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INSTRUCTOR: Dr. KRISTINA ROBERTS E-MAIL: kroberts@bcconline.com Doctorate in Family Psychology (Sept, 2005) I returned to college as an adult student after I realized that I would need more education. I learned that in our society, with our ever-increasing technology and with education becoming easier to attain, one cannot hope to make a decent living without some type of degree or training. Since I had neither, I returned to school at Victor Valley College. I chose Math as my major, hoping to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Math and teach at the high school level. (Yes, I’m one of those "crazy" people who loves math: calculations, numbers, and long chains of numerical logic - the longer, the better!!) Shortly after that, I moved to Barstow and I put my education on hold, but that didn’t last long. "Education fever" followed me, and the only cure was more! With a young baby, I decided that, for me, driving to an out-of-town college to finish my math degree was impractical. I looked into local "satellite" colleges and decided to attend Park College (now Park University). I began a degree in management, not specifically intending to use the degree when I completed it, (I planned to remain home with my children until they were older) but knowing that it was important to complete a degree. I took two management courses and decided that business was the last field I ever wanted to work in. As interesting as it was in theory, working in the field day after day did not appeal to me at all. I switched my major to Psychology, a field that had always interested me, and was actually a hobby of mine as well. I loved earning a degree in a field that was not only fascinating, but practical. Just before my graduation from Park College, the University of LaVerne proposed a School Counseling program in Barstow. It was a tremendous opportunity for me - I could complete an advanced degree just miles from my home. I jumped at the chance, and less than two years later, I graduated with a Master’s Degree in School Counseling and the Pupil Personnel Services Credential. This credential is a certification by the State of California (similar to a teaching credential, but in the counseling field) to work as a professional counselor in the public school systems. During my schooling, and to earn the credential, I worked as a counselor at Crestline and Skyline North Elementary Schools and Calico and Apple Valley High Schools. I was trained as a Crisis Intervention counselor by SELPA of the High Desert. I taught parenting classes and was certified by SELPA to teach parenting classes for children with ADD, AD/HD, ODD and other characteristics that require modifications to traditional parenting. As I mentioned above, I just can't get enough schooling, so . . . in October of 2001 I returned to school part-time, once again, to complete a Doctoral degree in Family Psychology. I completed the degree in September, 2005. Until about then, professionally, I was a full time mother. I worked at home taking care of my family (which puts ALL of my training to use on a daily basis!). I have five children, (21, 16, 11, 9, and 6). I still consider being a mother my primary profession. Teaching is one of my hobbies, and I truly love it. I have been teaching for Barstow College since 1998 and also taught for Park University until I moved out of the Barstow area. In early 2006, I began working on my hours towards licensure as a psychologist and completed them in August, 2007. After passing the national and state exams, I was licensed as a psychologist in December, 2007. I specialize in forensic psychology (specifically, child custody evaluations, child development expert witness testimony, and competency evaluations for guardianship/conservatorship) and also in clinical psychology, with specializations in diagnosing and treating bipolar adults and children, children with AD/HD and their families, and children with other behavior disorders and their families. In my spare time, I volunteer time at my church, community functions, my local Freecycle.org group, and at my children's schools. Any leftover time I spend reading, cooking, making quilts, shopping, exercising, or playing the flute. I have taken Karate classes, and one day I hope to continue them. One other hobby is education and I continue to take courses and trainings to remain current in the areas of my specializations. I have past experience in real estate as a salesperson and real estate loan processor, experience as a tutor and instructor of math and English, and have taught various types of parenting classes including classes for the parents of children with AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). I have organized children’s counseling groups which focus on anger management and communication skills, career awareness programs at the elementary school level, and counseling groups for adolescents who are pregnant or have children and those who are considered "at risk." I also hold the Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPS) which allows me to work as a professional counselor in the public school system working with children from preschool through 12th grade, their families and the school system. "As gold which he cannot spend will make no man rich, so knowledge which he cannot apply will make no man wise." (Samuel Johnson) I believe that if a student spends time and money for a class, the student should leave the class with not only a thorough theoretical understanding of the material, but the tools to use the information in everyday life: a practical knowledge. These are my main goals when teaching a class. My responsibility as a teacher is to provide the learning environment and instruction, and the student’s responsibility is to apply him or herself to the work and ask any and all necessary questions until he or she understands the concepts and can apply them in daily living. I