237. Creative Ways to Use Digital Counseling Resources
Listen to the full episode below:
Welcome back to another episode of School Counseling Simplified! Last week, we talked about paperless counseling resources that you can use in your individual lessons—but they weren’t digital! If you haven’t had a chance to listen to that episode, I know you’re going to love it, so go back and check it out!
Today, we’re diving into creative ways to use digital resources for student lessons. Many of us were introduced to digital tools during COVID, and now, whether we choose to use them or not varies. No matter where you stand, I want to show you how digital resources can enhance your counseling lessons and engage your students.
Benefits of Using Digital Resources:
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Engaging – Tech-savvy kids feel comfortable and confident with digital resources, making lessons more interactive and helping students retain concepts.
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Paperless – Low prep, making it easier on you!
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Flexible – Digital tools allow you to change up your learning space. If you have tablets, take them outside for a new environment!
5 Digital Resource Ideas & How to Use Them:
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Boom Cards – My favorite! Quick-play, interactive activities that allow students to push buttons for answers. Great for true/false or coping skill games!
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Google Slides – Perfect for drag-and-drop activities like coping skill toolboxes or typing out responses.
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Game Shows – Jeopardy-style games for lessons like tattling vs. reporting or a "Meet the Counselor" game.
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Board Games – Project a digital game board on a screen and use physical manipulatives for engagement.
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Kahoot – Quiz-style games to assess student understanding in a fun, competitive way.
How to Incorporate Digital Resources Across Learning Tiers:
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Ice Breakers – Use at the start of a class lesson to engage students and deter unwanted behaviors. Example: Boom Cards on coping strategies to assess what students already know.
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Core Lesson – Digital tools can serve as the main lesson, keeping students engaged while teaching a specific skill. Example: A full lesson on I-statements for conflict resolution or a digital "Meet the Counselor" game.
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Review Game – Use digital tools to reinforce and assess what students have learned. Example: Empathy Boom Cards as a post-assessment.
Tips for Engaging the Whole Class:
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Get students moving—have them come up and touch the game board.
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Use physical dice or manipulatives alongside digital resources.
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Divide students into teams for friendly competition (this works great for a "Meet the Counselor" game!).
Small Group & Individual Use:
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Small Groups – Play individually or together to build connections and reinforce group lessons.
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Individual Sessions – Customize activities to build rapport with students and personalize their learning.
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Homework & Family Engagement – Assign digital activities as take-home tasks to involve families in the learning process.
I hope these ideas inspire you to incorporate digital tools into your counseling sessions in a way that feels engaging and effective! As always, feel free to message me on Instagram or send me an email with any questions.
Check the show notes for links to my favorite digital resources!
Resources mentioned:
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More About School Counseling Simplified:
School Counseling Simplified is a podcast offering easy to implement strategies for busy school counselors. The host, Rachel Davis from Bright Futures Counseling, shares tips and tricks she has learned from her years of experience as a school counselor both in the US and at an international school in Costa Rica.
You can listen to School Counseling Simplified on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more!
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