A Maintenance Man Crosses Over to the Classroom

2009-09-25T15:03:53Z

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2009-09-25T15:03:53Z

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Published Bob Nielsen Pursues a BIS degree with a Concentration in Educational Psychology

Bob Nissen arrives at 6 a.m., long before the first-period bell sounds. On his belt, a ring holds the keys to 49 doors. Each morning brings something different—a leak in the ceiling, a cracked window. At night he takes classes at George Mason University, where he is pursuing a bachelor of individualized study degree with a concentration in educational psychology. One day that degree will lead him to the classroom he has yet to see: the one where he's the teacher.

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A Maintenance Man Crosses Over to the Classroom

2009-09-28T21:02:39Z

http://chronicle.com/article/A-Maintenance-Man-Crosses-Over/48199/

B.J. Koubaroulis

2009-09-08T15:32:17Z

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Susan Kennedy-Orr, a military police officer who became a bodyguard for Department of Defense officials, was able to apply her military experience as she pursued a bachelor's degree of individualized studies at George Mason University. The college recently caught up with Kennedy-Orr. Here’s what she had to say: Please describe your experience in the military. I was born and raised in Rock Island, IL, and had never traveled outside of Illinois and Iowa until I joined the military nearly 13 years ago. I joined the U.S. Army as a junior in high school and left for basic training in 1996, directly after graduation.  I originally worked as a Corrections Specialist (prison guard) at Fort Knox, KY, then re-classed my military occupational specialty to become a military police officer. I worked as a regular patrol officer and then as a military police investigator examining misdemeanor crimes in Camp Casey, South Korea. In 2001, I was selected to become a special agent for the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) and investigated felony level crimes at Fort Hood, Texas.  In 2004, I was selected to join the Protective Services Division to serve as a protection specialist (bodyguard) for senior Department of Defense (DoD) officials. Since then, I have traveled the world, interacting with many different cultures in an official capacity.  Please explain how your education at Mason and military experience has been woven together. The military kept me very busy, and although I worked hard to complete a handful of college courses while performing my military duties, I had very little time to attend college. The Army has a wonderful program called the Degree Completion Program (DCP) available to officers and warrant officers. If selected, the officer is temporarily released from most of his/her military obligations to attend college as a full-time student to complete a degree of choice as long as it has something to do with their military occupational specialty. My supervisors pressed me to apply for the DCP, endorsed my applications with their personal recommendations, and I was honored to be selected to participate in the program.   I was allowed 18 months to complete a degree. I applied to several universities and quickly realized that the traditional degree programs associated with law enforcement did not recognize my military experience and training in lieu of college credit. This was frustrating because much of the subject matter being covered in the courses concerned activities within my profession that I had actually been doing for the past 12 years.  That’s when I discovered the bachelor's degree of individualized studies (BIS) program at Mason.  Under the guidance of the BIS department, I carefully selected courses from the disciplines of both criminal justice and psychology and then integrated them to support my interdisciplinary concentration:  criminal psychology. The BIS program recognized my military experience and supported my goal to achieve a degree. Without the BIS program, I would not have been able to achieve this milestone while satisfying the requirements for the DCP. What were your expectations coming to Mason? I guess I expected all of the classes to be in huge lecture halls (like you often see on television), with a professor on a stage lecturing too quickly and students furiously taking notes and trying to keep up.  While some classes did resemble this, I found that most were much more personable, with professors who engaged the students and sparked interesting discussions and debates.  I was definitely nervous coming to Mason as this was my first time attending a real university instead of a college course offered on a military installation.  Just as the military has its own acronyms and ways of operating that seem foreign to those who are not in the military, Mason has the same.  I felt a little like a “fish out of water,” but luckily had many people to point me in the right direction, and before long I felt right at home.  What are you doing now? Plans for the future? I am finishing up my last couple of humanities courses now and will return to my military duties at the conclusion of the summer semester. I have agreed to take a position in the policy branch of Criminal Investigations Division Headquarters for the next year, and then I will most likely return to Fort Hood where my husband (also in the military) has been selected to take command of a battalion while I continue to investigate felony crimes. What was the most valuable experience you had at Mason? By far, my most treasured experience has been the opportunity to engage with the young, bright students at Mason. After being in the military for nearly 13 years and being almost totally immersed in the military culture, it was absolutely refreshing to hear the thoughts and convictions of the young people who are about to become tomorrow’s work force. To engage in lengthy discussions and debates concerning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the events at Abu Ghraib, the status of our military, and the way our nation and government address foreign and domestic issues, has been an enlightening experience and has introduced some new perspectives which I will carry with me as I return to the military. I feel this experience has helped me to become a better leader and a more well rounded person in general. I’ll never forget it.

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2009-09-08T15:32:17Z

After being in the military for nearly 13 years and being almost totally immersed in the military culture, it was absolutely refreshing to hear the thoughts and convictions of the young people who are about to become tomorrow’s work force.

