The craziness of COVID-19 thrust parents and educators free-falling into some form of online learning this past March and AAC telepractice was no exception. At first, I feared this, but after a few sessions, I realized that AAC telepractice is a blast.
How is this possible? Enter the green screen. It can be an expensive professional screen, a green tablecloth, or even a tarp. My first green screen was...shall we say “modest” - green construction paper taped together and stuck on my wall with 3M hooks.
I later sprung for a felt version with a pocket from Play Spark Toys which was, hands down, the best purchase ever, and I invested in a laptop stand. Props and manipulatives were, and still are, strewn everywhere. Every session leaves my office looking like Toys “R” Us was hit by a cyclone.
There were a few missteps with lighting along the way.
But I got the hang of it with help from my fellow SLPs - thanks Dana Rimer.
Here’s just a few of the fun things you can do with a green screen - most of these ideas came from Serena Lynn and the talented members of Green Screen Speech Therapy (Distance Learning) Facebook group:
make toys/props disappear and reappear,
swim with sharks,
row your boat merrily down the stream,
use filters,
point to words on a giant communication board,
read books,
model words via emulation software (I use the PASS Software),
engage with iPad apps.
Honestly, the possibilities are endless. Just remember to change your virtual background back to your office picture before you log into an IEP meeting, like (ahem) someone I know.
Let’s do this! I can’t wait to hear what you have to say, comment below!
