| Course Number: | EDX 5710 S47 |
| Instructor: | Ashley Short, M.A.Ed. |
| Location: | Online using Zoom videoconferencing and Canvas. |
| Dates and Times: | July 12- Aug 22, 2026, 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 |
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 will be the first of four courses set up to create a certificate being offered to students by Vermont State University. More information to follow.
Audience: All those working in a school setting who hold an earned bachelor’s degree
Course Goals:
Course Objectives:
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 resources, if any, are not included in the course tuition.
Big Think. (2023, November 22). | Bessel van der Kolk for Big Think+. Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/iTefkqYQz8g?si=EA4vq7HrZGQ5AclL
Brittanica. (2025). | Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/quiz/the-human-brain
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Cooper, C. (2022, July 12). . Www.brainfacts.org. https://www.brainfacts.org/brain-anatomy-and-function/anatomy/2022/brain-trivia-quiz-basic-anatomy-071222
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Miller, C. (2025, June 5). . Child Mind Institute. https://childmind.org/article/how-trauma-affects-kids-school/
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Teaching Channel. (2024). . https://www.teachingchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/K12-De-escalation-strategies-from-a-trauma-informed-lens-downloadable.pdf
TED. (2020, March 3). | Lisa Godwin. Youtu.be. https://youtu.be/GX9woZi0HUY?si=c06HwJxJu8Vxro2w
van der Kolk, B. (2014). . 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.
Course Schedule and Assignments:
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Projects/Exams:
Your final project will be to make your own podcast on how trauma impacts the brain.
You will be expected to cover all aspects of brain function and what can happen to a brain that has been impacted by trauma. You will be asked to provide a case study that applies all this knowledge, which can either be an existing case study or a mock case study. Prior to submission, you will be asked to share your podcast with a co-worker in order to get feedback.
More details will be provided during the first week of class.
(413) 441-9104
Center for Schools Team
(802) 468-1325