SLP Skills Saturday: Being Social Media Savvy

*This post has outside links to the related items discussed below. None are paid endorsements, just opinions and items I find helpful.

We are in the information age. Quite possibly, the fastest way we can obtain knowledge and information if through the internet. This information sharing platform has boomed over the past several decades, which has allowed for a massive amount of collaboration between those in our profession. We just love sharing ideas and thoughts! That's why this SLP Skills Saturday is focusing on the idea that SLPs need to be savvy with social media. After all, there is a wealth of information and networks available through the various social media platforms.

There are several "big" players in social media that you should consider looking into. Each have different eases at which you can read the information you want, or ask for information from others.

Facebook  has always been one of the major platforms. This is for more than catching up with friends... there are many groups on Facebook! Some for SLP students, others for professionals and students, and they are far and wide in what they cover. There are those like that can help students with questions, while others have discussions for professionals (that also let students in). For example, some groups are for dysphagia, apraxia of speech, private practice, medical SLP, school SLP... basically you name it and there's a group for your interest. These can provide you with lots of information as to what is "big" in that subfield. You can also find pages for your favorite blogs on Facebook (like Look Who's Talking!)

Discussion Boards are extremeeeely helpful. You'll find answers to question already have or ones you hadn't thought of. I believe Speech Room News has a discussion board. There's also the SLP reddit page for any questions or thoughts on the field and grad cafe for questions/concerns on getting into grad school.

Twitter is also a VERY big one in this field. So many researchers, companies, organizations, clinicians, bloggers and students are on Twitter. They post articles, blog posts, interesting facts, employment opportunities and just general thoughts on their twitter handles. Besides following and interacting with others through tweets, you can follow many hashtags and chats. Some examples are:
#slpeeps    #slp2b    #slpbloggers   #slpchat   #wespeechies   #researchtuesday

Wespeechies actually holds chats almost every Tuesday, usually at 8 pm AST. They discuss a variety of topics and SLPs and SLP students from around the world join in. You can check the schedule here: http://speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=147


Blogs, like this one, are another social media tool you should be savvy with. You don't need your own blog. Or you don't need an informational one like this; rather, you can have a personal one to just record notes or personal triumphs. Just do a search for SLP blogs and you'll find many-- by (under)grad students and clinicians in a variety of settings. There's even one on Special Education Law. Search for blogs by related disciplines. These all have many activities and ideas related to our field that you can use when you eventually get to grad school and the work force.

An easy way to follow many blogs is through Bloglovin' which LookWhoSLP is a part of. Just search or you favorite blogs and "follow" them. Then you'll see all their new posts in a feed.

You should also consider the proper etiquette that should be followed when using these different social media and how they reflect on your professionally. 

End of Semester Thoughts

Wow, how is it almost the end of the semester and my first "official" year in my undergraduate speech-language pathology program?  I'm surprised it's even been 4 years since I graduated high school FOUR YEARS?! For me even high school went quick, and now the post-high school years have gone by just as fast, if not faster! This has been a year of many firsts, which was exciting. It's led me to think back on what all has gone on and what's yet to come.

Here are just some of the thoughts I've had:

1.5 months until I go to Spain!

I need to start studying for the GRE. Yikes!

Really, where has the time gone?

I'm so glad I got to know more people in my program :) 

I had no idea there was that much stuff involved in speech motor acts or language development.

Can't wait until I can do more observations and volunteer at the children's hospital!

I'm gonna miss my roommates when they leave me after graduation :(

How can I begin to narrow down the list of school to apply to?! Ayy!

I'm so nervous for my first poster presentation!

Speech science wasn't actually that hard.
(Okay, well for some it was, either due to the intricacies of some concepts that built on stuff learned in A&P of Speech, others because of cheating (more on that later). People always said that this was one of the hardest classes, but I guess that differs for everyone as I not only understood it but enjoyed  it! )

Okay, really... how has 4 years gone by?

What is everyone else thinking as summer comes closer?

Other Options in Speech Pathology: Materials or App Designer

For those who want some money on the side, desire a new challenge or don't feel that therapy is for them there are other options that you can take with your degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology. In a new series "Other Options in Speech Pathology" I'll take a look into some of these various paths that you may wish to take.

One idea that quite a few speech pathologists have taken up recently is developing and selling materials that others can use. These are typically items that can be used in therapy, like lessons and apps, but others sell classroom design items, tote bags and t-shirts... so the options can be endless-- if you think it, you can sell it!

One of the most popular websites that clinicians use sell their materials is Teachers Pay Teachers. You can post your items on the site, have sales, and you even have a chance at being placed on the spotlight to gain more attention. There are plenty of other websites as well, like Etsy, where you can sell items, but Teachers Pay Teachers probably has the most recognition for those looking for or selling materials.

