A Counselors Journey into Technology'''

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A Counselor's Journey Into Technology
A PowerPoint Presentation by Terri A.
McKenna-Koprivnikar
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A Counselors Journey into Technology...

• From Technology--Go Away
• to
• Technology--The Way to GO!

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Todays Travels

• Charting the course of the journey
• Discoveries made along the way
• Utilizing the acquisitions
• Next Stop??

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Where the Journey Began...

• Career Guidance CE 636

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Dr. Claire
Dandeneau

• Technology Intensive Experience???

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The First Stops...

• E-mail

-Convenient communication -Dr. John D.
Krumbholtz -Wide reaching network of
collegues -Now as common as the telephone

• Chat Rooms List Serves

-Right Now communication -Networking at its
extreme -Learn about others discoveries of useful
resources
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Steadily I moved Forward...

• Software for Counselors

-Administrative task help (I.e. scheduling,
credit checks, case notes, etc.)
-Career Guidance (Career Data Bases,
Self-Searches Interest Inventories)
-Choices, COIN, Discover
-PowerPoint and other generalized software
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...And then came The Web

• Seemingly endless information on topics
• Ability to get information from anywhere
• Significantly cuts down on research time
• Assistance in researching
• Share your work with others
• Market your services and expertise
• Visual stimulation - not just black white
• Interactive

Super-Star Career Page
An Informational Guide for Counselors Based on
the Career Developmental Theory of Donald Super
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From There... It Just Took Off

• Second class Counselors Technology
• In-depth, intensive and

INDIVIDUAL

• was I INSANE???

• Developed a Learning Contract consisting of 3
  projects

ONE -- This PowerPoint Presentation and
submission of it for presentation
at this conference.
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TwoResearch into Distance Education

• Specialized Classroom equipped to host and
  receive classes and programs from other sites

The Learning Community Network
Academic classes, trainings workshops, and
conferencing
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THREE A Web Page
Highlands High School Guidance Department Web Page
Lets take a look...
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Who can we help with these discoveries?
Students...
Parents...
Co-workers Administrators...
OURSELVES!!!
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Students...

• Start in elementary with career interest software
• On-going Self-Searches and Interest Inventories
• Monitor Records
• Direct toward resources
• Teen Issue Information

• Remember
• A computer can not replace the one-on-one
  relationship with a trained and caring
  counselor..
• It only enhances the assistance you can provide
  the student!

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Parents...

• May not be as technologically advanced as their
  children, so help them catch up
• Provide time assistance to introduce software
  they can use
• Programs on finding GOOD internet sites (quality
  and family friendly)
• How to get help, information and support on
  parenting teens and teen issues
• For those advanced -Quality sites you use

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Co-workers Administrators...

• Promote the Guidance Program
• Make their life easier - scheduling, credit
  checks, transcripts at fingertips
• Identify and share quality sites on common issues
  (guidance lesson plans, etc)
• Permits regular and easy communication on students

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OURSELVES

• Make our life easier
• Stay current, up-to-date, and informed
• Share ideas and encourage one another
• Provide quality services to students
• Serve as role models for students on keeping
  current with technology

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??What is needed for the journey to continue??
Support of Board Administration
Financial Resources
Personnel - especially tech.support
Training, training and more training
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Is it all smooth sailing?

• Remember - quantity is NOT Quality
• Avoidance of interpersonal relationships
• Panic when technological problems arise
• Who is it out there - really?
• Keeping up with the pace of advancement (training
  and equipment)
• On-line counseling - a real debate!

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Still more concerns...

• Cheating and Hacking
• Unnatural communication and not being ones self
• Not equal access
• poor students-much less experience
• low function students-a lot of typing and reading
  causes frustration and giving-up

• And so on, and so on, and so on...

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Where do we go from here

• Impossible to speculate, but technology is NOT
  going away.
• If we want to continue to be a critical
  department in the school, we need to advance our
  practices as well.
• ASCA recognition - standards
• Journal of Technology in Counseling
• Integral part of Graduate Programs

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Remember--
Technology is... The Wave of the Future!
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Thank You and Good-bye!