blog

On October 21, 2019, reporter Grace Griffaton and her videographer from WPMT FOX43-TV came to campus to observe and learn what first-year college students think about legalizing adult use marijuana in Pennsylvania.  Below is the transcript from the FOX43-TV news broadcasts that aired at 4:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m showing first-year student views and my harm-reduction approach to teaching the topic.

Full video available at:  https://fox43.com/2019/10/21/millersville-university-professors-tackle-the-topic-of-legalizing-marijuana/

MILLERSVILLE, LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — As Pennsylvania lawmakers weigh a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana use for people 21 and older, college students in Lancaster County are weighing in.

It’s Monday morning at Millersville University.  “We’re talking about CBD and THC,” explained Dr. Jeffrey Wimer. “I mean, a topic like today’s class wouldn’t have been addressed 10, 15 years ago.”  It’s a wellness class which is required for undergraduate students. Monday morning, Dr. Wimer facilitated a timely debate with his students.  “If you are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana in the commonwealth, I’d like you to stand,” said Wimer. More than half of the class stood in favor. “Having it legalized and regulated would make it a lot safer and you wouldn’t have the K2 and spice mixed in,” said one student who is in favor of legalizing it.  “You could see high schoolers out smoking marijuana,” responded another student who is against legalization.

“Number one, it’s to show that we don’t have consensus,” explained Wimer. “The students seem to represent what we found in the listening tour.”  Wimer is talking about Lt. Governor John Fetterman’s “Listening Tour”; Fetterman went to each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties and heard what residents have to say about the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana use.  According to the Lt. Governor’s findings, a majority of Pennsylvanians support the idea. “Also, to bring it back to safety,” added Wimer. “How do we keep people safe?”

A powerpoint presentation displayed in class cited data from Colorado, statistics on fatal crashes where people tested positive for THC. “One of the approaches that we use— other states where it has been legalized and what can we learn from them,” explained Dr. Wimer.

“Getting that information as soon as we can as freshman is important because we’re kind of sitting in a dorm room a lot of the time. We don’t necessarily have a lot of input from the world around us,” explained Lauren Coco, a freshman in the class.  Coco is in favor of legalizing cannabis for adults.

FOX43 asked Dr. Wimer how he, as a professor, keeps his opinion out of it.  “That’s a great question,” said Dr. Wimer. “I’m a presenter of facts so I want to make sure students have opportunity to show where they’re coming from but also present the facts.” Where does Dr. Wimer stand? “Medically, we know that there could be benefits and studies being conducted,” he said. “Recreationally, as a wellness professor, I am against it.” Even so, Dr. Wimer says it’s not his job to openly condemn or condone using alcohol and other drug; rather, he wants to teach students about the potential impact and provide resources at the university.

APSCUF Facebook page screenshot

Participation at the 2018 graduate commencement  with M.Ed. in Sport Management faculty and grads.

In January 2018 I met with Kylee Lorio, a high school student from Donegal High School.  Kylee was referred to me by two former graduate students of mine: Sara Fraizer and Gretchen Colwell (both of whom are Kylee’s teachers at Donegal).

Sara and Gretchen completed my Eating Disorders and Body Image Anxieties course at Millersville.  They believed I could be helpful to Kylee in her quest for information relevant to the National History Day competition.

Known for engaging students in historical research and skill development, National History Day is an organization that holds  annual themed competition.  Students respond to different themes set by the organization by creating individualized presentations to address the themes.  The 2018 theme to which Kylee was interested included Conflict and Compromise.  Specifically, she want to know what the cultural influences were that promote anorexia in the modeling industry, and how they might best be resolved.

Together, we met for about 1.5 hours and discussed a wide-range of issues and possibilities for her project.  We talked about symptoms, statistics, and treatment.  I also directed her to several resources that could inform her project.

In March 2018 Kylee contacted me via e-mail to let me know she won first place in the regional competition.

Thank You message

with co-educators for parents

Celebrating Families! is a 16-week evidence-based family education program designed for families in which one or both parents are in early stages of recovery from substance addiction.  This program is used to achieve three primary goals: break the cycle of substance abuse and dependency with families, decrease substance use and reduce substance use relapse, and facilitate successful family reunification.  Parents and children participate in separate 90-minute instruction group sessions devoted to a particular theme.  Parents then join their children for 30-minute activity to practice what has been presented and learned.  Themes include healthy living, nutrition, communication, feelings and defenses, anger management, chemical dependency as a disease, effects of dependency on the whole family, goal setting, healthy choices, healthy boundaries, and healthy friendships/relationships.

From January-April 2017, I served as a Family Life Educator in the Celebrating Families! program at COBYS Family Services located in Lancaster city.  My role was to co-teach weekly 2.5 hour prevention lessons with colleagues every Sunday afternoon.  Attendance averaged approximately 20 clients each week. During the 90 minute break-out sessions, I was in charge of the teenager group, which consisted of about 7 students each week. Using a rotational system, I led the the larger plenary group on various occasions.  I also supervised a Social Work student intern from Millersville University, and a student intern from Lancaster Bible College studying Marriage and Family Counseling.

Celebrating Families! is a unique family-centered approach to prevention.  In addition to instruction, the participant-families met before each class session for a light dinner catered by a local restaurant or local church.  After dinner, the families divided into 3 groups (children, teenager, and parents) for the 90-minute sessions containing specific learning activities that adhered to the evidence-based curriculum.  Following the 90-minute breakouts, families reunited for 30 minutes for an activity that reinforced the addiction prevention material studied during the breakout sessions.  The “come-together” time allowed for families to practice some of the knowledge and skills, and to work together as a unit in discussing and communicating topics presented earlier in the evening.

COBYS_Celebrating_Families_advertisement flyer.PDF

The Celebrating Families! program also included multiple teaching aids and instructional materials.  It was selected from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practice (NREPP) database.   SAMHSA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

Serving as an educator in the Celebrating Families! program allowed me to learn new knowledge that I shared with my Wellness students.

Participating in 2016 graduate commencement  with M.Ed. in Sport Management faculty and grads.

University and local community members in attendance at Cost of Freedom Forum 2015.