feel that teaching students to think critically will sharpen their ability to take ‘book information’ and translate it into practical situations. While most students can pass a class by the ‘fill it up and flush method’ (remembering information until an exam, then forgetting ("flushing") most of it after the test), my hope is that students will retain and use this material long after the class has ended because they will have incorporated the practical applications into their lives. Any student can go back and find the information from the class (through the book, Internet, etc.), but the practical use of the information in day-to-day life is what will improve a student’s lifestyle and show true learning. Lastly, learning is an exploring of ideas, values, and previously held beliefs. A truly educated person listens with an open mind to new or differing information. Exposure to differing viewpoints and information serves to strengthen the educational process and expose the learner to information outside his or her usual comfort level or sphere of previous knowledge. True learning involves taking one’s past views, exploring them, comparing them with new information, then making a conscious choice about which to hold on to and which to let go. This is just an area to give you information about how I will conduct my online class, and some technicalities that will be important to know, so that we all begin on the same page, so-to-speak. *When sending an E-mail, be sure to put something in the subject area. If you need a question answered right away, write "Question," "Need Help" or "Urgent" in the subject area. This will allow me to sort through the papers to be graded and get to the urgent questions immediately. DO NOT SEND ANY ATTACHMENTS. (the observation paper is the only exception) *I will respond to each email marked URGENT, NEED HELP, QUESTION, etc., within 24 hours. This does not mean that I will have everything corrected and graded within 24 hours, but I will respond first to students who need help with the course. (Questions labeled as requested above are delivered directly to me and are more likely to be answered quicker, while assignments are filtered into folders so that I can grade them later. Thus, if you respond to a quiz confirmation, it will likely be directed to the "quiz" folder, and will be read when I do the grading for the week.) I will return grades and quizzes (for those who request them according to the instructions in the Online Gradebook) within one week after the due date. * If you have questions, don’t wait until the last minute to ask me. The deadline for assignments remains the same, but if you E-mail me on Sunday night, it is possible that I won’t get back to you until the next day. Then your work will be late. *Always, always identify your E-mail and/or assignments with your name, and the course title (Psyc 4/Chld 4). Don’t assume that your E-mail address lets me know who you are - it may not. Additionally, I may know you by your first name, and your address uses your last, or vice-versa. It will take longer for you to get an answer to your questions (or may make an assignment late) if I have to return your e-mail and ask who you are, which assignment you are asking about, or which class you are from. I prefer to spend my time interacting with students, not searching for one name in stacks of rollsheets or emails. (Also, if you need to send an instant message, please identify yourself and the course you are in when you first send the message.) *Yes, I know this is not an English class. In any case, I will be strict on correct usage of the English language. Especially in an Internet course, but in a regular course as well, you are expressing yourself in writing. Not only is it inconvenient if others cannot read or understand what you have written, it is not appropriate in any college-level course. I require that all formal assignments (anything that is graded; including, but not limited to assignments, answers/responses to discussion questions, and the paper) be spell checked, grammar checked, and proofread before submitting or posting. Correct grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation should be used. I will reduce the grade for excess (more than 2) errors. In informal correspondence (E-mails, questions, etc.) I will not "grade" on your English usage, but obviously I need to be able to understand what you are trying to communicate. Because I realize that every student is not strong in this area, and many of you will be taking this as one of your first courses, I have posted a "Paper Grading Criteria" which details what I look for when grading papers and common mistakes that college students make. If you use this, you will cover most of the "bases." I still always suggest that you have someone else proofread as well. And lastly, you may ALWAYS email me with any questions - that is what I am here for! (also, if you got this far and read this WHOLE thing, I think that also deserves some extra credit!!! So to collect 10 points of extra credit, email me using the link at the bottom of the page and let me know you have read the "online information" and are requesting your 10 points of extra credit. Now, go and finish reading! haha) *I mention this in the syllabus under the "Discussion Questions" heading, but I don’t believe that I can stress it enough. Derogatory comments, swearing or cursing, and other rudeness will not be tolerated, whether on the discussion board or in emails. I will substantially reduce grades for this type of behavior. Disagreement is fine; differing opinions and viewpoints are welcome and encouraged, as this is how learning takes place. However, any communication (whether it is with other students or the instructor) should be respectful and tactful. *Save ALL of your work. Let's get started!!! I'm looking forward to getting to know each of you. Kristina Roberts, PhD, PPS
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