Analyzed how elementary, middle, and high school counselors used technology in their counseling programs and generated methods for encouraging such use through professional development within the Georgia School Counselors Association.

Author's abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate how high school counselors are using computer technology. The researchers goal was to determine if high school counselors are using computer technology, how they are using computer technology, and how frequently they are using computer technology. After a review of literature relating to counselors and technology, it is determined that a study was warranted to determine how computer technology is used by high school counselors. The researcher used a 10-item, self-developed and tested survey instrument designed to investigate how high school counselors use computer technology, how frequently it was used and how proficient they were in using computer technology. A total of 72 high school counselors responded to the survey. It was distributed electronically from a listserv of 78 high school counselors in the metro-Atlanta area. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. The use of computer technology allows high school counselors to spend more time with students rendering services to enhance learning. Using computer technology helped the well-prepared high school counselor complete their work more expeditiously by serving a larger population, targeting interventions and focusing energy where it is most needed: helping student achievement. 2 Because of the limited data available to support high school counselors using computer technology, a study of this nature was needed. This study will serve as a valuable tool providing supporting empirical data for school counseling leaders, school administrators and other educational stakeholders in the decisions-making process regarding issues relating to school counselors. This research validates the limited literature and provides current data on the various ways high school counselors are using computer technology. Hopefully, this research will be yet another tool for educational decision makers and will lead to further studies in the area of school counseling and technology.

School counseling is progressing from the tradition of responsive services to a proactive system linked to school mission (Dahir, 2009, p 4.). This paradigm shift within the profession has drastically increased the responsibility required of school counselors. This study explored data drawn from a population of school counselors at Recognized American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Model Programs (RAMP). A multi-phase, sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used for this study. The study focused on nine specific technologies: website, e-mail, Internet, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, student database system, social networking platforms, and EZ Analyze. Mean scores, frequency distribution tables, and rankings regarding usage frequencies and purposes were determined and framed within the four quadrants of the ASCA National Model. In the second qualitative phase of the study, school counselors identified three emerging themes relative to the use of technology in school counseling: communication, inappropriate technology usage, and data collection and anaylsis. The following five conclusions emerged: 1) Social networking platforms have not been widely accepted by school counselors at RAMP schools. 2) The findings of this study support previous findings which demonstrate increases in the use of technology within the profession of school counseling over time. 3) The types of technologies used by school counselors at RAMP schools are consistent from school counselor to school counselor. 4) School counselors at RAMP schools have similar concerns regarding technology integration within the profession. 5) A need exists for increased preparation and professional development for school counselors in regards to technology usage for the purpose of data collection and analysis. ^ Recommendations for future studies include: 1) Repeat this study with a much larger, multifarious population. 2) Identify the influence age has on the technology usage frequency of school counselors. 3) Research the role of school setting when analyzing technology usage frequencies in regards to school counselors. 4) Studies that examine the continued transition of school counseling programs from responsive to proactive practices.

Digital tools that will transform your practice Educating students in the 21st century is about more than preparing them for work in the digital age; it′s also about connecting with the whole student and transcending barriers. Written for school counselors and other education professionals, 50+ Tech Tools for School Counselors provides insightful descriptions of digital tools that can be used daily to not only enrich intervention and instruction but also guide decision-making, streamline work, enhance communication, and promote happier students. Readers will find: a framework for leadership and advocacy through the lens of technology vignettes demonstrating implementation and quotes from students and other stakeholders step-by-step guides and checklists perspectives from counselors around the country that provide a peer-to-peer feel narratives, technical descriptions, and diagrams School counselors are often unsure or unaware of the myriad of existing tech tools. This book will help them enhance their practice, feel more confident, spend less time on paperwork, and enable today’s students to achieve success in school and access information on college and careers.

This edition provides school counselors with new ways for moving from reactive to proactive and from random to intentional counseling. By using data to determine what all students deserve to receive and when some students need more, it offers effective ways to provide proactive school counseling services, stay accountable, and advocate for systemic change. Includes data analysis, intervention strategies, methods aligned with standards, examples, artifacts, and other tools.

"The ASCA National Model reflects a comprehensive approach to the design, implementation and assessment of a school counseling program that improves student success. The publication defines the school counselor's role in implementation of a school counseling program and provides step-by-step tools to build each componenet of your school counseling program, including defining, managing, delivering and assessing. This fourth edition reflects current education practices, aligns with the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K-12 College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Every Student and the ASCA professional standards & competencies and assists school counselors in developing an examplary school counseling program"-[P. 4], Cover.

Make sure your students get the most from their online learning experiences Even though nearly every K-12 public school in the United States has broadband Internet access, the Web’s vast potential as a teaching and learning tool has still not been realized. Web-based learning opportunities have been expensive, slow to develop, and time-consuming to implement, despite pressure on schools to adopt technology solutions that will cure their educational ills. Web-Based Learning in K-12 Classrooms: Opportunities and Challenges chronicles the up and downs of online learning and offers unique insights into its future, providing a comprehensive, curriculum-wide treatment of K-12 content areas (reading, science, mathematics, social studies), special education, counseling, virtual schools, exemplary schools, implementation issues, and educational Web sites. The Internet represents a powerful, complex set of technologies that offers your students access to unlimited knowledgebut that access doesn’t replace the human interactions found in classrooms. Placing a student in front of a computer monitor is a supplement to classroom learning, not a substitute for it. Academics and education professionals address questions surrounding the key issues involved in successfully incorporating the wide range of Web-based learning opportunities (formal courses, demonstrations, simulations, collaborations, searches) into the classroom, including technology, content, and implementation. Web-Based Learning in K-12 Classrooms examines: inquiry-based learning online interaction displaying student work online Internet accessibility for students with disabilities initiating school counselors into e-learning technologies the role of government in virtual schools Web-based schools in California, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Texas a 13-category classification system for online educational resources the ATLAS model for program implementation evaluations of more than 1,000 pieces of online information (articles, research, reports, news, and statistics) and 900 Web applications (tutorials, drills, games, and tests) with evaluation criteria Web-Based Learning in K-12 Classrooms is a vital resource for educators interested in online learning applications across the K-12 curriculum.