Technology and social media have quickly become the primary ways in which our students connect with each other. With this shift in the way students communicate, student’s today face new challenges regarding social skill development and cyberbullying. Yet, among these challenges are numerous benefits to our technology-driven world. As experts of communication, I believe school counselors need to make every effort to join our students in their wired worlds. When school counselors embrace technology, we are tapping into an abundance of resources that provide us with new ways to engage our students. Plus, technology is fun!

At my middle school internship site, the school counselors were provided with ipads, which we have been playing with over the past three weeks. There are many useful apps on this tech tool that can enhance any school counseling program. Using the ipad, we put together a few very useful videos and presentations, which can be viewed in the classroom or on the school’s website. Instead of scrambling to visit over 30 classrooms during the frantic first weeks of school, we sent our “Meet Your School Counselor” video to teachers to play in their classroom. Included in the presentation was a video tour of the student services office and instructions for how students may request to see their school counselor. To create a personal connection, we visited students during lunch periods and offered treats to students who shared what they learned in the video. This quick and easy experiment with technology is just one example of how school counselors can use technology to connect with students and maximize the use of their time (or in this case, be in two places at once!). 

Until I get my hands on my very own ipad, I still have access to a variety of tech tools that help me organize find creative school counseling resources. I would like to take a moment to share a few resources I have been working with recently. 

1. I cannot say enough about how amazing Pinterest is in terms of school counseling resource sharing. I have found a ton of creative ideas for ways to support and connect with students through Pinterest, and I promise this will not be the last time you hear me praise this amazing site! 
2. Livebinders is another resource I have just become familiar with that would be great in terms of organizing links to resources that may be helpful for students and/or their parents or guardians. 
3. Prezi, Sliderocket, and youtube offer creative ways to make presentations come to life. I was introduced to some of these tools during staff training at my internship site, and I love them. Prezi is my favorite presentation tool so far because it allows for a lot of creative freedom to make your presentation a memorable experience.
4. My final tech shout out goes to mass texting tool called Remind101. Using this tool, a teacher friend of my is able to sent reminders and updates about her second grade class to parent’s cell phones. This could be a great tool that school counselors might utilize to connect with students and parents/guardians. Imagine how cool it would be to send students and their families positive messages, words of encouragement, and reminders about school counseling services. I look forward to trying this out! 

There are so many resources at our fingertips, and the list continues to grow. What are your favorite tech tools, and how are you utilizing them to enhance student learning?


~Danielle

Yesterday was the first day of school at my middle school internship site. I was so excited to get started that I was barely able to sleep before the day began. I have always loved back to school season! Between new books, new clothes, new school supplies, and new students, the first day of school seems a more fitting marker of the new year. During training at my internship site, the school’s principal addressed how unique and advantageous it is to be in a career where we are able to get a new start each fall. Indeed, the arrival of new students each fall invites new opportunities to inspire, support, learn, and improve ourselves. How cool!

In an effort to help the students feel welcome and cared for, I put together personalized gifts for each member of the group seventh grade students I will be meeting with daily alongside my supervisor. Though my seventh graders did not exactly jump for joy when I handed them their treat, I do believe these little efforts go a long way in regards to building meaningful relationships with students. One of my goals this year is to become more crafty and find creative ways to acknowledge people I care about. 

When the school doors officially opened, over 400 new seventh grade students entered, confused and lost in the halls of this huge middle school building. With so much to cover in one day, the students were rushed from one place to another. It felt like a crash course into life as a middle school student. Despite all of the training and planning, the day felt chaotic. Thankfully, my experiences in my counseling program over the past  two years have taught me to recognize the opportunity for growth through chaos. New to the school myself, I could relate to the students’ feelings of anxiety and confusion. I smiled through my anxiety, making every effort to greet each student and offer my assistance. I did not have all of the answers, and most of the time, I did not know where to find the students’ classes. Yet, I joined them in the chaos until we found our way together. This is how I intend to be as a school counselor. I will not be able to solve all of my students’ problems, and yet, I will be there to support them along the way.

As many of us ring in the new school year, I am determined to make this year the best year ever! I gladly join my school internships in their journey toward continuous growth and improvement. I am ready to jump in, take risks, collaborate, and do whatever it takes to enhance student opportunities for success. Here we go!