Another great part about creating and selling materials is connecting to fellow speech pathologists and others who you might work with in your setting. Throughout the year some speech pathologists get together, each pitching in one of their products, to make a super bundle of items that will be sold to raise funds for a charity. One such time this happened was for the Oklahoma tornado that affected several online bloggers.

So, if you've got the creative genes and want to share your materials (or apps!) with others, you should consider this!

I'm not sure what program they use to make their materials, nor do I have access to royalty free images... but I took a stab at this using Paint some time ago. Take a look!

http://lookwhoslp.blogspot.com/2013/02/free-funky-february-slp-materials.html

Finding Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Speech Language Pathology

Disclaimer: You might not want to do in-depth research if you aren't interested in the entire research process, a certain topic or possibly entering academia in the future. Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't do a research or independent study project to learn more about a topic, as that may help you decide where you may want to specialize as time goes on. I encourage that! Doing smaller projects, a paper or assisting a professor can also let you get to know that faculty member more personally. I'm only saying that you may not want to do more in-depth research, like an undergraduate thesis, if you don't see yourself doing research or academia down the road, as this involves much more time and effort... but is a great learning experience!

With that said, there are several ways that you can gain any amount of research experience as an undergraduate. You just have to show interest in the topic and person and show your dedication. First,  consider subjects that interest you, they don't have to be directly related to SLP. For example, you can look into fields like education, supervision, neuroscience, genetics, psychology, or interdisciplinary collaboration. Then, find a local person that researches this, whether it be a faculty member, local hospital researcher, non-profit researcher, or a program. If you are going to do work under/with a specific person, look up their publications.  Make sure that their subfield of research is what you are interested in, or close to it. You also want to read some of their work so you can see their methods and show that you've done you're homework on them and can discuss some of what they've done. Don't just call or e-mail and say "hi!" they want to know why you're interested and that you are willing to do the work, which involves knowing their studies. After that, contact them!

As mentioned, there are various opportunities. My program is sometimes difficult for finding research opportunities in the department, so some look at related disciplines within the school. I know several that have done projects in linguistics, psychology and neuroscience. That doesn't mean you can't loo within the department if there is a professor you really look up to, just talk to that person! There are also other programs your school may have like summer research grants/programs, independent study, or even just attending lab meetings. These can all help get your foot in the door.

There are community opportunities as well. Try hospitals or local residential schools. They sometimes have research labs affiliated with them or summer research opportunities for students. (If not maybe a volunteer spot in the speech department!) You may also want to look at some organizations. Some non-profits or other nationally recognized agencies have researchers that you might be able to contact.

Lastly, there are national programs. Try looking up some national undergraduate research opportunities (doesn't have to be in SLP!). One that comes to mind is Fulbright who has ties with international research facitilies that undergraduates can take part in.

Side Jobs in Undergrad

Numerous undergrads on the forums and FaceBook groups always seem to be worried about having enough experience for grad school applications. To go one step further, they all want to find experiences that are speech-language pathology related, which chimes to the ring of ' children, camps, babysitting, and school' to many of these students.... Don't get me wrong, when I first found out about this major and realized the difficulty of being accepted I was like this as well! (Occasionally, I still am.) But I'm here to debunk a myth that has circled around many student groups: It doesn't have to be 100% speech-language pathology related. Sure, if you manage to snag a volunteer position at a speech clinic, that's great! Realistically, though, these are few and far between. Also, some students know they don't want to work with children... so why force yourself to volunteer at a camp or work in a daycare if that's not your thing?

Luckily, communication is part of everything, so you can tie almost any job into speech-language pathology even if it isn't the "golden" daycare job or Best Buddies membership. Actually, I think some graduate programs might look at you as a more well-rounded person. After all, we all love speech-language pathology but that doesn't mean 100% of our time has to be devoted to it... Many clinicians spend their free time elsewhere, whether it be hiking, making crafts, reading...you name it!

One example: I haven't done this, but it was once a potential job: patient care technician. These people work under the supervision of a nurse and do all duties that don't require a nursing degree. It mostly requires the dirty work of taking care of a patient and sometimes assisting in taking vitals and such. This job would demonstrate the ability to aid different patients, working under supervision, working in a fast-paced and medical environment and taking care of others... all of which are necessary for speech-language pathology as well.


Another example: I work at the school cafeteria. How is that relatable to speech-language pathology? I communicate for 5 hours straight making sure every order is perfect, no matter how odd the order is. I have to listen to each customer, adjust to any limitations, understand their culture may require different practices (like changing gloves that have touched meat), and work under a time constraint. This job requires me to be on my toes and sometimes ask for repetitions, all while either working with a teammate or filling 15 orders by myself if the teammate has to do another task. This has prepared me for graduate education and working as a clinician since there is a multicultural client base as well as different work settings that require varying levels of independence.