WEBVTT

00:00:02,064 --> 00:00:12,105
Hi, everyone. My name is Jennifer Sears, and I am an Assistant Professor
at the University of North Georgia. I’ve been here for two years now,

00:00:12,105 --> 00:00:21,741
and I’m very excited to talk to you all today a little bit about IRIS.
So I was first introduced to the IRIS Modules when I was a doctoral

00:00:21,741 --> 00:00:33,831
student at the University of Central Florida. Several of the professors
at UCF used the IRIS Modules in their courses, so I got introduced to

00:00:33,831 --> 00:00:42,266
them and started using them in the different courses that I was teaching
at UCF. But when I came up to the University of North Georgia, we were

00:00:42,266 --> 00:00:54,339
using some of them already, but I really dived into the IRIS Modules
more specifically, especially for our teaching students with diverse

00:00:54,339 --> 00:01:06,702
needs as well as our ABA courses. So currently we’re using several of
the IRIS modules throughout our courses. We’re using the introduction to

00:01:06,702 --> 00:01:16,404
disabilities modules. We’re using how to create a functional behavioral
analysis. We’re using behavior intervention plans. We’re using classroom

00:01:16,404 --> 00:01:25,826
management. We use the evidence-based practices modules. We really
use a really wide variety of the modules, but one of the things that we’ve

00:01:25,826 --> 00:01:35,643
done really specifically is when we revamped our teaching students with
special needs course here at North Georgia.

00:01:35,643 --> 00:01:42,457
Previously our key assessment, really was our students were not seeing
the link between the key assessment and what they were doing in their

00:01:42,457 --> 00:01:51,682
practice, so we decided to change it up and do something a little
different. So we actually took the evidence-based practices modules from

00:01:51,682 --> 00:02:01,924
IRIS and developed our own key assessment from there. So the students
had to research and identify evidence-based practices then they had a

00:02:01,924 --> 00:02:08,767
case study student where they had to decide what would be the most
appropriate practice for the students to do. Come up with an

00:02:08,767 --> 00:02:19,044
implementation plan, discuss why they chose that, do the research behind
it. And we really use the IRIS Modules to lead us through that process.

00:02:19,044 --> 00:02:26,363
So we would do specific pieces of the modules in our classes, and then
the students would go and actually do the research themselves outside of

00:02:26,363 --> 00:02:38,204
class. It was really successful for us. And by doing the IRIS Modules
that way as a group within the class, we found the students are really

00:02:38,204 --> 00:02:46,825
enjoying them more. They’re able to get more out of it, and I’m learning
a lot, too, of, you know, little pieces that I may not have known in the past.

00:02:46,825 --> 00:02:50,876
[Tips for using IRIS Modules]

00:02:50,876 --> 00:02:58,078
I had made my students go through a couple of modules, and they had to
do these big long papers that went along with the modules, answering

00:02:58,078 --> 00:03:06,958
questions, coming up with evidence, doing all this information. And they
absolutely hated it. They absolutely did not enjoy the modules at all

00:03:06,958 --> 00:03:18,474
because of the amount of work that I was making them do. So when I went
and I changed it up this year, I broke up the modules. I allowed the

00:03:18,474 --> 00:03:27,287
students within groups to decide which area they’d like to research, so
whether it was looking at practices in math, reading comprehension, and

00:03:27,287 --> 00:03:36,207
all these different strategies. So we picked six modules students could
choose from. Then within their group, they did the module together, and

00:03:36,207 --> 00:03:43,459
then they presented it to their class. So our students were not just
being introduced to one module, now they’re being introduced to six

00:03:43,459 --> 00:03:53,287
modules, which was really successful. Giving the students that choice
was really helpful to them. So I absolutely suggest that people can do

00:03:53,287 --> 00:04:03,208
some of this work as well. I will tell you that through the pandemic,
the IRIS team has been amazing. We have been able to do so much more

00:04:03,208 --> 00:04:12,836
online learning by using the IRIS Modules here at the University of
North Georgia. Thank you for letting me talk today, and if anyone has

00:04:12,836 --> 00:04:16,069
any questions I’m happy to answer them. Have a great day.