Cost of Freedom Forum is a special lecture series and Veterans’ Day celebration that I conceptualized and have coordinated for the past several years.  The main purpose of the forum is to address important health and wellness topics faced by military veterans and their families–offering key solutions and potential strategies from noted experts in the field.

For the 2015 event, Millerville University partnered with the Millersville Borough in having the same keynote speaker present/appear at all events including the Borough (“town”) event.  Attendance at the evening forum was  approximately 140 individuals from both the university and local community.  The luncheon program was attended by approximately 85 student-veterans, ROTC cadets, and university and community members.  The Veterans Resource Center Open House was attended by approximately 30 individuals.

The keynote speaker for the 2015 events was Kenneth Leland (USMC, Ret.) who visited Millersville University from his home in Lakeland, Florida where he has spent the past 16 years as a volunteer speaker for the Vietnam Veterans of America.  In his free time, Mr. Leland gives important presentations and leads discussions about the Vietnam War and the lessons that he learned before, during and after his tour of duty.

He is the recipient of the George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for his volunteer work in bringing context to an important time in America’s history, and for assisting students, (and the community), to better understand and learn how the nation, and the world we live in, came to be.

He has logged hundreds of hours in classrooms, and traveled thousands of miles speaking to school students about the Vietnam war, patriotism and history. As a Marine squad leader, and machine-gun section leader in 1966-67 along the demilitarized zone known as the DMZ that separated North Vietnam and South Vietnam, he was wounded twice.

Mr. Leland’s tour in Vietnam was not his first experience with the Marine Corps. At age 19, he had volunteered for the Marines, served for 4 years, and was honorably discharged. 9 months later, at age 22, he re-enlisted and following his re-induction, was sent to Vietnam. By this time, he was considered “an old man” by the troops in the field whose average age was 19. Following his tour of duty, he returned to the United States, married, and became a police officer. He later became Chief of Police for a small town in Virginia before retiring from the Department of Agriculture.

Program handout for morning celebration and afternoon luncheon.

Throughout out the day and evening, Mr. Leland discussed his tour of duty, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD), and the advances in treatment and rehabilitative care for soldiers and their families–both formally and informally–with both veterans and non-veterans alike.  Several people in-attendance at these events shared positive comments with me regarding the continuing success of the Cost of Freedom Forum in meeting program goals; and the importance of the event to the university and local community.

• 2015 Cost of Freedom event flyer (high color version)
• 2015 Cost of Freedom event flyer (low color version)

To read more about other Veterans’ Day forums that I have coordinated go to:

• https://learningwithjeff.com/archives/7326
• https://learningwithjeff.com/archives/3956

During the spring semester 2015, I was invited to redevelop and teach a special section of my WELL 175 course reserved for Music majors and Music-Business Technology majors.  The primary focus for the redesign was to meet specific needs outlined by the School of Music’s accreditations.

On April 29, 2015, the students from my WELL 175 special section met together in Ford Atrium of McComsey Hall along with students from MUSC 100: Introduction to Music  for a lesson by Brother Sun, a three part male harmony group similar to Crosby, Stills and Nash.  The band was on campus for educational workshops prior to their evening performance at the Ware Center in Lancaster City.

For class, I requested that the band member’s elaborate and discuss any prior experiences with substance abuse or addiction; and to offer advice regarding the potential role that music or the music industry has in influencing destructive habits, as well as for creating opportunities for sobriety and well-being.

Each of the band members approached my question differently, but two of the members spoke about the powerful drug culture that exists in the music industry, and then offered ways to be successful in music (and in life) living substance free. One of the band members Greg, spoke about how bands today must be entrepreneurs in order to “make it” successfully.  And that being stoned or drunk doesn’t help much in reaching goals.

Each member also discussed the misguided influence that TV programs such American Idol and The Voice has had upon aspiring musicians and the general viewing public. They reported that many in the public believe winning a musical talent show (or simply being on TV programs) will magically transformed them into a popular artist or musical celebrity.  Whereas the truth be told, the road to success is often difficult and laden with failures along the way. The secret, as Brother Sun shared, is seeing failure as an opportunity for growth and positive change.

In addition to answering questions, the group alsp performed three numbers— each tune led by a different band member highlighting their distinctive range and styles. Following the brief performance.

On March 3, 2015 I was invited by the Resident Assistant of Hull Hall (which was formerly located on the south side of the Millersville University campus before being torn down) to discuss the problem of negative body image with the dorm residents.

On October 22, 2015, I was again invited by Meadow B, if I would provide an updated program, but this time, for the students that lived in the South Villages A & B.

At the time, Meadow was a junior studying Special Education and Early/Middle School Education.  Both times, we planned the event around the theme of “Better Than Barbie.”  Based on student feedback, the program was successful and increased student-awareness.

The “Better than Barbie” program included both a photo booth where students wrote positive statements explaining why they were better than the popular doll Barbie which often promotes unrealistic and unhealthy messages.  After writing their statements, students took photos in the photo booth.

An informative PowerPoint presentation (with handout) was also given.  Near the end the PowerPoint, we included a thought-provoking video followed by a roundtable discussion whereby students shared and reflected on their various viewpoints regarding body image problems, eating disorders and how social media effects behavior.

In my faculty role, I assisted Meadow in designing her program and with facilitating the lobby conversation in Hull Hall.  We worked together on how she could best develop an engaging approach that would raise awareness about the issues of negative body image and disordered eating for the students who reside in her dormitory.

For the past several years, I have taught a professional development course titled: “Eating Disorders and Body Image Anxieties” (EDW 752) that I originally proposed and obtained approval for.  The popular course is offered annually during the spring semester.

Active learning is a term used to describe teaching methodologies designed to promote a deeper form of learning than when compared to hearing a lecture. Active learning provides students with an opportunity to develop reflective understanding of course material by transferring new knowledge into practice among peers.

This way of teaching has enjoyed significant research support as first studied by Chickering and Gamson in the late 1980s in their work titled: “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.”  The technique provides a supportive environment and encourages contact among students from different backgrounds.  It is not passive.

