Adolescents and the Social Media: The Coming Storm

In her book Failure to Connect: How computers affect our Children’s Minds, sounded the alarm to the educational community that computers would not impact the intellectual growth of children in the ways that had been anticipated by the Clinton Administration when they started the push to have the world-wide web integrated into American classrooms by passing the Classroom 2000 education initiative. In a speech in April of 2013, Clinton would follow-up by saying that the modern internet has forced a change in what we consider to be forms of good citizenship. The future will redefine how we should act and interact. Unfortunately, while there have been definite gains in the ease of accessing information from a variety of sources using the internet, it now appears that the internet might also be having a seriously negative effect on students. It is now becoming evident that the internet has redefined and expanded the meaning of bullying. The emergence of social media sites and its impact within the repertoire of high school and college students needs to be tested empirically as well as in the court of law. Recently, however, a new trend has emerged and is observed in the establishment of anonymous “confession” sites tied into college and high school campuses. These sites appear to be an extension of the impact of Facebook and Twitter on students, and unfortunately, much of what is being witnessed on those sites is negative and hurtful and it is proving to be a challenge for administrators, teachers and parents to understand or control. The ability to remain anonymous and to add hashtags (#) for emphasis is often misused by adolescents who don’t always think through the end result of actions

Student Reflection Questionnaire: Part 2

CETL distributed an electronic version of the survey to the entire student body on September 16th. Surveys remained open for a two-week period, asking students to submit their responses by September 25th. The survey included an email invitation to complete the survey. Students who wanted to complete the survey simply clicked on a link embedded in the invitation. The link directed them to the survey. When they opened the survey, participants were informed that: The survey was being used to gather information on their learning experiences and feedback on improvements Responses would be anonymous The survey may be redistributed multiple times throughout the semester to track changes over the semester. A copy of the survey is included on the next page

Family Involvement in the Schools of Belize

This study was conducted to better understand the level of involvement of families in Belize with the education of their children. It was anticipated that information from this broadly distributed survey might show areas of current strengths and weakness in the current system that might allow for future adjustments

Faculty Needs Assessment: Part 2

CETL distributed an electronic version of the survey to the entire faculty administration on September 16th. Surveys remained open for a two-week period, asking students to submit their responses by September 25th. The survey included an email invitation to complete the survey. Faculty who wanted to complete the survey simply clicked on a link embedded in the invitation. The link directed them to the survey. When they opened the survey, participants were informed that: The survey was being used to gather information on their teaching experiences in a FlexSync format. Courses should continue to be recorded for students dealing with medical, family, or other responsibilities. The survey may be redistributed multiple times throughout the semester to track changes over the semester. A copy of the survey is included on the next page

Behavioral Perspectives on Risk Prone Behavior: Why Do People Take Risks?

Utilizing the principles and concepts of behavioral economics and operant psychology, researchers in both fields initiated the creation of the optimal foraging theory. This theory describes foraging behaviors mostly within animals other than humans. However, within recent empirical studies, optimal foraging theory has been modified to explain risky choices and decision-making processes within the context of risk-sensitive foraging theory for both animals and humans alike. Although most individuals belonging to the homo sapiens species would not like to admit that their behavior is very animalistic in nature, there is a great deal of veracity behind this idea, ranging from explaining gambling behavior to addictive behaviors to even homicide. Risk prone behavior describes behavior elicited for the potential gain of rewards under certain conditions, usually competitive in nature. The purpose of the current paper is to shed some light on this topic and how it relates to the most primitive of behaviors exhibited by human beings

A Brief Overview of Amblyaudia

Amblyaudia, a recent subcategory of auditory processing disorder, is characterized by asymmetrical auditory processing of an individual’s ears. Amblyaudia can result in speech comprehension difficulties, reading difficulties, information processing deficits, and inattention. These difficulties can be mistakenly attributed to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), depression, anxiety disorders, and communication disorders. Unfortunately, traditional hearing tests do not place the two ears in competition and cannot detect asymmetry. Therefore, students who exhibit these difficulties and have normal performance on traditional hearing tests should be also evaluated for amblyaudia with dichotic listening tests. Amblyaudia can be addressed through dichotic listening tasks that strengthen the non-dominant ear, as well as minor adjustments to the classroom environment. This paper will examine the current literature on amblyaudia and provide a brief overview of the causes, diagnosis, treatments, and prognosis

Treating Public Speaking Anxiety: A Comparison of Exposure and Video Self-Modeling

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative effectiveness of video self-modeling (VSM) and exposure therapy in treating public speaking anxiety (PSA) in a college student. The study employed a single-subject A-B design with parametric variations. Two phases were utilized in this study: baseline (exposure therapy) and intervention (video self-modeling) with a one-month follow-up. Generalization probes were also employed to assess whether or not decreases in PSA would generalize to other settings. Results of this study indicate a significant decrease in self-report public speaking anxiety from both pre- to post-treatment as well as from baseline to exposure sessions. However, these results may be specific to public speaking anxiety, as other forms of anxiety (i.e., social anxiety) did not result in similar decreases. Results from a post-treatment survey indicated that the participant felt that the treatment was beneficial in reducing public speaking anxiety and increasing confidence, providing additional support for the treatment package

Seclusion and Restraint Policy and Practice: Are Students Safe in School?

The purpose of this study was to examine the significance of the policy and practice of seclusion and restraint interventions used and implemented in the public school system in the United States. Current research casts doubt on policy appropriateness; however, these interventions continue to be used in school settings across the United States. A descriptive, cross-sectional research design was used to implement via electronic survey. The survey was developed and randomly sent to school administrators and other support staff, teachers, and paraprofessionals currently employed in school districts across the United States. Data collected in this study supports the need to have clear, consistent policies and procedures provided for all school staff in all states regarding the use of seclusion and restraint interventions. Results suggest many school staff is unaware of their state’s seclusion and restraint policies and procedures. Many school staff is not trained on the proper use of these interventions, yet continue to implement them with the students in their schools