Susan Kennedy-Orr

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Published Military police officer and Department of Defense body guard chose interdisciplinary concentration in criminal psychology.

Susan Kennedy-Orr, a military police officer who became a bodyguard for Department of Defense officials, was able to apply her military experience as she pursued a bachelor's degree of individualized studies in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason University. The college recently caught up with Kennedy-Orr. Here’s what she had to say:

Kennedy-Orr Used BIS Program to Weave Military Experience into College Credit

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Kennedy-Orr Used BIS Program to Weave Military Experience into College Credit

2009-10-05T17:34:41Z

2009-09-02T17:09:41Z

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551

2009-09-02T17:09:41Z

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Published

Senior Robin Brahmbhatt, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Individualized Study degree with a sport management concentration, has been studying the prospects of basketball in India, a country dominated by cricket.

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Putting a Spin on Basketball in India

2009-09-02T17:09:41Z

http://news.gmu.edu/articles/675

CHSS staff

2009-08-19T19:55:43Z

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<a href="http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=331853&paper=61&cat=104" target="_blank">Newspaper Article</a> <a href="http://www.theautismnews.com/tag/karen-griffin-roberts/" target="_blank">Autism News</a>

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Karen Griffin Roberts, a George Mason University Bachelor of Individualized Studies graduate who was recently featured in a video compiled by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was featured in a local <a href="http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=331853&paper=61&cat=104">newspaper article. </a>Griffin Roberts' story was also picked up by the <a href="http://www.theautismnews.com/tag/karen-griffin-roberts/" target="_blank">Autism News.</a> <object width="560" height="340"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-nzyv9Gcw7E&hl=en&fs=1&" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-nzyv9Gcw7E&hl=en&fs=1&" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed> </object>

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2009-08-19T19:55:43Z

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Published Griffin Roberts; A BIS Major and Grad Student Takes Real Life Autism Experience to the Field

Karen Griffin Roberts, a George Mason University Bachelor of Individualized Studies graduate who was recently featured in a video compiled by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was featured in a local newspaper article.

More Recognition for Griffin Roberts

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More Recognition for Griffin Roberts

2009-08-24T13:28:50Z

B.J. Koubaroulis

2009-07-13T14:22:21Z

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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nzyv9Gcw7E" target="_blank">Video</a> <a href="../../system/file_attachments/91/original/inclusion_manual_printmaster.pdf" target="_blank">Download the whole manual</a>

