Chapter Also Describes Several Fdu Trauma Sensiti
This week, we will learn about what it means for educational settings to be trauma-sensitive, and why it’s important. In previous weeks, you have viewed videos describing the impact of trauma on the brain. Trauma exposure, especially chronic exposure to trauma, causes structural changes in the brain. Individuals who have endured trauma show reduced volume in the amygdala (the emotional center of the brain) and the hippocampus (associated with memory and concentration). These brain changes can lead to a wide range of behavioral differences, including emotional disturbances, hypervigilance, fatigue/low energy, academic struggles, etc. All too often, children who exhibit behavioral differences (or learning differences) are labeled as disruptive, bad, or they perceived as not caring about their education. The good news is that in recent years the federal laws regarding disabilities in education have expanded their definition of disability to include trauma and emotional disturbance. The bad news is that many families do not know what their children’s educational rights are and that accommodations have to be made for this type of disability. The chapter discusses federal laws and the importance of advocacy for trauma-exposed children in educational settings.
Attached is an optional reading related to the topic of trauma-sensitive education. It’s the first chapter in Victor Rios’s book Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys. The chapter is called “The Probation School,” and describes the educational setting of an alternative school for kids who have been incarcerated, on probation, or truant from school. Rios describes an environment that is obsessed with security and control, rather than education, and he explores the implications of this for the students’ outcomes. Rios is an advocate of restorative practices in education and believes that a lot of problems in the educational setting can be solved by treating students with dignity. His work exposes the school-to-prison pipeline that affects minority youth and has led to innovative practices rooted in the principles of restorative justice. Rios_The Probation School_rev.pdf
In chapter 7, you will learn about child maltreatment and the various types of child abuse and neglect. The chapter describes physical abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, and sexual abuse, and discusses their causes and consequences. Physical and behavioral signs and symptoms of abuse are discussed as well. The chapter also describes several different types of neglect. The overwhelming majority of cases that come to the attention of child protective services, about 75%, involve neglect rather than abuse. In many cases, children are neglected because their caregivers are ill-equipped to care for them properly. They could be lacking in tangible resources (such as money, food, and shelter) or they could be lacking in internal resources (such as emotional stability, high frustration tolerance, positive coping skills, etc.).
Assignments/Tasks for this week:
1. Read chapter 6. View videos 7 – 10 in the Videos folder (in Course Documents)
2. Post your primary response in the chapter 6 discussion forum by Tuesday at 11:59pm. Secondary responses should be submitted throughout the week (but no later than Saturday at 11:59pm).
3. Read chapter 7. View video 11 in the Videos folder (in Course Documents).
4. Post your primary response in the chapter 7 discussion forum by Thursday at 11:59pm. Secondary responses should be submitted throughout the week (but no later than Saturday at 11:59pm).
5. Submit your end of week reflection by Saturday at 11:59 pm in Assignments.
There are two parts of this:
1-On one document contains the discussion and down below is the question: There will be two discussion questions
1-In what ways are today’s children exposed to violence? List the examples found in the text. What are the effects of this exposure? Expand upon the text by imagining possible outcomes of being exposed to violence in various settings.
2-What do schools need to provide to meet the various needs of trauma exposed children? How should schools address the effects of trauma without creating an atmosphere that is more of a coercive environment than an educational setting?
2- the other document is the reflection paper:
At the end of each week, students will submit a one-page reflection (double-spaced) of what they learned during the week from the assigned materials and discussions. Students will be evaluated on their ability to identify important concepts and ideas from the chapters, their understanding of the implications of these concepts/ideas for practice, and their analysis of the strengths and weaknesses in the information presented.