NDSU Distance & Continuing Education (DCE)

Course Description:

This course is geared primarily for professionals (e.g., regular or special educators, instructional assistants, school psychologist, counselors) serving children and youths presenting behavior problems in the school or community. This course focuses on cognitive and cognitive-behavioral interventions (often lumped together under the rubric "social skills") with an emphasis on teaching students how to change and manage their own behavior. Since previous knowledge and understanding of traditional behavioral (operant) concepts and strategies is required, it is strongly recommended that you take an introductory behavior management course to learn the basic terms and concepts of behavior management prior to taking this “advanced” course.

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.

Objectives:

1.  Know the terminology in the areas of behavior management, self-management and cognitive-behavior modification.

2.  Know the relative merits and limitations of the behavioral and social-cognitive approaches to behavior management.

3.  Understand the rationale for teaching students how to self-manage their behavior.

4.  Understand the roles that cognitions and emotions play in the development of behavior problems.

5.  Apply the self-management strategies covered in the course to the behavior problems of their own students.

6.  Diagnose behavior problems and assess the efficacy of self-management interventions.

7.  Increase the probability of students using self-management strategies in and outside of the classroom setting.

Texts/Readings:

Title: Advanced Classroom Management: Children as Change Agents
Author: Mick Jackson, MS/ED