In my classes, I create opportunities where students construct their understanding through these active learning interactions with their peers (and with me).   In one example, I assigned my athletic training students to first research, and then demonstrate several common athletic training techniques to peers.  My role  was to mentor each student based on their individual strengths and weaknesses.  Being a smaller class, I was able to provide very detailed and insightful feedback for each student — feedback  that I am not always able to do at the same detailed level with my larger classes.

Using a scoring rubric to access performance, each student was given the task of properly demonstrating various athletic training techniques as depicted in the photos below.   Some of the learning objectives included being able to: 1) Properly fit a football helmet, 2) Palpation of soft tissue, ligamentous, and bony landmarks about the shoulder, 3) Proper fitting and application options for the SAM splint, 4) Open basket weave ankle taping, 5) Thumb taping, 6) Ankle stability exercises following injury, 7) crutch fitting and walking

Not only is active learning an important part of undergraduate education, it is also a common practice among allied health schools such as nursing, physical therapy and athletic training as well as  medical school curricula.  Generally, this learning model includes clinical instruction in which a local professional is selected by the educational program to serve as a Preceptor (sometimes called a Clinical Instructor) for the students so that they may become accustomed to working in the field.  These professionals then provide instruction and opportunities for the student to develop clinical integration proficiencies, communication skills and clinical decision-making during actual patient/client care clinical assignments.

In a classroom setting however, (rather than the clinical setting), the role of the professor is different than the preceptor’s role because there are no real patients.  In many ways, active learning is sometimes related to the term “Flipping the Classroom” in which the professor serves as a tutor for students who prepare for class in advance by researching and studying material from various media in order to solve particular problem sets (designed by the professor) when they arrive to the classroom for class.

As part of an important unit on the management and care of the downed-athlete, I arranged for two EMTs from Lancaster Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Association to come to campus so that I could best address several learning objectives with my students.

Shown below are several photos from the lesson that took place in my WSSD 390–Athletic Training Techniques course that I taught during the Spring semester 2013.  As part of the unit, students discussed and practiced  various procedures for athletes who may present with spinal injuries on the field or court; and how to best communicate and work collaboratively after initiating the EMS.  We also discussed findings related to this topic from my own and other peer-reviewed research.

The lesson was a huge success!

As part of my Wellness 175 course, I devote a classroom period to what I call “Theatre Day.”  This learning activity is designed to foster student imagination and creativity through classroom role play.  It is based loosely on the concept of Readers Theater, which is a pedagogical strategy used by teachers.  The purpose of the activity is for students to reinforce important concepts learned throughout the course by cooperating in groups to perform skits.

Shown below are students performing various harm-reduction skits such as STIs prevention and binge drinking prevention, as well as addiction treatment and stress management counseling.  Each skit takes place in the classroom setting.  Students meet in advance to form groups in order to create scripts and obtain props.

This learning activity helps to sharpen students’ “people skills” and may assist them in putting into practice lessons learned from the course by being able to intervene with specific skills from having a new awareness.

In my role as the professor, I provide the students with focus and direction during the group process of selecting a situation and developing a sense of shared goals.  I also try to build enthusiasm for the importance of role playing as a learning strategy by making the activity fun so that everyone can become involved.  Generally,  Theatre Day is highly praised and enjoyed by students.

One of the lessons that I teach for the course titled WELL 175-Wellness: Concepts for Health and Fitness is on the topic of cancer.

The lesson is divided over two class periods and involves several active learning strategies.  First, I introduce students to various cancer prevention strategies and discuss treatment options.  In the second class meeting, I introduce Ms. Wenzel, a nurse at campus Heath Services (i.e., Infirmary) and the cancer resource room there.  In brief, the learning objectives for this lesson include being able to identify causes of cancer, signs and symptoms of cancer, the various ways that cancer spreads, and strategies to lower one’s risk for contracting cancer in the future.

During the first class lesson students identify family members who have or have had cancer by sharing personal experiences.  This often provokes a lively discussion with many different scenarios.  Next, I ask students to participate in an active learning activity in which they begin to think about their parents’ and grandparents’ as well as their own health legacy.  I inquire about various genetic and carcinogenic risks in their lives and to consider the role of inherited cancers could play over their lifetime.

Using a photo of a family standing near a tree, I try to reinforce the role that heredity plays in determining health and predicting (and preventing) future illness.  For this part of the activity, I ask students to specifically list the names of their parents and grandparents on a sheet of paper.   Next to each name, students are identify the family members who have, or have had, cancer.  Students without any knowledge of their biological family histories are told to place a check mark next to the family member they have no knowledge of.  This then helps to reinforce the importance of knowing risks (and how not knowing one’s family history increases risk).  The students’ with a family history of cancer and/or those with no knowledge of their own family medial history are then asked to leave the classroom and wait outside.

Shown in the photos below are 3 students who remained in the classroom following the in-class activity and reported no incidence of cancer among their family members and all having at least some understanding of their parent’s and grandparent’s health history.  Also shown are the students who exited the classroom standing on the balcony overlooking the gymnasium floor awaiting instructions to return.

Additional goals for this lesson include informing students about the high prevalence of cancer in the US.  Unless people employ prevention strategies, many families will face debilitating illness and the possibility of “departing” just as the majority of class was asked to do for the lesson.

Upon returning to the classroom, I discuss with students some of the current literature and theories on cancer, and then show a brief video clip about the chemical Agent Orange and how dioxin has had lasting effects on people’s DNA, causing damage due to carcinogenic exposure, and if they have grandparents or other family or friends who may have served during the Vietnam War.

To further help conceptualize the prevention aspect of cancer, I ask students to create a slogan on a sheet of paper to help reinforce the day’s lesson and to serve as a partial review.  Some examples of student slogans have included the following: 1). Don’t Want to Die: Give Quitting a Try,  2). “No Sun, More Fun – Prevent Skin Cancer”  3). “Check Yourself–Before You Wreck Yourself.”

