When my school district first switched to fully remote learning in March of 2020, I’ll admit it, I panicked. I wasn’t regularly using digital resources in therapy at the time, and I was NOT prepared. In the beginning it was total survival mode, but once I had a second to catch my breath (which took a bit…I was quarantined with a two-year-old) using digital resources in therapy became something I really enjoyed. So even though things will eventually return to some form of normal (hopefully soon!), I’m keeping my digital resources, you guys!
Here are 3 ways I’ll keep digital tools around this school year:
We SLPs love our games, don’t we? They are powerful tools for therapy! Digital games are great for a whole bunch of reasons. High on that list is cost effectiveness. When I think of the amount of money I would have to spend to get physical games like those in my digital library…. well, it would be A LOT of money. Another major bonus is that digital games take up NO actual space. Some of us work in closets, the hallway or provide push-in services and the ability to grab a laptop or an iPad and be set is an absolute game changer. In this post-COVID world it’s also worth mentioning that sanitizing an iPad is quick and easy.
Getting the number of trials you want for those artic/phono targets AND keeping things engaging can be a challenge. Digital resources can help keep things fresh & fun. There are artic trial counters, specific sound activities, even resources that target all kinds of phonological processes. Pairing these resources with my standard activities has meant none of my students get bored and I don’t have to figure out how to make target cards into yet another game…I can’t be the only one, right?
I have never been in as close communication with the parents of my students as I was during remote learning. I LOVED it. Everyone was on the same page, parents knew exactly what was going on in therapy and because they saw me face to face (although virtually) they felt super comfortable asking questions. I hope to keep that up as much as possible now that we are going to be returning to in-person learning. The biggest challenge is how to do this without it becoming a ton of extra time/work to keep up. I am toying with the idea of using an all-in-one app like ClassDojo (TM) for this purpose. The app allows you to post information, message parents and upload videos super easily. If you’re planning on doing something similar next year, I would love to hear your thoughts!
So, there you have it! 3 ways I hope to continue to use digital resources next school year…. which is seriously coming WAY too fast. Are you planning on continuing to use digital resources? I would love to hear your ideas! Leave a comment below or hop over to Instagram and join the conversation!
