Fall Colloquium October 2021

Dr. Jarrod Sadulski

Aspen University, School of Arts & Sciences

1:00pm-2:15pm Pacific Time

This presentation will provide a deeper understanding of how police officers can effectively manage stress throughout their career. Knowledge that was developed in a two-year qualitative study that examined police stress and effective coping strategies used by veteran police officers who successfully managed police stress throughout their careers will be provided. Specifically, five stress management strategies shared by police participants from different parts of the nation during the research study will be presented and analyzed. The stress management strategies that will be assessed in this presentation include:

I. Peer Support through Communication

II. The Role of Family Support

III. Police Training

IV. Experience Developed over the Career

V. Life and Identity Outside of Policing

Steve Peterson, MEd, MAIS

United States University, College of Nursing & Health Sciences

9:00am-10:15am Pacific Time

This session will explore how control of the sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system through mindfulness practices in the classroom positively impacts academic performance through stress and anxiety management as well as improving immune response, whereby improving overall health and wellness of the student. Participants will gain insights into mindful meditation and diaphragmatic breathing as tools to quiet the mind and body and bring focus to the classroom. The key question that will be answered is: Are you reacting to stress or responding to it? Learning to respond to stressors brings focus to immediate tasks at hand and promotes mental acuity.

Roland L'Heureux, MEd

United States University, Student Services

1:00pm-2:15pm Pacific Time

This presentation will consider the aspects of dynamic change management and how its processes can help ensure the optimization of adult learning theories, contemporary education technology, and equity among stakeholders to produce and promote a synergistic and effective learning environment. Specifically, this presentation will examine the central concepts of dynamic change management—action research, organizational learning, and creative tension; the four-stage change process, its five disciplines, relevant and necessary critical thinking skills; and finally, dynamic change management as a vehicle and mechanism designed for ensuring sustained change, institutional culture, and educational equity as well as equality among organizational stakeholders.

Dr. Renée Giles

Aspen University, School of Education

9:00am-10:15am Pacific Time

As preschool is a child's first formal educational experience and serves as a foundation for their learning throughout their academic career, this session will explore the importance of a high-quality preschool program for young children. A high-quality early childhood program will provide educators the opportunity to prepare students for kindergarten and with the hopes of closing the achievement gap between peers. This session will examine the research conducted to determine the impact of attending a high-quality urban preschool program on student achievement in third grade. The study also highlighted the factors of a high-quality early childhood educational experience in an urban setting. The following themes that emerged from the study will be highlighted: Data-driven assessments, professional development and learning, research-based curriculum, and cultural representation.

Dr. Amaka Bailey

Aspen University, School of Arts & Sciences

1:00pm-2:15pm Pacific Time

The Nature of Childhood Trauma and its Effect on Student Academic Performance- During this presentation, Dr. Bailey will focus on bringing greater attention to the type of trauma that exists during childhood and how it affects the brain. This session of the Colloquium will demonstrate how traumatic experiences can be a barrier to student success. Participants will learn several ready-to-use tools to ameliorate some of these traumatic experiences and bring some level of balance to both students and faculty. Attendees will see how students can improve and show academic success with appropriate support and diligence.

Dr. Andrea Novak

Aspen University, School of Nursing & Health Sciences

9:00am-10:15am Pacific Time

Are your students struggling with writing a scholarly paper? Do they know how to differentiate between an evidence-based resource versus something they pull off the Internet? Do you find they are either overquoting or overciting in their papers because they do not know how to paraphrase or interpret the data they have researched and articulate their original thoughts onto paper? Join us on this next adventure into how we can help our students be more successful with their writing and also share best practices with the group as to what you find works best in the classes you teach to get your students on the right track!

Steven Gregory, MA

United States University, College of Education

1:00pm-2:15pm Pacific Time

This presentation will focus on ideas for helping students put their thoughts into words and how to go from pondering to a finished paper. Writing is a scientific art, and as such there are rules and concepts. This presentation takes over 25 years of professional writing and editing experience and presents some simple steps that will help students overcome their fear of writing and see it as something doable.

Dr. Andrea Biondi

Aspen University, School of Nursing & Health Sciences

9:00am-10:15am Pacific Time

This session will discuss the history of the anti-vaccinator movement over the past century, the current demographics of patients and caregivers who refuse vaccines, and those that are hesitant to vaccinate. Many of the vaccine-preventable illnesses will be reviewed as well as common myths about the vaccine that prevents that particular illness. Participants will engage in a discussion of techniques to aid in communication with both vaccine-hesitant individuals and those patients and caregivers who refuse vaccinations for themselves and/or their children.

Dr. Tra Ahia

United States University, College of Education

1:00pm-2:15pm Pacific Time

ADHD and ME Medication Free- Families and caregivers of individuals diagnosed with ADHD question the use of medication to treat ADHD symptomatology. In this interactive participatory presentation, you will learn more about alternative non-medication interventions for treating ADHD.