During the following class session, students first meet in Pucillo Gymnasium so that I may check attendance and then as a group we walk together to the Witmer Building to learn more about campus Health Services.  The purpose of the Health Services visit is to introduce these first-year students to our healthcare facility and to expose them to the unique services that Millersville University offers.  For example, students learn about Sexually-Transmitted Infections (STI) (which can cause cancer) in the WELL 175 course classroom and during the field trip learn more STI testing and treatment procedures that are available at Health Services.  This, therefore, reinforces not only the prevention aspect but may also help to decrease the incidence of illnesses by giving students the information they need so they can take responsibility to obtain testing and get treatment.  This example is just one of the many ways that the scheduled visit provides new opportunities for student learning and student engagement.

Learning about healthcare issues early in the college experience is extremely important for developing a foundational base for successful living later in life.  The experience at Health Services provides students with a broader perspective of lifestyle issues and wellness needs they face not only now, but well into the future by making the class relevant to a student’s life, and by designing practical lessons that relate to real-life experiences.

More recently, the visit and tour of MU Health Services has created  opportunities to visit the Cancer Resource Room located on the second floor of the Witmer building and to learn about the Breast-a-Ville initiatives which focus on breast health and breast cancer education.  Students learn about breast cancer organizations that offer resources for support, education, research and outreach to communities.  Students also benefit from by learning how to take care of themselves with training and self-guided tutorials about self-exams.  Also shown below are some students seated on the floor at the infirmary.  Approximately 12 seats (not shown) were made available for students who may have been physically unable to sit on the floor for a brief period of time.

During the 2012-13 academic year, my department conducted an outcomes assessment (pretest/post-test) activity to better understand student knowledge about cancer.  Shown below is the instrument on cancer (yellow form) that was administered as a pretest in January 2013 and as a post-test in May 2013.

Students also write essays about their vitals signs.  Click here to read Health Services essay for vital signs check

Over  the past several semesters I have been conducting a lesson on introductory yoga practices.  Termed a fitness lab, the lesson was first conceptualized from course evaluation feedback and changing student-needs.

The primary purpose of the lesson is to increase student physical activity and movement through yoga.  Secondary goals include understanding stress-reduction techniques and mindfulness as well as an gaining appreciation for lifetime fitness.

Most yoga classes focus on learning physical poses and becoming aware of one’s breathing and presence in space.  Generally, the classes are designed for either relaxation or for fitness, and allow participants to discover the process of being fully present.

The first part of the MU lesson takes place in the classroom setting.  Students learn a few basic yoga poses and the history of each technique while seated at their desks.  Later, they complete a brief worksheet using a word bank to demonstrate basic comprehension before moving to the gymnasium floor where they begin practicing the poses on the exercise mats learned earlier.  For many students, this is their first introduction to the benefits of yoga.

Although I have practiced yoga many times myself, I was very fortunate to make arrangements with certified yoga instructor Mrs. Hartranft to co-teach yoga lessons with me.  Mrs. Hartranft teaches yoga at Universal Gym in Lancaster, PA.  Shown below are some photos of students in one of my WELL 175-Wellness: Concepts for Health and Fitness classes.  WELL 175 teaches an integrative approach to health, focusing on areas such as nutrition, stress management, physical movement, and making healthy choices.  The course gives students the tools and support they need to create lasting and positive practices.

Several studies suggest that stress reduction techniques such as meditation and guided imagery can improve health and well being.  Unfortunately, many people don’t take the time to decompress or unplug from our increasingly complex and interconnected world, but rather often turn to alcohol and other drugs to cope with their multifaceted lives.

According to Larry Rosen, PhD, a psychologist and author at Cal State Dominguez Hills, “teens who use more technology, like video games or the Internet, tend to have more stomach aches, sleeping problems, anxiety and depression, and they often missed more school.”  People are drowning in a deluge of data.

Living in an Always Connected state of being creates an “environment where people lack the time or willpower to take even a few minutes of solitude … which profoundly affects our psychological well-being.  Reflection, quietude, and introspection so vital to self knowledge and creativity are too easily sapped away when we can reached at anytime, anywhere, and by everyone” as explained J. Ramsey Golden on page in the May/June 2010 issue of Scientific American Mind.

As part of my course titled WELL 175-Wellness: Concepts for Health and Fitness students are introduced to several stress management concepts following a lesson that I teach earlier in the week on psycho-pharmacology and the theoretical constructs postulated by Hans Selye, Kenneth Cooper and others.

During the follow-up lesson, I describe the concept of mindfulness, which I define as becoming present, and not merely sleep walking one’s way through life. Part of this lesson includes students taking a few moments to complete a self-reflection tool to gauge how much stress they experience on a daily basis through answering several questions about the frequency of physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms related to excess stress in their lives.

The lesson also includes a brief PowerPoint introduction to meditation that depicts proper posture, breathing, and positioning techniques after which I lead the students in a brief 10 minute meditation experience that has been set-up and prompted by my reading aloud a Mary Oliver poem titled “Wild Geese”

After reading the poem aloud to students and completing the meditation experience, I have the students journal for a few minutes detailing their thoughts and feelings.  To reflect on the experience.

Next, I have the students assist with moving classroom chairs so to lie on the floor (if they desire) and experience a guided imagery activity that I also read aloud.  Following the guided imagery experience, I have students take a few moments to journal again.

To wrap-up the lesson, I request that students describe their current lifestyle as it relates to stress management using a classroom handout.  For instance, do students feel they have enough social support.  Do they feel they are exercising and eating well.  Are they sleeping enough.  The final reflection activity reinforces the need to practice stress management techniques and ways to stay well in a busy world.

Shown below, I am standing at the podium using the PowerPoint and Document Camera for the instructional portion of the lesson and the students participating in the guided imagery activity lying on the floor.

For the past 10 years, I have arranged for the students in my WELL 175-Wellness: Concepts for Health and Fitness course to participate in a walking field trip across campus to meet with the licensed psychologists from the MU Counseling Center.

The 1-mile walking field trip from Pucillo Gym to the classroom on the north side of campus is a rain or shine event that provides an opportunity for students to become more informed about important campus resources (many of which students report they are unaware of).

One of the goals of this particular lesson is to help students understand the real-world applications of what they are learning in the classroom by linking the textbook chapter on emotional health and psychological wellness to meeting with one of the licensed psychologists during our class.  Conducting class is this way may help boost a student’s confidence and lesson their anxiety, especially in deciding whether to schedule an appointment themselves or in referring a friend to the counseling center they are worried about.

