CoPI: View from the Field

Sharon Padget has been a science teacher for the past 19 years and is currently and ESL teacher at Ottumwa High School. Below Sharon shares her CoPI experiences.


I became involved in the Iowa CoPi (#iacopi) in April of  2012.  I specifically worked on the development and design of the chemical properties e-curriculum and also contributed to the development of several other physical science modules. In the summer of 2012, I was asked to be a part of the CoPI Science Steering Committee.  I have been working most recently to bring #iacopi and its resources to more teachers across Iowa.


Through CoPI, I gained access to Resource Iowa. Resource Iowa is an online Moodle space where I can locate AEA K-12 Online’s shared e-curriculum and/or create new e-curriculum for my students to use in my classes. I am also able to share my e-curriculum with other Iowa educators.


Blended learning has been a wonderful addition to my teaching.  The blended learning environment gives my students access to content not found in a regular general education curriculum. Over time my students have also become more responsible for their learning, and I have become a resource for learning and not the keeper of all knowledge.  It allows for creativity, growth and self-motivation for students.


Through Iowa CoPI, I have also enjoyed the connections, collaborations, and conversations I have with other students and teachers from around the state of Iowa. I knew there were wonderful educators out there to connect with, but I did not know how to connect with them.  This gives me and my students the opportunity to participate in a flat classroom, not learn in a silo.