts of Ideology and
Social Constructs of Difference to any of the specific resources on
unconscious bias listed on their individual Funds of Knowledge Self-
Investigations)? (Note: You will find the definition of ideology and social
constructs of difference in the Graphic Social Constructs of Difference
document and the Social Constructs of Difference PPT).
3) What are the ethnographic research methods that Gonzalez lists in the first
paragraph? How can you help the groups see a visual of this list?
4) How can you help the class groups use the academic journal articles they
chose for their Ethnicity and Race Research Report to illustrate concrete
examples of how their respective authors used any of the aforementioned
ethnographic research methods to identify the Cultural Characteristics
of importance to learners (See the Graphic Social Constructs of Difference
document Page 2 and said journal article)?

Group 2 Sections: Who Are The Teachers? How Do We Find Out About The
Knowledge in The Community?
Focus of Analysis:
1) How can you help the class groups examine their respective academic journal
articles to find concrete examples of the how the authors, through their
demonstration of voluntary willingness, caring, unselfishness, or
genuine interest, identified the Important Societal Factors that impact
the ethnic or racial group examined? (See the Graphic Social Constructs
of Difference document Page 2 and the academic journal article chosen for
their Ethnicity and Race Research Report)? (Hint: Start with examples
from your own articles and then guide them in the analyses of their own
articles)
2) Gonzalez asks a series of good questions at the end of the first paragraph
under the section titled: How Do We Find Out about the Knowledge in the
Community? How can you help the groups see these questions? What
connections can you help the groups make between these questions and
specific points I make in my Ethnography Guidance Sheet?
Dr. Nicholas Wysocki 2
3) How do these questions by Gonzalez and me in my Ethnography Guidance
Sheet help you better understand the three parts of the blue image on the
second page of the Graphic: Social Constructs of Difference document?
4) How can you engage the class groups in a discussion of how their individual
academic journal articles discuss specific educational interventions or
strategies designed to impact any of the academic indicators listed on
Graphic: Social Constructs of Difference document?

Group 3 Sections: What are the Methods for Doing This? (pp. 1-2)
Focus of Analysis:
1) What is both the context and significance of the following quote from
Gonzalez: We learn ethnography by doing ethnography? How do specific
points that I make in my Ethnography Guidance Sheet help you answer
this question? (Note: Direct the groups to these points in my Ethnography
Guidance Sheet).
2) How does Gonzalez describe the concept of Funds of Knowledge? What
examples does she provide of the kinds of Funds of Knowledge
uncovered in the research discussed in this article?
3) How do learners acquire an understanding of the Funds of Knowledge
that exist in their households, according to Gonzalez? What specific,
concrete examples of Funds of Knowledge can your provide from YOUR
OWN LIVES and how did YOU acquire them? (Make reference to examples
in your respective Funds of Knowledge Self-Investigations)
4) How can you help the class make sense of the requirements of Sections
1-2 of the Poverty Analysis Template? How do Gonzalezs examples of
Funds of Knowledge CONTRAST with the deficit ideologies discussed in
the assigned sections of the Eric Jensen article (see definition of
Ideology in the Social Construct of Difference PPT)?

Group 4 Sections: How Do We Find Funds of Knowledge?; What are the Methods for
Doing This? (pp. 2-3)
Focus of Analysis:
1) What is respectful talk according to Gonzalez? Why is it important for
uncovering the assets, strengths, and resources possessed by learners (i.e.,
Funds of Knowledge)?
2) Gonzalez discusses the importance of the following activities: a) Reading
ethnographic literature (Ask class members to see the citations at the end of
their Funds of Knowledge Self-Investigations!!!); b) Discussing the strategy of
conducting fieldwork; c) Being a good observer and paying attention to
detail; and d) Asking respectful questions and actively listening for answers.
What examples does she provide to illustrate these activities? How do
specific suggestions made by Genzuk about taking field notes and
interviewing add to your understanding of these activities?
3) How can you help the class make sense of the requirements of Sections 3,
4, and 5 of the Poverty Analysis Template? How could YOUR OWN GROUP
MEMBERS share some concrete, useful strategies offered by YOUR OWN
outside scholars to work with impoverished students, their households,
and/or their communities? (See the right column of your own Social Class
Research Report Individual Outlines)
Dr. Nicholas Wysocki 3
4) How do any of those strategies provide an example of one or more of
the following: a) Interpreting learner standards at grade level; b) Making
curricula choices; c) Deciding on instructional strategies; d) Managing
classroom behaviors and settings; and e) Engaging in relationship building
efforts with learners, their households, and communities keeping in the spirit
of the Pedagogical Triangle (see the Teacher Noticing PPT in D2L Module 1)?