According to a study presented at the American Psychological Association symposium in 2010 by John Guthman, PhD at Hofstra University, “severe mental illness is more common among college students than it was a decade ago, with more young people arriving on campus with preexisting conditions and a willingness to seek help for emotional distress.”

In fact, several colleagues at the MU Counseling Center tell me that severe psychological problems which include depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and self-injury continue to persist, with suicide continuing to be the second leading cause of death among college students.

According to Dr. Saunders, a member of the Counseling Center, “Connecting first-year students with mental health services available on campus is important for several reasons.  First, research shows that first year students are the population least likely to know about Counseling Center services.  In addition, first years students are generally the population most likely to abuse alcohol, to experience interpersonal problems, and to be a victim of sexual assault.  It is critical that students experiencing distress are knowledgeable about the services of the Counseling Center.”

Therefore, given the large percentage of mental health problems on campus, providing students with some useful strategies for managing emotional wellness is an important consideration for success not only at college, but for living a healthy life after graduation.

Shown below are a few photos of my students meeting first in the Pucillo Gymnasium classroom to discuss the objectives for the day.  After a brief review of the handout and a discussion about the purpose for the class, students are shown walking across campus to Stayer Hall MPR where we met this day with Ms. Inver, a doctoral intern who answered student questions and provided answers to the assignment.  It was essential that we didn’t actually meet in the Counseling Center itself in order to ensure confidentiality for clients.

Fatal Vision Goggles are prevention tools used to educate students about the consequences of alcohol misuse and abuse.  The goggles use special lens technology that allows the wearer to experience a realistic simulation of impairment.

In my WELL 175 courses, I have used these goggles to assist students in developing a deeper appreciation about the impact of alcohol and other drugs on their ability to function, and more specifically to illustrate how binge drinking and drugged-driving impairs vision, balance, judgment, reflexes and reaction time. This learning activity reinforces that serious consequences may result when under the influence of alcohol and other drugs including car crashes, biking injuries, falls, assault, and alcohol poisoning. In addition, the goggles help to support an important safety message that students should never ride with someone who has been drinking. And, that no one should drive if they have been drinking or using drugs.

The main purpose of the goggles is to demonstrate to the students that using alcohol and other drugs distorts their perceptions. During the class, I am careful not to give any impressions that feeling drunk is fun or funny, but instead, using alcohol has more negative effects than positive effects.

Prior to the activity, students are shown the course map on the chalkboard to acquaint them with next steps. To prepare for the lesson, a small obstacle course is set-up on the gymnasium floor using basic supplies that could represent traffic cones, speed bumps, curbs, and other road conditions. A pretest and post time is recorded for each student, followed but in-classroom debriefing to explore thoughts and feelings from the activity.

The use of a Spotter/Escort is critically important to this activity. After counting off, students are assigned take turns serving as Spotters/Escorts for their team. This not only decreases the incidence of injury when navigating the course with the goggles, but demonstrates the importance of designated drivers, and the significance of trusted friends when at a party.

Instructional scaffolding is an educational philosophy that means building upon prior knowledge.  Just like the foundation of a house, students also need a mastery of core concepts before advancing to more difficult lessons.

In a series of lessons I teach, students are provided with a foundational understanding of the VO2 max principle so that we can delve deeper into  more difficult concepts later in the semester.  Using a step test, rather than a metabolic cart, I have found more appropriate for large general education classes.

The 3-Minute Step Test is also an inexpensive “old school” method designed to measure cardiovascular fitness based heart rate response following exercise.

To many individuals working in the fitness arena, this particular test may seem too simple to be useful.  However, long before the days of sophisticated exercise equipment, the test was used by physicians to see if their patients were fit enough to undergo lung operations. Today, many unhealthy people are unable to climb even a few flight of stairs.

To begin the lesson, I provide some background material about the concept of VO₂ max (i.e., maximal oxygen uptake) which is body’s maximum capacity to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise.  The name is derived from V-Volume, O₂– oxygen, and max-maximum.

After the students learn and discuss VO₂ max, and we have studied some additional concepts such as blood pressure, pulse rate, breathing rate and target heart rate zone training, I ask the students to rise from their desks and go into the stairway located near the classroom in order to perform the test.  It should be noted that many step test protocols are based on 12-inch steps, therefore adjustments are made for the stairway test.

The metronome is set to 96 beats per minute.  Students march up and down on the steps to the metronome beat (up, up, down, down) for 3 consecutive minutes.  When 3 minutes are up the cadence stops, and  students take a brief rest.  Student pulse rates are then taken and later used for an equation to estimate maximal oxygen consumption after returning to the classroom.

Later, at the next class students explore the science of exercise using a timed running test to estimate VO2 max.

On March 27, 2013, the students enrolled in my WSSD 390 course, prepared and presented an educational symposium.  The theme for their event was the prevention and treatment of fitness injuries.  In addition to this content, strategies for the care of both acute and chronic injuries were discussed as well as a demonstration of rehabilitation techniques.

Listed below you can read the working titles from the students.  Click to open the advertising poster where the symposium was advertised: Wellness Week 2013 Poster.PDF

The students were responsible for creating each informational station and developing brochures.  I provided feedback on each student’s draft brochure and concept map prior to the preparation, and then graded the final projects and that also included a report about each of the student’s participation and interaction skills with the attendees.

As shown in the photos below, the attendance at this particular Wellness Week event was strong with many students and staff stopping — even though our event was held in an out of the way location in the basement  of the Student Memorial Center (SMC) and away from the high traffic areas that take place on the first floor of this building.

Station I:  T-N-T Nutrition: It’s a Blast … by Taylor and Tonya

Station II:  Essential Warm Up and Cool Down: The Value of Stretching … by Amy and JoeD.

Station III: How to Lift Weights without Getting Injured … by Rachel and Brad

Station IV:  Prevention and Care of  Common Fitness Center Injuries … by Dylan and Matt

Station V: Can’t Run? You Can Still Train: Alternative Exercises When Injured… by Jordane and Josh

Implemented Behavioral Change contracts help students set and achieve new goals.

