| Course Number: | EDX 5710 S56 |
| Instructor: | Ashley Short, M.A.Ed. |
| Location: | Online using Zoom videoconferencing and Canvas |
| Dates and Times: | Oct 26 - Dec 06, 2025. First synchronous meeting will be the first Wednesday of class at 3:30 for 2 hours. The subsequent date will be set at that time based on group availability. |
| Credits: | 3 graduate credits |
| Tuition: | $1,195 |
Course Description: When a child experiences a traumatic event or is living in chronic stress, these events can significantly impact their brain development. Some children actually freeze their brain development at the age of the event while others might develop health issues later in life. It has been proven that trauma and chronic stress can dramatically impact a young developing brain. As teachers, we have seen evidence of this in our classrooms more and more.
In this course, we will take a deep dive into different structures of the brain, their purposes and how they are impacted. Students will learn exactly what is happening within the brain pathways as these traumatic events are happening and what is happening when they are triggered.
This course is part of a five-course series that can lead to a Certificate in Trauma Informed Practices.
Audience: All those working in a school setting who hold a Bachelor's Degree
Course Goals:
Course Objectives:
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Ashley Short, M.A.Ed., has been teaching in a BRSU district program, serving students who struggle with emotional regulation due to trauma and/or chronic stress, since 2016. She has taken many courses and workshops with Dave Melnick and Alex Shevrin-Venet. In 2023 she completed her Trauma and Resilience Certificate through Wilmington University. She began teaching adults in her district through workshops. Helping teachers and students who are struggling with emotional regulation and trauma has become a deep passion and she is excited to share her knowledge with you.
Costs for required readings, if any, are not included in the course cost.
Big Think. (2023, November 22). How the body keeps the score on trauma | Bessel van der Kolk for Big Think+. Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/iTefkqYQz8g?si=EA4vq7HrZGQ5AclL
Brittanica. (2025). The Human Brain Quiz | Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/quiz/the-human-brain
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, April 6). About the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study. Www.cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 8). About adverse childhood experiences. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html
Cooper, C. (2022, July 12). Brain Trivia Quiz: Basic Anatomy. Www.brainfacts.org. https://www.brainfacts.org/brain-anatomy-and-function/anatomy/2022/brain-trivia-quiz-basic-anatomy-071222
CreativeCommons. (2025). Quiz: Brain Anatomy and Physiology. Biologycorner.com. https://biologycorner.com/quiz/quiz_brain.html
De Bellis, M. D., & Zisk, A. (2014). The Biological Effects of Childhood Trauma. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23(2), 185–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2014.01.002
Hadad, O. (2025, April 22). Podcast Structure: How to Easily Create One + Templates & Expert Guide. Riverside.com; Riverside. https://riverside.com/blog/podcast-structure
Harvard Graduate School of Education. (2022, April 20). Education Now | Navigating Trauma — for Teachers and Learners. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4pWFKRxb5U
Keep Indiana Learning. (2023, January 19). 10 Strategies for Building a More Trauma-Informed Classroom. Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/MAjlmYiBAy4?si=9JfNm5_pFfy6HvVy
medXclusive Learning. (2016, September 22). Human Brain: Major Structures and their Functions. Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/EeE7Fpg061I?si=i-11kKeR4G_9PXLS
Miller, C. (2025, June 5). How trauma affects kids in school. Child Mind Institute. https://childmind.org/article/how-trauma-affects-kids-school/
NCTSN. (2018, October 3). Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/child-trauma-toolkit-educators
ProProfsQuizzes. (2024, August 22). Parts Of The Brain And Their Functions Quiz. ProProfs. https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=brain-parts-functions-final-exam-practice
PurposeGames. (2025). Brain Structures and Functions Quiz. PurposeGames.com. https://www.purposegames.com/game/brain-structures-and-functions
Robbins, M. (2023, January 23). 3 Proven Methods to Heal Trauma and Rewire Your Nervous System. Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/etmtcooHY_g?si=5VRff2agUdFP1TeZ
Starecheski, L. (2015). Take the ACE quiz — and learn what it does and doesn’t mean. Npr.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/02/387007941/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean
Teaching Channel. (2024). De-Escalation Strategies from a Trauma-Informed Lens. https://www.teachingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/K12-De-escalation-strategies-from-a-trauma-informed-lens-downloadable.pdf
TED. (2020, March 3). How teachers can help students navigate trauma | Lisa Godwin. Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/GX9woZi0HUY?si=c06HwJxJu8Vxro2w
van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score : Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking. https://ia601604.us.archive.org/35/items/the-body-keeps-the-score-pdf/The-Body-Keeps-the-Score-PDF.pdf
Winfrey, O. (2021). What Happened to You? Pan Macmillan.
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