Drugs & Alcohol in Schools:
Understanding Substance
Use & Abuse
Instructor
Name: Dr. Michael Sedler
Phone: 509-891-7219
Office
Hours: 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. PST Monday - Friday
Email: michaels@virtualeduc.com
Address: Virtual Education Software
16201 E Indiana Ave,
suite 1450
Spokane, WA 99216
Technical Support: support@virtualeduc.com
* THE EXAMINATIONS FOR THIS COURSE CAN ONLY
BE TAKEN ONE TIME*
Introduction
Welcome
to Drugs & Alcohol in Schools, an
interactive computer-based instruction course, designed to give you a more
comprehensive understanding of alcohol, drugs, and their influences in your
classroom. Drugs & Alcohol in Schools
provides a contextual framework for understanding what students may be
experiencing through their own substance use or the impact of substance use
around them. The course provides a basic
historical perspective of substance use along with descriptions of biological,
psychological, and social factors that comprise the disease of addiction. This program will help you better understand
a multitude of complex dynamics that contribute to this biological and social phenomenon.
This computer-based instruction course
is a self-supporting program that provides instruction, structured practice,
and evaluation all on your home or school computer. Technical support information can be found,
in the Help section of your course.
Course Materials (Online)
Title: Drugs & Alcohol in Schools:
Understanding Substance Use & Abuse
Instructor: Dr. Michael Sedler
Publisher:
Virtual Education Software, inc.
2001, Revised 2008, Revised 2010, Revised 2013
Academic
Integrity Statement
The structure and format of most
distance-learning courses presume a high level of personal and academic
integrity in completion and submission of coursework. Individuals enrolled in a
distance-learning course are expected to adhere to the following standards of
academic conduct.
Academic Work
Academic
work submitted by the individual (such as papers, assignments, reports, tests)
shall be the student’s own work or appropriately attributed in part or in whole
to its correct source. Submission of commercially prepared (or group prepared)
materials as if they are one’s own work is unacceptable.
Aiding Honesty in Others
The individual will encourage honesty in
others by refraining from providing materials or information to another person
with knowledge these materials or information will be used improperly.
Violations
of these academic standards will result in the assignment of a failing grade
and subsequent loss of credit for the course.
Level
of Application
This
course is designed to be an informational course, with application in work or
work-related settings. The intervention
strategies were designed to be used in the remediation of alcohol and
drug-related behavioral problems with students, ranging in age from
approximately 10 to 18 years. Some alterations may be needed if working with
younger children.
Course Objectives
·
To understand the history of
alcohol and drugs in society and their impact on current beliefs in our culture
·
To develop a basic understanding
of the “biopsychosocial” nature of addiction
·
To understand the disease concept
of addiction
·
To identify different drugs and
their effects on the body
·
To understand the effects of
substance abuse on child development and family systems
·
To develop a foundation of
understanding of prevention, intervention and supports
Course
Description
Addiction is defined as a
“biopsychosocial” disease. Drugs &
Alcohol in Schools will explore each of these three elements individually,
and then, discuss their interactions and impact on the substance using
person. The information will be further
processed in order to more readily translate that information into practical
application in the classroom. To
establish a broader context for understanding substances and their addictive
qualities, the course will begin with the “social” component of the
“biopsychosocial” disease. This provides
a backdrop that looks at the history of drugs and alcohol in society and what
current societal perceptions prevail.
The second chapter of this course will
address the biological and physiological basis of addiction. Starting with general drug classifications,
we will study specific drugs and their effects.
While understanding the properties of the drugs, we will further examine
what happens to the basic physiology when chemicals are introduced. Finally, after understanding physiological
reactions, we will explore how use progresses into addiction and the evolution
of addiction as a “disease.”
The triad is complete as we examine the
psychological factors impacting the disease.
The main focus of this chapter is a brief study of child development and
the impact on stages of development if the child begins using substances. Development will be discussed also in terms
of impact due to parental use of chemicals.
From these issues, we will further explore family roles and rules that
emerge in the family system.
Since
the course is designed to increase your understanding and awareness of drugs
and addiction, the final chapter builds upon what you have learned and offers
options for how to respond. These
options look at how to most effectively and appropriately manage the effects of
substance use as it impacts your students and classroom. A review of various support groups and
resources that are available is included.
Student Expectations
As
a student you will be expected to:
·
Complete all information chapters covering Drugs & Alcohol in Schools, showing a competent understanding
of the material presented.
·
Complete all chapter examinations, showing a competent understanding of the
material presented.
·
Complete a course evaluation form
at the end of the course.
Chapter
1: Introduction
Instructor
Video
Introduction
History
What
Are We Facing?
Common
Terms
Use,
Abuse and Addiction
Chapter
2: A Journey Into the Mind
Instructor
Video
Genetics
The
Disease of Addiction
Neurochemistry
Neural
System
Neurons,
Axons and Dendrites
Neurotransmitters
Quest
for Pleasure
Brain
Circuits in Youth
Chapter
3: Substances & Their Effects
Instructor
Video
Alcohol
Alcohol
in the Body
Nicotine
Marijuana
Inhalants
& Hallucinogens
Stimulants
Opiates
Performance
Enhancing Drugs
Over
the Counter and Prescription Drugs
Chapter
4: Wrapping It Up
Instructor
Video
What
now?
