Less than 2% of patent holders in the United States identify as Latina. This statistic is problematic considering the increasing Latinx population and the empirical evidence which indicates the benefits of drawing on diverse perspectives in the invention ecosystem. In an effort to increase diversity among inventors and patent holders, K-12 programs have been created to provide opportunities for students to participate in the iterative and recursive processes of inventing. One example is the emerging field of invention education. Invention education is an educational approach which teaches students how to identify and solve problems within their communities. Little is known about the experiences of Latina students who have participated in invention education and have begun developing identities as inventors. Through narrative methodology, I analyze how the life experiences of three Latina students who participated on a high school invention team contribute to their identity development as inventors. Applying Yosso's Community Cultural Wealth theory as a framework, I also explore the different types of cultural capital the young inventors draw on throughout the development of their identities. Analysis indicates participation in extracurricular invention education activities contributes to the development of an inventor's identity. Major findings include the role of educators and families, specifically siblings, as valuable sources of cultural capital. I also identify two additional types of cultural capital the participants drew on throughout the development of their inventor identities. The first is risk taking capital, which I define as the willingness to take risks and say yes to opportunities that could provide benefits. The second form of cultural capital I identify is hustle capital, which I conceptualize in an academic sense, as effort and energy exerted to learn or achieve a goal.

With the shifting demographics of our nation and increased vacancies in schools, teacher preparation programs must equip teachers to work with today's culturally, academically, racially, and economically (CARE) diverse student population effectively. University-based teacher preparation programs are called to examine the steps taken and experiences provided to develop effective teachers to work with CARE students and fill vacancies, specifically in Title I schools. Preservice teachers, 15 total, participated in this qualitative study examining the perceptions and intentions of PSTs who were exposed to course content and field experiences that focused on Title I and CARE students. The PSTs were placed into two focus groups based on the number of times they were exposed to both throughout their undergraduate career. Participants who had one to two episodes of previous exposure comprised the first group. Participants who had three opportunities for exposure (course content, field experience, and/or first internship) comprised the second focus group. All PSTs were completing their final internship with placements in Title I schools. Findings gleaned from the transcripts indicated that stereotypes and previous perceptions of Title I schools and CARE students were positively impacted through their experiences. Throughout their internship semester, all participants used words that denoted respect and understanding for their diverse students and for their beginning challenges to implement instruction. PSTs noted a need for additional preparation in undergraduate courses related to best practice and classroom management within their Title I school settings. Despite challenges, six participants opted to seek employment in Title I schools. Of the remaining participants, five indicated intentions to teach in non-Title I, while four remained neutral. Future related research will focus on creating and providing meaningful experiences for PSTs that lead to positive intentions for teaching in Title I schools.

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into and knowledge about the perceptions and practices of teachers who have moved toward a whole language, literature-based, process approach to the teaching of reading. The data for the study came from interviews with eight teachers: four were teaching in elementary schools, two were language arts resource people, one was serving as a curriculum coordinator, and one was a university professor. The data are presented in the form of profiles of the eight educators who described their changed way of teaching in their own words. All interviewees reflect on how they feel they have changed the way they teach based on their understandings of how their beliefs about teaching and learning have changed. The researcher's changed beliefs are also examined in this study. The information on which this study is based was gathered in several ways: notes from participant observation during attendance at classes, seminars, conferences, and professional meetings; conversations with knowledgeable colleagues; review of the literature; and primarily, the tape-recorded interviews with selected teachers. The presentation of the interview data is interspersed with information gathered in the above mentioned ways. The literature review examines the theoretical and philosophical aspects of whole language and published descriptions of the reflections of some teachers who have undergone change. The results of this study demonstrate that there is much collegiality and networking among teachers who believe in this approach to the teaching of reading. Teachers undergoing a philosophical change toward whole language need to receive support, but they also give support to others. Support groups and informal support have played a very important part in the grassroots nature of whole language. Many of these teachers have made a strong connection between reading and writing. Experience as a teacher and reflection upon that experience also contribute to teacher change, which usually occurs gradually. Other ways of fostering change include visiting other teachers' classrooms, taking courses and participating in workshops, reading professional literature, becoming knowledgeable about children's literature, and attending and presenting at professional conferences,

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Trusting relationships between teachers and students is a cornerstone of success in the classroom. As a means for continuous professional growth, teachers should have an understanding of other teachers’ positive experiences with and accessible strategies for how to build these relationships. Current research is missing the narrative voices of elementary general education teachers in the discussion on trust in the classroom. In addition to how they can achieve trusting relationships, teachers need support from their principals. This study provides a phenomenological analysis of teachers’ perceptions of their responsibilities and actions that led to trusting relationships with students and the ways their principals have supported or interfered with their efforts. Three principals selected three teachers each to participate in the study for a total of 12 educators. Each of the participants agreed to one interview designed to address the five facets of trust: benevolence, honesty, openness, reliability, and competence. The interviews were coded to identify additional themes beyond the facets and strategies that support the development of each facet within the themes. Each participant addressed all five facets. Recommendations are presented for policy and practice in the areas of benevolence, openness, and reliability, the three facets that participants addressed most predominately in the interviews, while various forms of communication were the most commonly cited strategies for achieving trusting relationships. Readers will gain access to the heart of teachers’ efforts and how principals support these teachers in fostering high trust relationships with their students. This study helps fill the gap in research and supports teachers with building trusting relationships with students.

My first experience teaching, in Sierra Leone in July of 2010, is where I realized that most elementary students were illiterate and lacked the foundational skills in order to learn how to read. I decided to return the following year in May of 2011 to undertake a project to provide culturally-sensitive literacy materials for village and orphaned children in the form of storybooks. The school site for this thesis is Children of the Nations (COTN) which is a school of 98 orphaned and 1,488 village students that range from 4years-20 years of age. The titles of the two books produced by this thesis are: What's Up and ABC's of Sierra Leone. These books are culturally relevant to the students who helped in creating them and includes pictures and words that students can identify. This study will 1) provide insights into history and literacy development issues of Sierra Leone from the perspective of a Western educator; 2) examine modern factors affecting literacy development; 3) describe my teaching experience in Sierra Leone with multiage children learning English; and 4) explore the notion of creating culturally-sensitive instructional materials for village and orphan students in Sierra Leone.

The purpose of this thesis is to integrate visual arts to enhance narrative writing. In this study I address three questions: (1) Why should educators integrate the arts in their classroom? (2) How does the content benefit the student's participation? and (3) How can we connect visual arts into narrative writing? To answer these questions, I researched several elementary teachers across the United States who have integrated the arts in their lessons. I also have researched and found multiple benefits to educators integrating the arts in their classroom. For example, a former middle school teacher used visual representation to help students understand the meaning of a painting by drawing four quadrants and looking at the painting as four separate images. These four separate paintings tell a different story to how the painter created his piece of art. All students have different learning abilities, and by using arts integration, teachers will have an easier time accommodating and motivating all students in the classroom. This thesis also focuses on how educators can benefit from using arts integration and studies regarding other educators who are already integrating the arts within the curriculum. To conclude my thesis, I have created and included a checklist that educators can use to facilitate narrative writing. In addition to the checklist, I have included one elementary narrative writing lesson plan to guide current and future educators how they can help students meet the state standards.

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