Audience:

 Two teachers with a teaching experience of five to twelve years

 Two parents with children in the elementary school system
Location/ Setting:
 Elementary School

The Good The Bad

What did people value the most? What failed?

 Both the parent and the teachers
really enjoyed the convenience of
the Bloomz App.
What got them excited?
 Mainly the scheduling and
messaging system. On top of the
privacy of it all.
What convinced them about the idea?
 The ability to be able to access
this app through their cell phone What needs further investigation?
at all times.
 Parents were not against giving out
their personal phone numbers to
teachers as much as expected.
Were there suggestions for improvement?
 We need to suggest more continuity
in the school system. For example
getting a specific class to use it but
not have the next couple of grades
use it can cause issues.
 How much of the app will teachers
use on a consistent basis.

The Unexpected What’s Next?

Was there anything Based on what you learned, how would

unexpected/surprised you?
 The significant lack of
communication between parents
and teachers, along with the
general reliance and
displacement of responsibility for
whom is required to maintain the
communication.
you change your idea?
 The only thing we would change
would be who we are significantly
targeting for this app. Essentially we
were trying to convince the teachers
to use the app and then to have the
parents follow suit but the parents
are just as equally as significant in
this project.

Interview Transcripts:

Parent 1:

1. How do you currently interact most with your child’s teacher?

Email, phone calls, texts.

2. Do you feel like you have open communication with your child’s teacher?

If I have a question for my child’s teacher then I can call and ask but as far as
having like a daily discussion about him? No.

3. How often do you have access to your personal cell phone?

Constantly. All the time. I have to have it!

4. Do you often miss out on important information because of outside factors like
your child losing papers?

Yes, and I cannot stress this enough. It is a constant battle with my kid. He’s a
boy, he’s rowdy and is busy and he is constantly forgetting things and losing things.
5. Would you say you are aware of your child’s behavior throughout the day?

On a daily basis, no. I have had teachers contact me for bad behavior. I also
have a friend who is a another classroom mom and when she volunteers in the
classroom she will text me about my son that day. But like I said on a daily basis no I
don’t know.

6. Are you aware of the material your child is learning throughout the day? Do you
feel equipped to help them at home?

When it comes to the literature part of their homework then yes, I can help with
reading comprehension and word definitions and spelling but I struggle with the math. I
don’t understand this new way of teaching it. I usually get frustrated especially after
being at work all day long. The last thing I want to do is sit down after a long day and try
to figure out my kids homework. I honestly just hope that he does the homework in
class.

7. How comfortable are you giving out your personal information to your child’s
teacher?

I don’t have a problem with it. I usually give them my work phone number and my
personal phone number if they ask for it.

8. Would you use a private messaging system to discuss private matters? (death in
the family, illnesses, divorces, bullying)

Absolutely. I believe in being open and honest about things especially with my
kids. If my child is being bullied then I am without a doubt saying something. I may keep
certain things a little more private like the marital problems you suggested. But outside
of that I am an open book. If I believe my child is being affected by something then I will
address it with the teacher.

9. If you knew your child’s teacher needed specific school supplies would you be
able to donate?
 Yeah if I have the means to. My son likes when I bake cookies for class parties.
That’s my go to. And for Christmas I usually give the teacher a target gift card.

10. Would you be interested in using an app that resolves the issues mentioned
prior?

Of course. I have my phone constantly so an app is just super convenient for me.

Parent 2:

1. How do you currently interact most with your child’s teacher?

I will call the school if I need to. Or write a note and put it in my childs homework folder.

2. Do you feel like you have open communication with your child’s teacher?

No, at least not this year. Our communication is limited to the occasional phone call or
note.

3. How often do you have access to your personal cell phone?

All day.
4. Do you often miss out on important information because of outside factors like
your child losing papers?

My older daughter is pretty responsible, she’s in 4 grade, but my younger

th

daughter is a kindergartener so with her I have more problems with communication.

5. Would you say you are aware of your child’s behavior throughout the day?

No, not typically. I know if they had a particularly bad day which has happened
maybe three times since my oldest has been in school. But on a day to day no.

6. Are you aware of the material your child is learning throughout the day? Do you
feel equipped to help them at home?

No, I have a general idea if my child tells me about it. But they get dropped oof
and picked up from school by the day care they attend and that daycare has homework
club so they both do their homework there.

7. How comfortable are you giving out your personal information to your child’s
teacher?

I don’t have a problem giving out my personal information if the teacher asks for
it. But I don’t give it out freely.
8. Would you use a private messaging system to discuss private matters? (death in
the family, illnesses, divorces, bullying)

Sure. I haven’t had that issue yet, thank god. But if anything of that degree
comes up in the future then yes, I would use it.

9. If you knew your child’s teacher needed specific school supplies would you be
able to donate?

Absolutely, especially if it directly benefits my kids.

10. Would you be interested in using an app that resolves the issues mentioned
prior?

If it is easy and convenient then of course. I work all day, so if I can make my life
easier in anyway then yes.

