This article was written by graduate students, Gretchen Selzer and Lavon Robinson, in collaboration with Dr. Erin Mason, all members of the ASCA Technology SpIN. Use #ascatech to ask your questions about technology on the SCENE and in social media!
In an era of flooded inboxes and endless Google searches, it is ever so important to infuse technology thoughtfully into how our profession communicates. In order to be effective school counselors, we must ensure that students, staff, and families have an avenue to efficiently communicate with us. Creating such an avenue not only enhances our productivity but it can also lead to deeper trust and rapport with key stakeholders.
In general, technology has become a crucial aspect of all of our lives. It has seeped into various aspects of Education and changed dramatically the way in which we work. Accepting the massive role that technology plays in our lives is important. We must understand how technological advancements can push our profession to new levels as well as how to utilize technological tools in a positive and productive manner.
One beneficial way to use technology relates directly to communication with our students. Children and young adults are often the first to know the latest trends in the technological world as it relates to their lives. We need to be the leaders of infusing new and innovative communication strategies into our schools. We can use these trends as ways to connect with them. For example, one can engage students in discussion by beginning classroom lessons with a thought provoking YouTube video related to the topics you will discuss. SoulPancake and CNN Student News create timely and inspirational videos that students have enjoyed in the past. By using technology, an area students find relatable and familiar, we are shrinking the gap between them and ourselves. Not only does this help build rapport with students, but it also keeps them engaged in the curriculum.
The utilization of technology will look different from school to school and will vary depending on school level. Many school counselors often have responsibilities of coordination. The coordination of key stakeholders is an important aspect of the role. However, managing meetings involving so many different people can be extremely difficult. Utilizing time management programs, such as Google Calendar, can help alleviate confusion among members of the team. This allows one’s calendar to be located in a consistently accessible place. In addition, school counselors can send invitations to meetings via email to all necessary participants.
One would think that such time management applications as Google Calendar could solve all problems; however, things still do fall through the cracks. To avoid this, it is our responsibility to take our communication to the next level. For example, one must ensure that participants actively RSVP to events. When a meeting is confirmed counselors can utilize the delay delivery tool in Outlook to have a reminder email automatically be sent a day before the meeting. This adds warmth to the meeting invitation that is otherwise lacking and can quickly be set up.
There are also other ways to improve our average, everyday calendar applications. One such idea is a program called Calendly. We can use this application to help avoid the dreaded email/phone tag. With a link in one’s email signature, respondents can schedule meetings with the click of a button! Calendly is synced to programs such as Google Calendar for even more accurate scheduling. While we maintain control as to when someone can schedule a meeting, stakeholders also have the ability to choose a time that works for their busy schedules. Building upon time management applications with other applications such as Calendly makes it easier to schedule meetings for others and ourselves!
When it comes to communicating, email and even Facebook are becoming less effective and less relevant. There is an incredible amount of spam on email and often political posts and advertisers take over Facebook and Twitter. Remind is an effective, free tool to communicate via text with quick messages to an individual or large group of people. The program allows users to send one-way messages to recipients who will receive it via text message. It is perfect for quick shout outs to the senior class such as “don’t forget about the FAFSA meeting tonight at 7pm” or to an individual student reminding them about their college planning meeting. For many of our students and families glued to their mobile device, this program can help them be informed and the uses are endless.
While Remind is great for announcements, Poll Everywhere is great for gathering real-time data. The application allows users to ask a group of people a question and respondents can answer in real time via mobile phones, Twitter or web browsers. Users are able to view the results live on the web. Imagine you are giving a classroom presentation on the signs of suicide and need to quickly and efficiently ask the audience about its effectiveness. Alternatively, what if we are preparing a presentation on college planning for 1,000 students and need gain information quickly on what the audience already knows and needs to learn. This program is perfect to retrieve data and gather the voice of the group.
As technology and the world changes, the way our students communicate will too. In order to connect with them we need to continue learning from each other. To speak with colleagues around the world or attend conferences virtually, use programs such as Twitter, LinkedIn , Facebook , and our favorite, Pinterest, to connect. As caseloads grow and trends change, using innovative and creative forms of communication will make us more efficient at our jobs. We've provide a few examples of how to infuse technology into how we communicate with stakeholders. Take the courage and time to explore what will work best for you and your community.