The use of contracts is an effective tool that helps create a positive learning experience for students. When individuals commit in writing to something that they hope to accomplish, they increase the likelihood they will behave in ways that help them reach their set goals.  Oftentimes, it is a personal commitment that has been shown to be one the most important aspects of health behavior change, especially when a written contract is shared with others.  In my WELL 175 course, I require that students complete behavior change contracts as part of their fitness and nutrition journals.  This transformational learning strategy is one of the more dramatic examples of successful change that I observe in students.

From time to time students will ask the question: Hey professor; Why Wellness?  In other words, they want to know why MU requires a wellness course for first-year students?

One of my many replies to this question usually includes: Why Math?, Why English?, Why Speech?  Put simply, why do students need to take math, especially since they had math in high school?  Or why do students need to take English Composition since they already know how to write?  In fact, why do students need to take Speech?  Don’t students already know how to communicate before coming to college?

After my rhetorical line of Socratic questioning, I explain that my Wellness course is much MORE than a Health or Physical Education experience that many students might have had in high school.  I describe how I designed my course around an adult-learning theme approach to address real life issues affecting college students.  Not simply to explore the basics, but to dive deeper into the issues that influence our lives and living-well as an adult.  Issues such as addiction, family and romantic relationships, and all the costs associated with living healthy (and the payoffs for doing so).

Interestingly, as our nation’s overall health has been declining the past several decades, many theorists have postulated various reasons for the depressing trend.  For example, some authors suggest that the increase in social media has actually resulted in our society becoming more connected, which in turn has created an “Always Connected” state-of-being, a condition in which one is never (ever) fully able to disconnect (even at rest) from all that is going on in the world.  Just trying to keep up with the news, facebook and twitter has created new forms of stress different from generations past.

Whether its cheaper fast food, eating more processed food, video games or parents’ fears about having their children play outside due to crime or potential violence; physical fitness activity rates for our society have declined.  This decline has sometimes been blamed on standardized testing, which takes children away from the arts and physical education in order to spend more time preparing for exams.  Others have argued that decreased funding for public education and increased taxes have created new burdens for schools and greater justification for the school to solve all of society’s ills.

Recently, my university began operating a shuttle bus service on campus. Contracting with the local Lancaster City bus service, the shuttle bus is called “MU Xpress.”   It makes a continuous loop around campus several times a day to pick-up and drop-off students at various sites around campus.

Shown below are a few photos of students who now take the bus to wellness class.  In past years, these young and healthy students would have walked to class on such a gorgeous Spring day without a cloud in the sky.  Today, students ride the bus to wellness, with earbuds and eyes glued to a screen.

So when the question “Why Wellness? is asked,  may you too reply …  oh my … let me tell you “Why Wellness!”

Anticipatory sets are brief activities at the beginning of a class lesson that effectively engages students’ attention and focuses their thoughts on the learning objectives at hand.  I have found anticipatory sets useful not only in activating background knowledge from my students, but helpful also for increasing cognitive retention of topics taught in-class.

Meet Chris – For this activity, I hold a piece a paper with the name Chris written upon it.  As I introduce students to a fictional student named Chris, I begin by telling a story of the feelings that Chris has when his friends and family make critical comments about him.  Next, I ask to students to respond with all the ways that Chris might feel injured by the negative and hurtful comments people make to Chris. Each time a student gives a response I make another small tear into the paper until eventually only a small portion of the original paper is remaining in my hand.  The purpose of the activity is for students to begin thinking critically about all the ways negative comments discourage individuals, and to visually demonstrate how this process “tears” and “rips” into a person.  Later, on a different sheet of paper I have written the name Chris again, but this time on a sheet of paper has been taped together (having already been torn).  The taped sheet of paper is used to illustrate the emotional scarring left over from critical comments and bullying behaviors, and is part of larger lesson about mental health.   The taped sheet of paper can be prepared in advance of class time or it can be taped together again in front of the students.

Draw Sadness  –  As part of a unit on mental illness, I ask students to take a few moments to sketch the concept of sadness on a sheet of paper.   As part of the activity, students show their creations and other students seated next to them who interpret the drawings.  The main purpose of the assignment is demonstrate that the feeling of sadness (which is one of the symptoms of clinical depression) is often defined differently by people based on their individual experiences.  One size does not fit all.  And clinical depression often means different things to different people.  This activity is typically scheduled in advance of meeting with one of the licensed psychologist from the counseling center who serves as a guest speaker during the next class.

Letters to Jack – For this activity I ask students to write a brief letter to a fictional person named Jack, a middle-aged man who is married with two children attending college.  I set the scene by telling Jack’s story and his long recovery from a heart attack just a year earlier that was brought on by years of smoking cigarettes and eating unhealthy foods.  Fortunately, Jack is alive today because of the quick actions of his wife who called 911 at the first signs of his heart attack.  In class, I ask the students to think about their best motivational strategies for Jack, and to write them down in a brief letter in advance of our class lesson on cardiovascular diseases.

My Top 10 –  For this brief activity I ask students to quickly write the top 10 things in their lives.  Then, I ask students to list the top 10 ways they waste time.  The purpose of the class activity is to help students focus their thoughts and take a quick inventory of the ways they may (or may not) be living healthy.  As part of this anticipatory set, I ask students if physical exercise (such as working out at the gym or jogging on a treadmill) was included anywhere on their lists.  For many students, exercise is not a top 10 activity … (on either of their lists).

This role-play demonstration is designed to show students how negative thoughts can become barriers to personal health and well-being.  In this stimulating (but simple) instructional activity students begin to conceptualize what it might mean to carry “baggage” from their past or anxiety about the future, and to begin to understand the power that comes with letting things go.

The pedagogy is called Bag of Bricks.  Into a large bag several bricks are placed prior to the beginning of class.  When class begins, I ask if anyone   would like to volunteer.  Once a volunteer is identified, I ask he or she to walk to  the front of the classroom to lift a bag of heavy bricks.