Group 5 Sections: What are the Methods for Doing This? (pp. 2-3)
1) Gonzalez discusses the importance of the following activities: a) Reading
ethnographic literature (Ask class members to see and/or use the citations at
the end of their Funds of Knowledge Self-Investigations!!!); b) Discussing the
strategy of conducting fieldwork; c) Being a good observer and paying
attention to detail; and d) Asking respectful questions and actively listening
for answers. What connections can you help the class groups make between
THESE activities and any of the 11 strategies on my Activities to
Investigate Funds of Knowledge document?
2) How can you help the class groups examine and confirm understanding of
each of the required pages discussed on the Digital Ethnography Project
Blog site? See specifically the Page Order Requirements section at the
following link: https://wsudigitalethnographyprojectblog.wordpress.com/
3) How can you help the class understand both the rationale and
requirements of the Annotated Bibliography Template? (See specifically
the Page Order Requirements section References portion located at the
following link: https://wsudigitalethnographyprojectblog.wordpress.com/
4) How can the activities, listed in your first question, help the class
members accomplish the requirements stated in the Gender and
Education PPT?

Group 6 Sections: What about Culture?; How Do We Make Sense of The

Ethnographic Experience?
Focus of Analysis:
1) Gonzalez wants the reader to focus first on concrete practice then
abstract culture when engaging in ethnographic analysis How can the 11
strategies listed on my Activities to Investigate Funds of Knowledge
document help the class groups engage in THIS analysis of learners
practices, both inside and outside school?
2) How can the study group structure (University Professor; Teachers in
content areas; investigating/identifying learners Funds of Knowledge) help
the class groups in their clinical observations, conversations/interactions,
and analysis of research (i.e., levels of ethnographic analysis)(See the
Digital Ethnography Project Blog site Examine specifically the Page
Order Requirements section:
https://wsudigitalethnographyprojectblog.wordpress.com/
3) How can you CREATIVELY help the class groups examine and confirm
understanding of the respective five journal tables required in the Digital
Ethnography Project:
https://wsudigitalethnographyprojectblog.wordpress.com/journal-tables-
for-the-digital-ethnography/
4) What are the 3 required resources identified in the Gender Research
Report template? How can you help the class members make sense of the
Dr. Nicholas Wysocki 4
requirements of this report and its connection to the Journal Table 3
template?

Requirements of the discussion:

1) Your group is required to discuss your assigned Focus of Analysis Questions

THOROUGHLY through some discussion plan!!

(Note: I will remind the class groups to examine your groups set of
questions before you begin so that you dont have to waste time reading
each question to us.)

2) Your group can work on the assigned focus questions in smaller teams of 2-3
people as long as everyone is involved in the final discussion plan (Note: Each
team needs to be aware of what the other teams are planning within your
group).

3) Your discussion plan needs to include any combination of fun, creative,

interactive options that would appeal to your learning preferences/styles and
those of your classmates. For example:
a) Hold dyad conversations
b) Perform a skit think long and hard about this one!!!!!
c) Bring props or objects that signify concepts or techniques
d) Share any personal, relevant stories
e) Locate or develop a relevant YouTube video
f) Create a podcast
g) Develop colorful physical or digital posters (e.g., concept maps, lists of terms,
signifying pictures etc.)
h) Shape problem-solving scenarios for discussion
i) Videotape a virtual tour of a school building or community space
j) Engage the class in a collective Q and A based on either past common
experiences (e.g., a class that you know your classmates have taken) or the areas
of the readings that they were responsible for discussing: You can see these
areas in the above section.
k) Any other ideas? (The possibilities are truly endless!!)

NOTE: PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM SIMPLY READING PASSIVELY FROM

PRESENTATION TOOLS LIKE POWERPOINT OR PREZI IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS
AND INSTEAD ENGAGE THE CLASS IN A VARIETY OF MOVEMENT,
INTERACTIONS, SHARING OF CONVERSATIONS, SHARING OF RESEARCH,
CREATING OF ILLUSTRATIONS, ETC.

4) I will need an outline of your discussion plan, your group number, and the first
and last names of your group members on that outline.