Meet Our 2016 Lea(R)n Fellow: Cori Odom
The LearnPlatform was designed by, with and for educators. Last summer, we kicked off the Lea(R)n Fellowship program to take that collaboration to the next level. In its second year, the program received applications from educators across the state of North Carolina, and narrowed down the list to over a dozen finalists.
After carefully evaluating and interviewing each finalist, the Lea(R)n team is excited to announce our 2016 Lea(R)n Fellow, Cori Odom. Cori is a IMT Teacher at Davis Drive Elementary School in Cary, NC.
Also returning for her second fellowship, Yasmeen Robbins, an Instructional Coach in the Cumberland County school district, will continue her work with our senior research officer, Dr. Daniel Stanhope. Her goal is to enhance professional development for educators, focusing on how teachers learn about digital tools and implement them in their classrooms.
We look forward to working with these outstanding educators this summer!
Meet Our New Fellow, Cori Odom:
How long have you been teaching?
I have been teaching for 21 years. This is my first year back full time, I’d been part-time for 16 years.
What’s your favorite part of teaching?
My favorite part of teaching is the students. I love to see their excitement and wonder as they discovery new and exciting ways to learn and show understanding through the use of technology!
How do you use edtech and digital tools to enhance learning?
Being the technology teacher, my use of edtech and digital tools is used in enrichment and extension to what the students are learning in the regular classroom. This year my PDP goal was the introduction and integration of GAFE, to both students and staff. The Google applications coupled with other programs and using a science or social studies curriculum’s as a base, made integration of technology quite successful in the lab this year!
Who inspires you?
The super, hardworking teachers I work with inspire me each day. I have some fantastic colleagues that dedicate so much time and energy to their classrooms, that their collaboration and work ethic in turn inspires me to be creative, innovative and productive as a teacher and leader in our school community.
What are you most looking forward as a Lea(R)n Fellow?
I am looking forward to being a part of the Lea(R)n team this summer as a representative of all educators. I look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions with the team regarding the LearnPlatform, what it is capable of, changes that could make it more successful, and how it works for me as an educator.