As the student-volunteer raises the heavy bag, I ask the remaining students for ideas on handling the bricks.  I set the scenario by saying what if this student-volunteer was required to carry these bag of bricks around for the   remainder of the day.  I state that the bricks are very important to our student volunteer, and that he/she student feels a huge responsibility for each brick that is now held in their bag.

Students responses from the audience typically vary.  Some students have suggested that the best way for handling the bricks is to hire another person to protect the bricks.  Others offer strategies such as putting the bricks into a backpack or getting a roller suitcase for moving the bricks from building to building.  Still other students will suggest giving the bricks away to a classmate or friend.

A few moments later into this discussion and demonstration, I ask students to tell me what is the best method is for handling the bricks when they begin to feel heavy? Eventually, a student will say “put the bricks down … on the floor.”   Placing the bag of bricks on the floor makes a loud sound and reinforces the power of the message, which is that learning positive strategies for handling the bricks (or stresses) in our lives is often a freeing experience.

This in-class activity serves also as an effective visual metaphor for explaining addiction.  In other words, when students abuse substances like alcohol and other drugs, they merely add more bricks to their bag, which translates to carrying a heavier load.  The negative consequences of substance abuse make some bags so heavy that they “weigh” people down from succeeding.

Oral discourse can be highly effective for increasing student engagement.

By intentionally putting students in dialogue with each other using small learning groups, I have been able to strengthen the classroom community and more freely move about the educational space to observe and interact with students.  However, it should be noted that these pairings are more than the normal get into groups and discuss a few questions, but rather a systematic process that is part of the course framework and included in the syllabus throughout the semester.

These group pairings offer students an opportunity to gain new perspectives into areas they may not have previously considered by challenging students to think critically.  Recently, my department received funds to purchase new movable desks on casters along with new white boards.  The new furniture provides additional opportunities to cultivate student engagement by allowing students to move closer together.  Desks can be rotated so students sitting near the back of the room can easily relocate to the front.  A student may turn quickly to face and discuss a concept with several of her classmates rather than being limited to the student seated directly to the sider.     

In most traditional classroom settings the students sit in rigid rows of desks and chairs intended to stay in the same place throughout the day.  Worse yet, some fixed theater-style “lecture” hall seating may actually restrict the full range of learning possibilities due to some students having different learning styles.

Simply adding new furniture or interactive white boards however does not  solve the student learning conundrum.  Educators must promote engaging class discussions in order to develop critical thinking skills.

One such activity I have been using is debate, which enables students to voice their opinions freely and dynamically.  Working in groups, students argue for either in favor or against Freedom of Choice or Common Sense approaches in regards to Pennsylvania motorcycle law (shown below).  They explore questions about how to best encourage a friend who wants to lose weight, to solving complex problems and cases.

In early January 2013 I had a wonderful opportunity to attend the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers’ Society (PBATS) annual educational symposium titled: Baseball Medicine Conference.  The 2013 meeting was hosted by the Baltimore Orioles athletic trainers and held at Orioles Park at Camden Yards in conjunction with the Hilton Hotel — a beautiful and modern hotel designed with guest rooms looking into the ballpark.

The two-day event featured professional talks from world renowned scientists and physicians as well as several support team personnel from the Baltimore Orioles organization that included the team nutritionist, team psychiatrist and team physical therapist.  What makes this conference different from others is the pace.  Talks are scheduled at 15-25 minute intervals, which is quick.  Normally, podium presentations sessions are somewhere between 60-90 minutes in length at other symposiums I have attended or given talks.

Certified Athletic Trainers (or ATC for short) are healthcare providers for the physically-active.  ATCs are required to complete 50 hours of continuing education every two years.  The 2013 Baseball Medicine Conference that I completed consisted of 14 hours of continuing education. I have held continuous certification as an ATC for nearly 25 years.

Rules and regulations for Athletic Trainers are set and governed by the Board of Certification (BOC) located in Omaha, Nebraska; and the professional membership organization for Athletic Trainers is called the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), which is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and comprised of over 40 full-time staff to support NATAs mission.  Athletic Trainers work at all sporting levels — from professional and Olympic to university, high school and youth athletic programs.  ATCs also work in a host of non-traditional settings such as private physical therapy clinics, hospitals, physician offices and for large corporations with an eye on improving employee health.

Shown below are several photos from the conference, including some cool photos from the breakout sessions held in the Orioles clubhouse, clubhouse cafe, athletic training room, therapy pools and the batting cages.

One of the assignments I use to gauge student opinions of my teaching in addition to standardized student evaluations is what I call a Critical Reflection Essay.

Typically, standardized student evaluations are given out with about 4 weeks remaining in the course whereas the Critical Reflection Essay that I assign is collected after the last class and just before final exams.  Waiting to collect the essays until the course is nearly over ties together various learning objectives and the overall course framework far better than standardized student evaluations do, mainly because students are able to think back over the full range of learning opportunities they have experienced in the course in more purposeful ways than the 10 or 15 minutes they may actually take filling-in bubble sheets and answering a few open-ended questions on the standardized evaluations before the day’s lesson.

Generally, my student evaluations are positive.  In fact, they have sometimes exceeded both my department and the university means on a couple of criteria … which makes me proud.  Nonetheless, the important point here is that the Critical Reflection Essay assignment is an excellent pedagogical strategy for encouraging deeper understanding of the concepts learned in the course.

My goal with the assignment is to get students reflecting on a personal level about an experience and to be able to apply the concepts they learned from the course to their lives.  After grading the assignments, I use the student information to determine if there are any patterns and themes which I then use to further develop my teaching strategies that go beyond the mere passive absorption of information by students.

One thing about my teaching is that l am highly organized.  My course syllabi are very comprehensive and continually updated.   Over my career, I have found that classroom instruction goes smoothly when the objectives for the day are presented at the beginning of the class meeting in conjunction with a carefully planned lesson.  Each of my syllabi contain daily agendas and course outlines that link the assignments with a brief notation about the learning goal for a particular day.  Most of the time, I find students want to know what their professor’s expect from them and what the general topic particular day is going to be.   Many of my students have told me  they appreciated having in advance a full list of course activities for each class period.