Teacher 1:

1. What are some ways parents could better support you in your classroom?

I tend to have a hard time dealing with parents working with me to help their
children. For example, if their child is struggling in the classroom, I will contact the
parents and ask them to work with their child on their homework at home. So more
involvement from the parents at home.

2. Do you find yourself lacking materials and having a hard time getting parents to
donate?

In the beginning of the year? No. I tend to get a lot of parents sending supplies
with their children to school for me. However, going further into the year that generosity
tends to diminish. Classroom parties towards the middle of the year tend to become
more expensive for me as a teacher because money tends to be tighter during and after
the holidays.

3. Do you currently have a reliable way of contacting each of your students’

parents?

I have multiple ways of contacting parents. I will start with a flyer for certain items
and then will try to email other parents if its personal information.
4. What are some problems you face when trying to communicate with parents?

I tend to have some parents claim to not have either received that information or
to claim there was a miss information. By that I mean, there will be a message relayed
like a paper that needs to be signed and brought back by a specific date. Well then I will
get parents who claim that the date they were supposed to turn the paper in was
different than what it actually was.
5. Would you say your students’ parents are engaged in their child’s learning? Are
they equipped to be?

I want to believe that there is a high level of involvement with parents.

Unfortunately, I can’t fully know that unless I am at home with them and can see it. I can
base that assumption on how much specific parents will contact me. Or if certain
students come to school with their homework not done. I think a lot of parents are lost
when it comes to their child’s learning. I know that a lot of parents do not understand
specific math concepts of this generation.

6. Do your students’ parents typically notify you when something major is going on
in the household that may affect their ability to learn (divorce, death in the family,
illness)?

I haven’t personally had to deal with a student who has had a death in the family.
I have had a student who was in a car accident over the weekend and the reason the
parent contacted me was to let me know where the cuts and bruises came from. I will
get some parents inform me if their child will be out for a couple of days because of an
excused illness like strep throat.

7. Would you benefit from a scheduling system that allows you to set up
conferences with parents?

Oh yes of course!

8. Would you use an app that allows you to communicate behavior patterns, both
good and bad, with your students’ parents?

Yes, I would

9. How comfortable are you giving out your personal information to your students’
parents?

I give my parents my personal email, but I do not like to give out my personal
phone number. I did that one year and I would get texts at very inconvenient times, I
had this one student who would use their parents phone and text me questions about
specific problems with the homework. It was just more of a headache than anything.

10. Would you be interested in using an app that resolves the issues mentioned
prior?

Yes of course. From what it sounds like, this app you described seems very helpful!

Teacher 2:

1. What are some ways parents could better support you in your classroom?
 Helping their children at home, that would be the first thing that comes to my
mind. The second would be maybe their in-class participation. By that I mean
volunteering in class, or on fieldtrips or for class parties. I could always use the extra
hands

2. Do you find yourself lacking materials and having a hard time getting parents to
donate?

Oh yes, all teachers have to buy supplies constantly. For me its often pencils,
paper and glue. I will send out a “Holiday Wish List” home with my students in
December in hopes to get some more supplies before the break.

3. Do you currently have a reliable way of contacting each of your students’

parents?

I currently use Class Dojo. I also text and email and of course make weekly class
news that I send home in my students homework folder.

4. What are some problems you face when trying to communicate with parents?

Right now, their lack of either response or their lack of action to what was being
communicated.

5. Would you say your students’ parents are engaged in their child’s learning? Are
they equipped to be?

This year, yes. But I got lucky. Usually I have parents who are busy, or students
who are in multiple after school activities and the parents and student tends to get
spread pretty thin.

6. Do your students’ parents typically notify you when something major is going on
in the household that may affect their ability to learn (divorce, death in the family,
illness)?

I wouldn’t really know I guess. I have had students whos behavior drastically
changed and I have talked to the parents and have gotten answers sometimes but
typically I do not get an explanation as to why. I do have parents who contact me if their
child is sick which can affect a child's ability to learn and stay focused in class. Or I have
had the school tell me to make a homework packet for a child in my class because they
were going to be gone for a period of time due to a death in the family. But I was not
personally contacted by the parents. There are certain levels of information that tend to
go above me.

7. Would you benefit from a scheduling system that allows you to set up
conferences with parents?
 Yes of course. I do have my forms of contact now which just has me personally
contact the parent and make a verbal agreement on a date and time. But I would like a
calendar system for scheduling.

8. Would you use an app that allows you to communicate behavior patterns, both
good and bad, with your students’ parents?

Yes, I already use class dojo which does this. I love having something so simple to use.

9. How comfortable are you giving out your personal information to your students’
parents?

I don’t give out my personal information. I use email, class dojo, the phone at
school to make calls. But like my personal phone number I do not give out.

10. Would you be interested in using an app that resolves the issues mentioned
prior?

Yes of course. I am always looking for a way to make my job easier. I want to just
be able to focus on the kids so anything that will give me more time to do that and
resolve these issues I have I would much appreciate it.