Technology is our friend…when used appropriately. We have seen how technology has enabled students access at home to their education during a pandemic when it was not safe for them to be in-person. Another way technology can be our friend is in teaching children social-emotional learning. Now it is not a requirement to purchase social-emotional learning curriculum. If you are constrained with a budget, there are many great free resources on the internet. I created a Padlet last year when our school district transitioned to remote learning but I still needed to continue with my counseling services for students I worked with. Videos were curated from different sites including YouTube. I will be adding more, as I go. Feel free to use it and share.
Although students are not being taught in the traditional form during this national pandemic, students are still receiving support, but in a nontraditional way. It has been a learning curve for students, parents, and staff on how to transition from an at school to an online learning educational atmosphere. As a School Psychologist, during crisis situations, we play a role to collaborate and support staff, students, and parents. Now that it has been almost three months since the school closures, it gives me time to reflect on my observations during this time. As I facilitate my counseling groups, I like to discuss positives before the negatives or challenges presented, so I will follow that, and start with the positives. How can we see positives during a pandemic? Let’s try.
