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EDFD 308/460/461
FUNDS OF KNOWLEDGE
SELF-INVESTIGATION
(Mackenzie Grant)

Post a clear picture of yourself in the

corresponding right column.

What unique knowledge base(s) do you I am an active learner. The knowledge I

feel you possess? How did you come to
acquire this specific knowledge?
possess is due to me participating, asking
questions, and doing hand-on activities. I
have learned throughout the years as a
student, of the importance of being an active
learner. I used to struggle with tests, but
learned new study habits (through tutoring,
teachers, and my older sister) to became a
better test taker. Hard-work is also of great
value to me. When it comes to acquiring the
knowledge I have, it can take a lot of hard-
work to get there. I am one of those people
that has to study a lot, do extra research,
and sometimes have real-life experiences
with the material I am learning, in order to
understand it, and remember it.

What skill sets do you feel most proud of
at this point in your life? How did you
come to develop these skills?
I have acquired many skills over the years
through the many jobs I have had, through
schooling, and through life experiences.
Some of these include: good communication
skills, being very people-oriented, reliable, a
problem solver, hard-working, creative, and

What experiences do you feel best shape
your sense of self? Why?
What activities do you engage in, on a
regular bases that best characterize you as
a person?
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patient. I would say family has been a big
impact on a lot of these skills, but the jobs I
have had, schooling, and life experiences has
helped them grow, as well as put them into
action. I would say one of the biggest things
I am proud of right now is getting into the
Education program, which I wouldnt have
been able to do without these skill sets.
This is a very hard question because I
believe that every experience in my life has
shaped the person I am today. I will point
out a few that I feel have had the most
impact without getting to personal. One of
the biggest impacts on my life that shapes
who I am today, was when I accepted Jesus
into my heart. Another significant
experience that gave me a whole new
perspective on the world was a mission trip
I took to Haiti a couple summers ago. After
graduating high school, I transferred twice
(between colleges). This experience has
shaped me into a more independent woman,
and has helped me find my calling of going
to school to become a teacher.
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I am involved in CRU (Christian campus
ministry) here at Winona State. I also
attend First Free Church on Sundays and
am involved in a community group through
this church. These activities best
characterize me because faith is very

Describe the kinds of occupations held by
members of your household(s) as you
transitioned from elementary school
through high school?
What social networks of people were
important to the members of your
household(s) as you were growing up?
Why?
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important to me and has been since I was a
child. I am also an active person, so I
regularly do yoga. I also have recently been
into calligraphy which reveals the creative
and artistic side to me.
Father: Field operations supervisor at
Mosquito Control for about 16 years, but
has been there for over 23 years.
Mother: Stay-home mom until my younger
sister started kindergarten. For a short
time she was a dispatcher for a towing
company when my brother and I were
preschool age. When my younger sister
went to kindergarten, my mom became a
part-time cashier at 3M store and has now
moved up to full-time lead manager of 3M
store (been in this position for about 7
years now).
Jocelyn (Sister): First job doing a
newspaper route. Helped Anytime Fitness
flourish as a company. Waitressed at
Buffalo Wild Wings. Became a CNA at a
group home in Duluth while attending
school for nursing.
Sam (Brother): Junior volunteer at the
Nature Center
Our church family (Hayden Heights Baptist
Church, St. Paul) was of big importance to
my family growing up. We were very
involved in our church home. Us kids
attended Awana, T&T, youth group,
summer stretch, church camp, etc. Our
neighbors were also social networks
growing up. There were lots of kids in our
neighborhood that to this day my siblings
and I are still close friends with. My
parents friends, siblings friends, and my
friends were all huge social networks for
us. We always had people coming in and
out of our house. Loved having game
nights, sleepovers, bonfires, movie nights,
and just spending time together. Most
importantly family has always been
number one. I have a small extended
family, but we are all very close and enjoy
spending time together. We have many
yearly traditions (other than holidays) that
we share. On my dads side we rent the
 4
same cabin at the same resort every
summer for a week. On my moms side we
go to the same hotel for a weekend every
year. All of these social networks have been
very important to my family.

Provide below a typed citation of 2-3 resources that help YOU better understand the
concept of implicit bias or unconscious bias in relation specifically to race, gender,
social class, sexual orientation, faith, etc. (e.g., academic journal article, website, YouTube
video, PDF, etc.).

1. Funchess, Melanie [TEDxTalks]. (2014, October 16). Implicit Biashow it effects us

and how we push through. [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr8G7MtRNlk.
2. Fiarman, S. E. (2016). Unconscious Bias. Educational Leadership, 74(3), 10-15.

Provide below a typed citation of 2-3 resources that help YOU better understand the
concept of social justice in the field of education.

1. Mills, C., & Ballantyne, J. (2016). Social Justice and Teacher Education. Journal Of
Teacher Education, 67(4), 263-276. doi:10.1177/0022487116660152
2. Shyman, E. (2015). Toward a Globally Sensitive Definition of Inclusive Education
Based in Social Justice. International Journal Of Disability, Development & Education,
62(4), 351-362. doi:10.1080/1034912X.2015.1025715
3. K-State College of Education. (2016, September 12). Social Justice in Education
Documentary Trailer. [Vide File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLYGRAjzxn8

Provide below the typed APA citation of 2-4 academic journal article sources (Published
2000 2017) examining the Funds of Knowledge approach in your licensure area(s).
(Note: You may have to use the ideas of culturally relevant teaching or culturally
responsive teaching as possible alternatives to Funds of Knowledge in your
database search).

1. Coffey, H., & Farinde-Wu, A. (2016). Navigating the journey to culturally responsive
teaching: Lessons from the success and struggles of one first-year, Black female
teacher of Black students in an urban school. Teaching & Teacher Education, 6024-
33. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2016.07.021
2. Buck, B. (2016). Culturally Responsive Peace Education: A Case Study at One Urban
K-8 Catholic School. Journal Of Catholic Education, 20(1), 32-55.
doi:10.15365/joce.2001022016
3. Zhang, L., & Wang, Y. J. (2016). Culturally responsive teaching in China: instructional
strategy and teachers attitudes. Intercultural Education, 27(1), 54-69.
doi:10.1080/14675986.2016.1144632