While virtual learning has become more prevalent since 2020, the founders of Banyan Global Learning have been offering digital learning experiences for over 20 years. Some people are excited about the possibilities technology offers. Others are backpedaling or worrying that tech does more harm than good. Like most things, the truth lies somewhere in the…
Tag: school administration
EP 251: Using a “Virtual Speech Helper” (with Maura Connor)
Have you met “Jessica” the virtual speech helper? I certainly remember hearing about it the first time. This concept raised a lot of questions in the clinical community. Are we trying to replace clinicians, and was that the intention behind this application? If you’ve had these questions too, you won’t want to miss this conversation. …
EP 250: Defining “EdTech” and the End User (with Maura Connor)
When I first started working in the schools in the early 2000s, there was a push for integrating technology into classrooms and therapy sessions It was even a box that got checked on my employee evaluation. Now there’s a defined space referred to as “EdTech”. It took me a while to realize that this was…
EP 249: Your clinical expertise is powerful. But is it scalable?
You’ve moved beyond relying on premade materials and “worksheet therapy”.You know how to turn a random game into a meaningful session.You’ve learned how to show up with clarity, even when the plan shifts. But there’s a cost to working this way. When your best ideas stay in your head, your impact stops at the door…
EP 248: So…can you recommend an app to build my child’s language skills?
In this episode, I’m sharing my top resources for clinicians to explain why we do what we do in language therapy, and how parents and colleagues can support skills outside of sessions. I share: Plus I share an opportunity for therapists who want to learn the “Essential 5” framework and who are also interested in…
EP 247: Narrative Intervention: Beyond “Cute” Stories and Lesson Plans (with Jane Gebers)
When you’re teaching storytelling with students, do your lessons feel kind of…random? I used to feel like this a lot when I was a school SLP, so if you’ve ever had a “throw spaghetti at the wall” therapy session that felt all over the place, I get it. The truth is, repetition and drill is…
EP 246: What’s the point of teaching storytelling? (with Jane Gebers)
Why are we so obsessed with “storytelling”? In education, we talk about it when we’re working on language and reading comprehension. It’s also referred to in sales and copy writing as a tool for generating more leads and customers. And of course, people writing books or films think about it all the time. We all…
EP 245: Are you the bottleneck preventing generalization?
If your therapy techniques only work when you’re in the room, that’s a problem. Many therapists unintentionally “gatekeep” their expertise and miss opportunities to boost carryover. It’s the unexpected downside of being really good at direct clinical work. Don’t get me wrong. Clinical judgment does matter. And some things can only be addressed by a…
EP 244: Part 3: What’s the Point of a Language Evaluation? Breaking Down Diagnostic Accuracy, Standards, and Scores (with Destiny Johnson and Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz)
Where did arbitrary cut scores for norm-referenced language assessments come from, and why do they feel “safer” than relying on clinical judgement? I discuss this question and more in this third part of a three-part series, bilingual SLPs Destiny Johnson and Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz join me to continue our conversation about advocating for effective language evaluation…
EP 243: Part 2: What’s the Point of a Language Evaluation? Breaking Down Diagnostic Accuracy, Standards, and Scores (with Destiny Johnson and Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz)
When we choose evaluation tools for language, are we clear on WHY we’re assessing? Most people think of diagnosis, but that’s not the only reason we assess students. I discuss this question and more in this second part of a three-part series, bilingual SLPs Destiny Johnson and Tiffany Shahoumian-Ruiz join me to continue our conversation…