TEDX1826X - Traumatized Child: The Effects of Stress, Trauma & Violence on Student Learning

Course Description

This course is designed to help classroom teachers, school counselors and other educational personnel gain strategies to reach and teach students who have been affected by stress, trauma and/or violence. Participants will learn the signs and symptoms of stress and trauma. Participants will explore how stress, violence, and trauma affect a student’s learning, cognitive brain development, and social-emotional development. The short- and long-term consequences of being exposed to stress, trauma, or violence, as well as the social and family causes, will be reviewed. Participants will learn the dynamics of domestic violence and community violence. The educator’s role in the intervention and prevention of violence will be discussed.

The course is divided into four chapters. Each chapter discusses a particular topic of stress, trauma, or violence. There will be numerous “checkpoint” questions inserted throughout the reading, which are designed to help students review the content and apply it to their own educational setting. The chapters are sequential and should be completed in the order in which they are presented. At the completion of each chapter, there will be an examination covering the material. Students must complete the examination before proceeding to the next chapter. This sequential approach to learning will help all participants gain a better understanding of what they have learned as they proceed through the course. This course is appropriate for educators seeking training in working with toddlers through adolescents, as well as those who work directly with families.

Although this course is not a comprehensive presentation of the educational issues surrounding stress, trauma, and violence, it certainly includes a wealth of research covering many topics which are not covered in the scope of this course. The instructor highly recommends that you augment your readings from this course with further research to gain a fuller understanding of the complexities of this subject. However, the material presented in this course will give you a broader understanding of the topics of stress, violence, and trauma. It will also give you information to apply directly to your work with students in the classroom and community.

View Traumatized Child: The Effects of Stress, Trauma & Violence on Student Learning syllabus for additional information.

Key Benefits

• 100% online self-paced course.
• No prior experience required.
• No textbooks and other materials required for purchase.

Learning Modules Include

• Chapter 1 – The Effects of Stress on Student Learning
  • This chapter will discuss the effects of stress on student learning. The causes of stress and how children react to stress will be presented. The long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences will be reviewed. School stress and coping skills for dealing with stress will also be discussed.
• Chapter 2 – The Effects of Trauma on Student Learning
  • This chapter will discuss the effects of trauma on student learning. The way in which childhood trauma affects the brain development of young children will be a special focus. Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome in children will be discussed, as will strategies educators can use in the classroom to accommodate students who have special learning needs due to exposure to trauma.
• Chapter 3 – The Effects of Family Violence on Student Learning
  • The focus of this chapter will be the dynamics of family violence, especially domestic violence, in terms of its causes and repercussions. The ways in which children react to family violence and how exposure to family violence influences a child’s overall development are discussed.
• Chapter 4 – The School’s Response to Violence in the Community
  • This chapter discusses bullying and the physical and emotional violence that can occur in the school setting, as well as in the school, community, and media. In addition, a discussion of strategies for how educators can include violence prevention curricula in their program and plans for dealing with school violence is included. Strategies for practicing Trauma-Informed Teaching are included in this chapter.

Course Learning Outcomes

• Understand the educator’s role in supporting and accommodating students who have special learning needs arising from exposure to stress, trauma, or violence in their lives
• Understand the educator’s role in protecting and supporting vulnerable students
• Recognize the symptoms of stress, trauma, and violence
• Understand how stress, trauma, or violence affects brain development and learning
• Understand how stress, trauma, or violence affects social-emotional development
• Understand the causes of stress, trauma, and violence in families and society
• Understand the special learning needs these students bring to the classroom
• Gain techniques for supporting students and families affected by stress, trauma, or violence
• Learn intervention techniques applicable to the classroom setting
• Gain a wider knowledge of available outside resources and support systems
• Understand the educator’s role in the intervention and prevention of violence
• Be able to research, list, and discuss state and/or district reporting mandates and the requirements and limitations on determining suspected child abuse
• Know how to explore violence prevention resources and curricula

Requirements to Enroll

No application is needed to enroll. All learners are eligible to enroll in the course. There are no admission requirements. It is recommended that learners have a high school diploma or GED, and have basic computer and internet knowledge.

Semester Open-Enrollment Schedule:

• Spring = January - April
• Summer = May - August
• Fall = September - December

*Please note that students are only allowed to register max 5 TEDX courses per semester period*

Estimated Time to Completion

This course can be completed in approximately 30 hours of asynchronous work.

Access Time

Learners will have access to their course learning modules for up to 365 days from the date of enrollment.

CEUs and PDUs

• CEUs 3.0 National University Continuing Education Units

Certificate of Completion

Learners will be awarded a National University Workforce and Community Education, Professional and Continuing Education Certificate of Completion after satisfying the course requirements below:

1. Complete all four information sections showing a competent understanding of the material presented in each section.
2. Complete all four section examinations, showing a competent understanding of the material presented.  You must obtain an overall score of 70% or higher, with no individual exam score below 50%, to pass this course.  *Please note: Minimum exam score requirements may vary by college or university; therefore, you should refer to your course addendum to determine what your minimum exam score requirements are.
3. Complete a review of any section on which your examination score was below 50%.
4. Retake any examination, after completing an information review, to increase that examination score to a minimum of 50%, making sure to also be achieving an overall exam score of a minimum 70% (maximum of three attempts). *Please note: Minimum exam score requirements may vary by college or university; therefore, you should refer to your course addendum to determine what your minimum exam score requirements are.
5. Complete a course evaluation form at the end of the course.

Refund Policy

We at National University want all of our students to have a positive and rewarding learning experience. In the event that a student is not completely satisfied with a course, we offer a refund policy to ensure satisfaction.

To be eligible for a refund, the student must submit a written request, including a valid reason, within 9 calendar days of registering for the course. Additionally, the student must not have attempted more than 25% of the course.

To request a refund, email PACE@nu.edu and include your full name, student ID, and course name. Your reason for requesting a refund will be carefully reviewed, and we reserve the right to refuse a refund if we determine the request to be invalid.

If you meet the eligibility criteria and are approved for a refund, we will issue a refund to your original method of payment within 60 days of the refund approval.