Lessons from COVID, Part 5: Just Keep Learning...

Purpose, it's that little flame, that lights a fire under your ass...

-Princeton, Avenue Q (A song I sang at karaoke recently)

I know I said I was done with anything touching on mental health, but can we really be when still navigating a pandemic? One of the best pieces of advice I picked up during this time is that purpose in our work, finding interesting lines of pursuit, and that means professional development specifically, can be helpful to avoid grinding. 

To that end, a couple of resources I have found helpful:

-Both Bright IQ and SpeechTherapyPD.com are great mailing lists to be on in order to be informed of free PD opportunities. The SLP Summit is viewable as a replay until 8/15. I also have subscribed at different points to SpeechPathology.com and Medbridge (where, disclosure, I have created a few courses).

-Read up! Your ASHA Journals are still wide-ranging, and the Evidence Maps are growing. I also really enjoy the digestible content of The Informed SLP. 

A tidbit: I was really happy to be accepted to present at ASHA Convention this year, if you can make it! 

Topic Area: Telepractice (but will be very applicable to in-person also!)

Session Number: 1113

Title: Play on Words: Thoughtful Uses of "Game-Based" Apps and Resources in Language-Based Interventions

Session Format: 1 Hour In-Person

Day: Thursday, November 18, 2021

Time: 2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Abstract: Playful activities provide an avenue for targeting language skills, social cognition, and executive functioning across the grade levels. This session will demonstrate how technology resources across several platforms can be “gamed” via pre- and post-activities to engage clients in developing skills across the domains of listening, speaking and thinking. Apps, webtools, and Alexa skill games will be discussed along with task analyses and sample lessons developed in real-time telepractice during the COVID-19 emergency. Activities particularly target group social interaction, participation, planning, organization, time management, and self-monitoring. The session will also discuss research and resources in our literature supporting the use of play in interventions across the grade levels, and how technology can be used thoughtfully within these contexts.

I have mentioned before that having a hobby promotes your own growth mindset and just breeds happy! This summer I have been taking some drawing courses on Udemy (which has a huge variety of learning topics) and got an Apple Pencil! Inspired by my trip to Provincetown in July: 

Enjoy the rest of your summer! Off to Maine next week!