Blogs for School Counselors

Blogs for School Counselors : 

Blogs for School Counselors Stephanie Macias EDCO 549 Fall II 2011

What is a Blog? : 

What is a Blog? Definition: “A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world. Your blog is whatever you want it to be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real rules. In simple terms, a blog is a web site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top, so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or email you. Or not.” (“What’s a Blog?”) Can be public or private Benefits of Using a Blog: Free or inexpensive Easy to update students, parents, and teachers of Counseling Department news and events Collect data using blog surveys Share resources with students, parents and teachers Collaborate with other counselors! (Sabella, 2012)

The Goals of a School Counseling Blog : 

The Goals of a School Counseling Blog Communication with- Students Teachers Parents Staff Information sharing School counseling news Services offered Parent workshops and information sessions Collaboration with other counselors Share ideas and resources

Who Can Blog? : 

Who Can Blog?

How to Get Started…. : 

How to Get Started…. Source: (Sabella, 2012)

What to Blog About? : 

What to Blog About? School Counselor Contact Information Mission Statement And Goals Special Features Of The Counseling Program Information For Students And Parents Surveys For Collecting Data Source: (Sabella, 2012)

Students Blogging : 

Students Blogging Use blogging with classroom guidance Have middle or high school aged students create a blog in their technology development class and blog about their college plans and career goals. Have elementary or middle school aged students create a Glog using Glogster Edu in conjunction with a classroom guidance lesson like this one and post them to a class blog. Students can read and comment on each others blogs and teachers can monitor posts prior to publishing to ensure content is appropriate. Blogs can be used for: Group projects Reflection on lessons and assignments, E-portfolios Reflective journals Class newsletters Class websites

Contributions : 

Contributions A quick and easy way to share information with parents, teachers, parents, students, and the community. Promote Counseling Department’s goals Highlight the program’s successes Engage students An opportunity for interactive learning Show the need for School Counselors! (Sabella, 2012)

Things to remember… : 

Things to remember… Be sensitive to student’s and families access to and familiarity with computers and internet Provide other means of communication for those who do not have access Provide internet safety training for student bloggers Teachers or counselor should monitor student blogs to ensure personal or inappropriate information is not posted (Lent, 2009)

Future Implications : 

Future Implications Blogging is a versatile tool that can be used by school counselors to connect with students, families, school staff, the community and other school counselors to promote student success. As we move forward to a more technologically based society, the use of the internet for communicating is increasing. Sharing information via a blog allows key stakeholders to access information from their home or work computers or even their smart phones. Additionally, blogs are a great way to engage students and supplement their educational experiences (Sabella, 2012).

Counseling Blogs to Check Out… : 

Counseling Blogs to Check Out…

References : 

References Lent, J. (2009). Journaling Enters the 21st Century: The Use of Therapeutic Blogs in Counseling. Journal Of Creativity In Mental Health, 4(1), 67-73. “What’s A Blog”. Retrieved from http://www.blogger.com/tour_start.g Sabella , R. (2012). The School Counselor’s Website: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers. Retrieved from http://www.schoolcounselor.com/resources/c ounselor-website-faq.htm