For each of my classes, I also try to provide some sort of variety during in order to tap into students’ different  ways of knowing.  It is not uncommon that a single lesson might include: 1) small group discussions, 2) role play, 3) video clips, 4) in-class writing and reflection activities, and 5) in-depth discussion and debate.  My classes are never straight-lecture.

Students generally discuss my course organization and the full range of learning activities available to them in their student testimonials.

Attached below are a few of these student testimonials from my Fall 2012 Wellness course.  What I find interesting (and sad) is the of host of issues that students are attending classes with — issues ranging from struggles with heroin addiction and other drugs to students who are trying to quit smoking to those who only started smoking when they arrived on campus (and are now trying to quit).  These essays attached below contain testimonials from students who became more fit, made better eating choices to those who got STD tested, reduce their high-risk drinking behaviors, and made better overall decisions regarding their financial futures as a result of the course.

Click below to read some selected student testimonials:

1.    Fall 2012: Female_first year student_first semester.PDF

2.    Fall 2012: Male_first year student_first semester.PDF

3.    Fall 2012: Female_ first year student_first semester.PDF

4.    Fall 2012: Male_first year student_first semester.PDF

5.    Fall 2012: Female_first year student_first semester.PDF

6.    Fall 2012: Male_ first year student_first semester.PDF

7.    Fall 2012: Female_first year student_first semester.PDF

8.    Fall 2012: Male_first year student_first semester.PDF

9.    Fall 2012: Female_first year student_first semester.PDF

10.  Fall 2012: Male_first year student_first semester.PDF

11.  Fall 2012: Female_first year student_first semester.PDF

12.  Fall 2012: Male_first year student_first semester.PDF

 *     Fall 2012: Female_Second year student_first semester.PDF

I have taught numerous blended and online courses and continue to enjoy this method of teaching — always seeking new and innovative strategies for meeting student needs.

During the summer of 2010, I successfully navigated the transition of all of my courses from Blackboard to a online product used by my University called Desire to Learn (or D2L for short).   More recently, I began utilizing my iPad to expand my teaching through the development of additional high-impact learning opportunities for students.  Shown here is a screen grab from one of my online courses and the textbook cover as well as the cover to the Fitness and Nutrition Journal used for the course.

The PDF essays below contain some selected testimonials from students who became more fit, made better nutritional choices, reduced their high-risk behaviors, and made better overall decisions as a result of the my  course.   For example, one male student essay below discusses his excitement learning Zumba.  Another student, a female (and mother of two children) shares her story learning the ways in which the wellness course has improved her life … and that of her children too.

Click below to read some selected student testimonials for my Blended Wellness courses:

1.  Spring 2013 Blended course female 1.PDF

2.  Spring 2013 Blended course male 1.PDF

3.  Spring 2013 Blended course female 2.PDF

4.  Spring 2013 Blended course male 2.PDF

5.  Spring 2013 Blended course female 3.PDF

6.  Spring 2013 Blended course male 3.PDF

7.  Spring 2013 Blended course female 4.PDF

8.  Spring 2013 Blended course male 5.PDF

9.  Spring 2013 Blended course female 5.PDF

In October 2012 I traveled to Kutztown University which is in Berks County, Pennsylvania located about midway between the cities of Reading and Allentown.  Like Millersville, Kutztown University is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and was founded in the mid-1800s as a State Normal School to prepare students to be teachers.

As a professor I try to create learning situations that allow my students to explore concepts from multiple perspectives.  To integrate different events and issues into my pedagogy that illustrate how America is becoming more diverse than ever before.

At Kutztown, I participated in learning kiosk called the The Race Experience which uses one’s own photo to morph it into six different racial categories based on facial characteristics of the different races.  I also toured the Pride and Passion: The African-American Baseball Experience which is a traveling exhibition on display at the Kutztown University Library.

Learning in culturally relevant ways, and reaching students by examining  the changing world around us in meaningful and thoughtful ways is another important part of teaching.

Diversity and inclusion are important concepts for students.  Click to read two (2) teaching tips I co-authored which illustrates the automatic nature of stereotyping and the tendency for people to base their judgements of others on outward appearance.  Click to open the article one:  AT journal teaching tip for diversity.PDF  Click to open article two: Tuskegee Study.PDF

During the 2012-13 academic year, I served as co-chair of the School of Education Diversity Committee.  Shown below is a brochure that outlines the work of the committee.   Click here to open the: SOE Diversity Committee Strategic Plan.PDF

I have collected data on diversity initiatives that occur in schools at the Steering Committee meeting for the Master’s degree in Leadership.

In addition to my regular teaching load, I teach several online professional-development graduate courses in School Health and Wellness during the calendar year.

Each of these continuing education courses are designed to meet the needs of teachers, nurses, counselors and others who serve on Pennsylvania Student Assistance Program (SAP) teams, school wellness councils and/or school safety committees.  Participants earn 3 graduate credits from Millersville University for passing each course with a 80% or better.

Pass the word if you know someone who might benefit from enrolling in one of these professional development courses described below!

Click the PDF document to read an overview of all courses and when classes are offered:  1). Emergency Readiness.PDF 2). Preventing Childhood Obesity.PDF  3). Eating Disorders.PDF  4). Human Sexuality & HIV/AIDS.PDF  5). Adolescent Substance Abuse.PDF  6). Respiratory Health.PDF

… click to enlarge one of the flyers:

Scholars in the Classroom is a program designed to bring outside speakers to campus to meet with students in the classroom.  In Fall 2012, the University Theme Committee awarded me special funding so that I could fully fund Jack McLean’s and Dick Hughes’s day-long visit to the MU campus prior to their evening lecture.

The committee supported my proposal, stating that it was matched to the Scholars in the Classroom concept, and that it would be of great benefit for the students to have one-on-one opportunities to meet with these speakers and to ask questions of them in their classrooms prior to the evening presentation.

McLean, a retired Vietnam-era Marine, Harvard alumnus, and published author addressed the ROTC students about PTSD and ways to heal following combat experiences in MILS 301:  Management and Leadership in Military Science (ROTC) class.

And Hughes, an international humanitarian and author discussed the lingering effects of chemical warfare and the struggles people with PTSD face every day in their walk towards healing with students in SOWK 314: International Social Work class.