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Tell me about your current work and goals? I am currently a teacher for general education preschool children at Burke United Methodist Preschool in Burke, Va. during the school year. I have been teaching at BUMP for nearly 10 years. Before BUMP, I taught preschool in a couple of day care centers and a Catholic school's early childhood center. In all, I have been teaching preschool for about 18 years. When I graduated in August of 2008, I was offered a full scholarship to return to George Mason University to pursue my master's degree in early childhood special education through the Special Educators Entering a Diverse Society (SEEDS) scholarship program. Right now, I am doing an internship at the Alexandria Health Center, in their early intervention program Parent and Infant Education. This is Alexandria's early intervention program and special education program for infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays. I will return to my studies at Mason in late August. Next spring, I will do a second internship for a special education preschool. When I finish the master's program in the summer of 2010, I will enter the field of early childhood special education with certification to teach children ages birth to eight.   <object width="560" height="340"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-nzyv9Gcw7E&hl=en&fs=1&" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-nzyv9Gcw7E&hl=en&fs=1&" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed> Check out this video that tells Karen Griffin Roberts' story and has samples of her manual. Why is special education important to you? I am a parent of a 21-year-old son with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome" target="_blank">Asperger's Syndrome</a>, a form of high-functioning autism. When he was first diagnosed with autism, no one knew much about the disorder. Through the years I collected information and worked closely with his public school teachers and professionals to learn all that I could about autism. Before too long, I realized I had a unique insight into the disorder, so by the time the public was first educated on autism, I had so much more information. In my capacity as a preschool teacher, parents often came to me for information on their children's development, and when they realized I also had a son with Asperger's syndrome, I soon found myself surrounded by individuals and families hungry for information on their child's new diagnosis of autism. What was once a mystery to me was becoming my knowledge base. I really wanted to learn more about autism and teach young children with autism so that I could use my parental experiences and education to assist those families who might benefit from learning about my experiences. What has your experience in the field taught you about special education and autism? </object> Before my son was diagnosed, as far as I knew, children with autism all presented with the same aggressive behaviors, and were intellectually challenged. The only real picture I'd seen of autism was seen in the movie "Rain Man." Now, I would say that professionals working with young children are acutely aware of the wide range of abilities on the autism spectrum. It is seen as a neurological disorder which is shared by a myriad of persons, young and old; most of the older generation, probably misdiagnosed. Along with the increase in the incidence of autism, public services and awareness have played important roles in intervening at the youngest ages, at a time when children are most successful at learning how to compensate for their disabilities. It is an exciting time for me, to continue watching my son's many successes and to be entering a relatively new field in special education. Autism is a field of special education about which we seem to learn something new every day. It is also a field that with every new day, each individual child may present a dilemma which will require flexible instruction styles and strategies, while providing me with more education to be a better educator for the next individual child. Could an educator ask for anything more? Explain the importance of your project and give a brief explanation of the manual. The manual I presented as my BIS senior project is entitled, "Modifying the Preschool Classroom to Include Children with Autism: A Manual for General Education Preschool Teachers." As a general education teacher, I was blessed with including a child with autism in my classroom right around the time I was getting ready to do a summer volunteer internship with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine's Kennedy Krieger Institute in their Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. My BIS studies were focused around autism, but there were few classes at Mason, at the time, directly related to autism spectrum disorders. My faculty advisor recommended looking into the internship. During that summer I was able to observe and participate in many of KKI's programs. The entire time I kept thinking back on the past year and the things I had done in my classroom to accommodate the child I'd included. I'd had little prior experience, other than that of raising my own child with autism, but I realized I'd done so many things I considered simple for anyone to do, and the child was successful. In fact, he was so successful, that he entered kindergarten in the mainstream. I was also cognizant of the fact that not all children with autism would be able to as easily adapt to the mainstream classroom, but there are many high-functioning children who need that experience. Children with autism present with significant social challenges, and what better place to learn proper social skills than with same-age typically developing peers? So, I developed the manual for my teaching peers in general education preschool settings. I've distributed nearly 200 copies of the manual, and people ask me often if they can have more copies. How will your research and manual help others? I believe the manual has already reached and hopefully helped others. It fills a gap in education for those who are currently teaching general education preschool. As more children who are higher functioning enter the special education system, we need to be sure that those children are given the same opportunities to learn as their typically developing peers. I have also had many families who received new diagnoses of their child with autism tell me that they learned many strategies from the manual and were able to go to their child's preschool and offer the information. The manual has a myriad of information on best practices in early childhood education, and adds to those things the teacher can and should already be doing to provide best practices to all of their classroom children, including those with autism. What is next for you? I will be finishing my master's degree at Mason and hope to be teaching in a PAC classroom or a non-categorical preschool classroom for public schools. In any case, I am anxious to work in early childhood special education in some capacity. How has your experience at Mason shaped your way of thinking and your future career path? George Mason is an amazing place. The BIS program was probably the most difficult, as I had to reflect on past years and decide where I was headed. This is something I'd never had to do before, and I often thought my brain might just pop. But, these past few years, I've begun to realize how important it is to reflect on the past, if one is to move into the future. We all have a lot of baggage, and we have to realize, especially as educators, that everyone carries those bags around -- sometimes needlessly, and sometimes we require them for needed strength. My professors have been awesome, and my "most awesome" undergraduate faculty advisor, Dr. Moni Day is now also one of my SEEDS professors. I feel like I owe so many folks so much for all Mason has given me. Even though, as an undergraduate I was often the oldest person in the classroom, I had to laugh at myself. Today, I still wonder what an old 50-plus lady is doing pursuing a degree in early childhood special education, but perhaps it makes sense. I'll be comfortable rocking the little ones in my chair, won't I?

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2009-07-13T14:22:21Z

When he was first diagnosed with autism, no one knew much about the disorder. Through the years I collected information and worked closely with his public school teachers and professionals to learn all that I could about autism.

--Karen Griffin Roberts, BIS 2008

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Published Son's Autism Helped BIS Major Griffin Roberts Write Manual for Teachers

Karen Griffin Roberts graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor of individualized study and returned on scholarship to pursue a master's degree in early childhood special education. After spending nearly 20 years as an educator and raising a son with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of high-functioning autism, Griffin Roberts realized she had a unique insight into the disorder, and she used that insight to write and research her BIS senior project, "Modifying the Preschool Classroom to Include Children with Autism: A Manual for General Education Preschool Teachers." The College of Humanities and Social Sciences recently obtained a copy of Griffin Roberts' ground-breaking project (linked) and also held a question and answer session with her. Here's what she had to say:

Son's Autism Helped BIS Major Griffin Roberts Write Manual for Teachers

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Griffin Roberts; A BIS Major and Grad Student Takes Real Life Autism Experience to the Field

2009-08-27T14:42:13Z

2009-04-06T18:26:01Z

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2009-04-06T18:26:01Z

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Published

Please visit GMU-TV's website to order copies of either Convocation or Commencement, each copy costs $20.

Convocation and Commencement Videos

2009-08-27T14:39:39Z

http://www.gmutv.gmu.edu/Commencement/index.asp