New Counselor on the Blog
As a student, I always enjoyed gaining ideas from other counselors and learning about what they did on a daily basis in their job. I wanted to share my experiences and ideas with others and create a space where others could share their experiences and ideas. That is when I discovered the art of blogging.
Blogging is a great way to get connected with other professional school counselors, education professionals, and anyone who wants to learn more about the field of counseling and what counselors do. But, what exactly is blogging? Blogging is an online space created by an individual or group. In relation to school counseling, blogging is a great way to enhance the counseling community, share ideas, and update others on information. Through School Counselor Blog, I am able to get feedback from counselors and interested parties all over the country. I have posted reflections about lessons I have taught and presentations I have facilitated. Two free sites where you can begin blogging are: http://www.blogspot.com and http://www.blogger.com.
If you are not ready to create your own blog, there are many other technology resources available for counselors. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recently started it's own social network called ASCA Scene. ASCA Scene allows members to connect to counselors all over the country through creating a profile, utilizing discussion boards, podcasts, group blogging and file sharing. The Pennsylvania School Counseling Association (PSCA) website allows registered members to create a profile and share files and resources with other members. Linked In is a professional social networking website that allows members to connect with professionals all over the world. Linked In allows members to create a professional profile as well as upload documents like resumes. The website also allows individuals to search for professionals by location.
Other ways counselors can benefit from technology are listservs and podcasts. Listservs are electronic mailing lists where individuals can respond to the topic and the message will be sent to all other listserv members. Elementary school counselors can join a listserv through Yahoo’s Group website (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/elementary-counselors). Podcasts are programs (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download or live feed over the Internet. Kent State University in Ohio created a podcast that covers a myriad of counseling topics called Counselor Audio Source (www.counseloraudiosource.net).
Using technology as a school counselor can be exciting and be instrumental to school counselors in creating a community, sharing ideas, updating others on information, and educating the public about the role of school counselors. For more information about ways you can utilize technology in your professional role as a school counselor please visit School Counselor Blog.
Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at School Counselor Blog, a place where school counselors share innovative ideas, creative lesson plans, and quality resources. Contact Danielle via email, follow her on twitter, and become a fan of the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page.