What
else can I do?
Conclusion
Examinations
At the end of each chapter, you will be
expected to complete an examination designed to assess your knowledge. THE EXAMINATIONS FOR THIS COURSE CAN ONLY BE TAKEN ONE TIME.
After your first attempt each examination will lock and not allow further
access. Your final grade for this course will be determined by calculating an
average score of all exams. This score will be printed on your final
certificate. As this is a self-paced computerized instruction program, you may
review course information as often as necessary. You will not be able to exit
any examinations until you have answered all questions. If you try to exit the
exam before you complete all questions, your information will be lost. You are
expected to complete the entire exam in one sitting.
Instructor Description
Dr. Michael Sedler has presented seminars and classes throughout the Pacific
Northwest and Canada. Dr. Sedler has
worked as an administrator, a behavior specialist, a teacher, and a social
worker within the public school setting.
Dr. Sedler is an adjunct professor for two universities in the state of
Washington and has been a professor for a college in Georgia. He has been a consultant for governmental
agencies and worked for a state correctional facility for juveniles and for a
community mental health agency. His 15
years of public education experience combined with business experience
increases his knowledge base for course delivery. He has presented in schools, hospitals, and
residential settings, as well as for businesses in the public and private
sectors.
Contacting the Instructor
You may
contact the instructor by emailing michaels@virtualeduc.com
or by calling (509) 891-7219 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. PST. When
calling during office hours messages will be answered within 24 hours. Phone
conferences will be limited to ten minutes per student, per day, given that
this is a self-paced instructional program. Please do not contact the
instructor about technical problems, course glitches, or other issues that
involve the operation of the course.
Technical Questions
If you have questions or problems
related to the operation of this course, please try everything twice. If the
problem persists please check our support pages for FAQs and known issues at
www.virtualeduc.com and also the Help section of your course.
If you need personal assistance then
email support@virtualeduc.com or
call (509) 891-7219. When contacting
technical support, please know your course version number (it is located at the
bottom left side of the Welcome Screen) and your operating system, and be
seated in front of the computer at the time of your call.
Minimum Computer
Requirements
Please
refer to VESi’s website: www.virtualeduc.com
or contact VESi if you have further questions about the compatibility of your
operating system.
Refer to the addendum
regarding Grading Criteria, Course Completion Information, Items to be
Submitted, and how to submit your completed information.
Bibliography (Suggested readings)
Bachman, J.
(2012). Alcohol use among adolescents. Amazon
Digital Services. Studies on drinking
behavior of teens. (grades 7-12). www.amazon.com Download from
Amazon.
Bogard, K. L. (2005). Affluent adolescents, depression, and drug use: The role of adults in their lives. Adolescence, 40(158), 281-306.
Brown, W. K. (2011). Drugs and school performance (drugs 101). Amazon Digital Services. Information on drug and alcohol impact on school grades and performance. (grades 7-12). www.amazon.com Download from Amazon.
Claes, M., Lacourse, E., Ercolani, A.-P., Pierro, A., Leone, L., & Presaghi, F. (2005). Parenting, peer orientation, drug use, and antisocial behavior in late adolescence: A cross-national study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34, 401-411.
Flory, K., Lynam, D., Milich, R., Leukefeld, C., and Clayton, R. (2004). Early adolescent through young adult alcohol and marijuana use trajectories: Early predictors, young adult outcomes, and predictive utility. Development and Psychopathology, 16, 93-213.
Goldschmidt, L., Richardson, G. A., Cornelius, M. D., & Day, N. L. (2004). Prenatal marijuana and alcohol exposure and academic achievement at age 10. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 26, 521-532.
Hall, E. J.,
Hall,
Hanson, G. (2011). Drugs and society. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Investigates the biological impact of drugs on the body (grades 7-12). www.jblearning.com 800-832-0034.
Jacobsen, L. K.,
Mencl, E. W., Westerveld, M., & Pugh, K. R. (2004). Impact of cannabis use
on brain function in adolescents. Annals
of the
Kuhar, M. (2011).
The addicted brain. Amazon Digital
Services. What science has learned about addictions. (grades k -12). www.amazon.com Download
from Amazon.
Lucas, W. L. (2008) Parents’ perceptions of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (DARE). Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 17(4), 99-114.
Randoph, K. A.,
Fraser, M. W. and Orthner, D. K. (2004). Educational resilience among youth at
risk. Substance Use and Misuse, 39(5), 747-767.
Shinew, K. J.,
& Parry, D. C. (2005). Examining college students' participation in two
popular leisure pursuits, drinking and illegal drug use. Journal of Leisure
Research, 37(3), 364-386.
Wilson, R., & Kolander, C. (2010). Drug abuse prevention. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Helps to develop effective drug prevention programs. (grades 4 -12). www.jblearning.com 800-832-0034.
Winkelby, M. A., Feighery, E., Dunn, M., Kole, S., Ahn, D., & Killen, J. D. (2004). Effects of an advocacy intervention to reduce smoking among teenagers. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 158, 269-275.
Course content is updated every three years. Due to this update timeline,
some URL links may no longer be active or may have changed. Please type the
title of the organization into the command line of any Internet browser search
window and you will be able to find whether the URL link is still active or any
new link to the corresponding organization's web home page.
Updated 8/21/14 JN