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Kimberly Burnett
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Amanda Cronin of Georgetown, Massachusetts, along with 21 Salem State school counseling graduate students, had the opportunity to present original research to school counselors representing various Massachusetts school districts at the 2017 Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MASCA) Annual Conference held in Boxborough in April.
Cronin’s research and presentation focused on digital citizenship, which is how to be safe, responsible, and respectful while utilizing technology. Working with fourth grade students, Cronin coordinated classroom guidance lessons focusing on digital citizenship.
“Students are starting to use technology at such a young age, and it is essential to teach them the proper way to utilize it,” Cronin said, adding that the research she conducted was of great interest to conference goers because of the prevalence technology has in students’ lives.
“As counselors we are given the prodigious task of ensuring that students are safe in face-to-face situations as well as online,” she said.
The graduate students developed their action research by identifying specific areas of need for the students, families, and educators served at their practicum sites. Data derived from this research provided evidence to support school counselors’ advocacy efforts, highlighting areas of needed growth for comprehensive school counseling programs and the schools they serve.
Research was shared with informative poster displays on a variety of academic, career, and personal/social research initiatives pertaining to elementary, middle, and high school counselors, such as empowering English language Learners, decreasing chronic absenteeism, fostering career readiness, and supporting transgender students.
Salem State School Counseling program supervisor and professor, Laurie Dickstein-Fischer, PhD, received the 2017 MASCA Counselor Educator of the Year Award for her relentless commitment to advancing the School Counseling program at Salem State University.
The accredited school counseling program at Salem State has over 60 students enrolled, with nine faculty members.
