COpilot | COpilot

Catherine Lee

Catherine Lee is a secondary mathematics teacher who currently works with 7th grade students in Colorado to build their mathematical/critical thinking skills. This is her 15th year of teaching math; 11 years at the middle school level and 4 years at the high school level.

The way in which students learn has changed dramatically from her first year of teaching. Over the course of several years, Catherine has updated her teaching style to meet the needs of the newest generation of digital learners. By creating videos and incorporating them into her class, students are able to use technology in a meaningful way within her classroom and she is able to have small groups to help students succeed. In turn, classroom management has become much easier, better relationships with students have been formed, days are less stressful, and her evaluations have improved. In addition, students are able to watch the videos at home when they are absent or when they want to see the lesson again. The following are quotes from students and one parent:

“It has given me the chance to work at my own pace. I can rewind the video if I don’t get something and work on homework faster.”
“The positive changes that I have noticed are that people are working harder and it’s a lot more fun to do than watch the teacher stand in front of the class for a large percentage of the class.”
“I don’t have to wait for kids to get quiet.”
“I’ve seen people understanding more about what is going on and people are becoming more positive and happy to learn new things.”
“I feel like my math skills are getting stronger because of the videos. I have seen a positive change in my grades.”
“I have been able to focus more and I now have access to the lesson from home! I have been able to go at my own pace. If I have any questions, Mrs. Lee is always available.”
“I have noticed that there are more interactions with each other but we still get our work done.”
“My daughter and I no longer argue about doing assignments. I can watch the videos with her and I know how to help her.”

Catherine holds a BA in secondary mathematics from the University of Northern Colorado, a MA in secondary pedagogy and design in mathematics from the University of Colorado in Denver, and a MA in school counseling from Adams State University.

Become a COpilot class facilitator!

Are you wondering what that little paper airplane on some facilitator photos means? Are you interested in teaching other teachers content and strategies that actually work? Do you want to be a leader in your Association? Would you like to make some extra money?

If you answered "Yes!" to any of these questions, then you should definitely consider becoming a COpilot class facilitator. The best part about facilitating classes to other educators on COpilot is learning with people from all over Colorado who are just like you. Every COpilot class gives you and other educators a chance to learn instructional and leadership strategies that truly make a difference in students' lives!

Facilitating classes on COpilot can definitely be intimidating, but the good news is that CEA supports you every step of the way. The process to become a facilitator, set up a class, and get to teaching is actually pretty easy. Just take a look at this short list:

Contact Casey Kilpatrick, the Director of Learning Services at the Colorado Education Association, and express your interest in facilitating a class.
Casey will arrange a time to meet with you via Zoom to discuss what you'd like to teach. We are always looking for new classes, so no topic is really out of bounds!
After the meeting, you'll need to fill out a syllabus so CEA can get the class approved for credit (we'll give you a template).
Once Casey receives the completed syllabus, he'll arrange another meeting to set up your class shell and walk you through the COpilot Learning Management System (LMS).
You'll then have the chance to build your class and get feedback from CEA about the process.
Once your class finishes, CEA will pay you for the number of students who completed your class (for more information about payment rates, please contact Casey Kilpatrick at CEA)

That's really all there is to it. CEA will take care of all the technical support, marketing, credit approval, evaluations, and other questions that come up. All you really need to do is work with amazing educators on a topic that fits your passions.

Now...what about that paper airplane?

Facilitators who earn that airplane means they are WINGS certified. All of those awesome Colorado educators have taken a rigorous, 30-hour, two graduate credit class all about online learning and facilitation. WINGS certified facilitators make more money per student who completes a class and have special recognition across the Association. To become a WINGS certified facilitator, you first must facilitate a class at the base level. You then need to complete the WINGS COpilot Proficiency Program that is offered every spring. Please contact Casey Kilpatrick at CEA for more information.