Erika Apathy EDET 636

This week I had fun searching through the vast inter web to find resources that I could use when I began my research project. At first I was not sure the topic I choose would be a good one and I would struggle to find enough resources to back up my idea, but that does not seem to be the case. I found a lot of information that focused on the importance of parent-teacher communication, how technology can enhance parent-teacher communication, and different resources that teachers can implement in their classrooms to communicate with parents.  Below are screen shots of comments I made to other students blog posts. I though it was fun to explore the sites others posted and learn about a bit about what they are focusing on for their project. 

What literature will inform your research? In order to complete my research project this semester I need to find websites that have accurate information and help me learn more about the effect of parent communication apps. During my research this week I found many resources I may be able to utilize as I complete this assignment. http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/parent-involvement/parent-teacher-partnership/ http://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships https://www.readinghorizons.com/blog-roll/the-importance-of-building-parent-teacher-relationships https://www.thoughtco.com/parent-teacher-communication-2081926 https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/keeping-parents-informed/ The above websites focus on why teacher-parent communication is important to begin with, how it improves the classroom, and helps to boost students learning. http://digitalpromise.org/2014/09/17/using-technology...

This week I had fun exploring ideas to research for my project. I am thinking of exploring the positive effects parent communications apps like Bloomz has on a classroom. I am still fine tuning my idea, but as of right now i am excited to see if this app is something I would implement in my own classroom. I did have trouble incorporating 3 APA sources this week since the essential question was focused on my idea for the research project.

What will you have to know and do to begin your research? I am really struggling to come up with an idea for this research paper because I am not in an actual classroom. So far I think the best idea is to utilize what I saw my host teacher. She tried to use Bloomz. What I noticed was this app was not a success in her classroom. She had very few parents sign up to receive notifications. This app helps teachers connect with parents to communicate necessary information. If I choose this option, I would focus on how it helps to improve the connection between parents and their students. Parent teacher communication is important because many students don’t remember to bring important papers home so important information is not brought home. I want to see if this app increases parent involvement in class field trips and brings more parents into the classroom as parent volunteers. I would also like to see how this app is used in the classroom besides parent-teacher communication. It c...

I am still feeling behind, but it's getting better. My next goal for the following week is to figure out how to comment on people's blog posts using Twitter. I am starting to realize how used to Blackboard I got since I started my undergrad. It has made me feel a bit unconnected to the rest of the class because we all aren't meeting in a familiar platform like Blackboard, but I will get used to Twitter. I felt this weeks question was a bit. I am also looking forward to meeting with everyone on Twitter tonight, hopefully I will feel more connected to the class. At this time I am seeking more help to determine what I will be researching.

The biggest thing I have realized while starting this class is that I appear to be out of practice of meeting deadlines with assignments :( I am still working full-time (plus being a mom), so hopefully after the tourist season is finished I will be better about assignment due dates. When I decided to start this masters program I thought it was be easy because I have experience in a classroom after completing my student teaching in May. Turns out it may be easier to apply what I see in my own classroom everyday. So far I am struggling to think of my idea classroom when I relate it to the weeks questions. I see other teachers being able to relate how they use assessments to see what their students are learning, but I am not able to do that so it has been a bit of a challenge. With that being said I am excited to get the hang of classes again and press forward and learn all I can about technology in the classroom

How is Qualitative research a good lens through which to view classroom research? According to an article published by the Qualitative Research Consultants Association, “qualitative research is designed to reveal a target audiences range of behaviors and persecution that drives it with reference topics or issues” (2017). This type of research is useful for classroom research because it focuses on corporation to build off each others comments and ideas. Participants are able to contribute to the discussion in a more active manor, which allows for more effective learning experience.               Qualitative research lets the meaning emerge from the participants, this means it is more flexible and can be adjusted to meet the specific setting. The “concepts, data collection tools, and data collection methods can be adjusted as the researches progresses” (Data Collection Strategies). This type of research strives to get a be...