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Adding to the constant effort of striving to meet North Carolina’s current and future needs in STEM education, The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching has hired Senior STEM Specialist Dr. Jennifer Redfearn to support teachers in incorporating STEM learning into their instruction. NCCAT, a recognized national leader in professional development programming for teachers, responded to an expressed statewide need for professional development in STEM education.

How can we as educators enhance our classroom settings to engage students in real-world problem-solving skill sets? In this session coming in October to NCCAT Cullowhee, participants will come to understand a framework of Project/Problem-Based Learning (PBL) through the “7 Gold Standards” of PBL. Educators will practice designing a PBL unit. This session is intended for any grade level and content area educators. 

October is a great time to join NCCAT for professional learning. Applicants are encouraged to register as soon as possible to ensure a spot. Programs are available to North Carolina educators at the Cullowhee and Ocracoke campuses, online, and with NCCAT faculty visiting school districts. From our literacy-focused programs to digital learning, to STEM, math, and science, we have plenty of offerings designed to help teachers to positively impact student learning across our state.

Join us September 25-29 at NCCAT Ocracoke for the "Middle Grades Math Badge Series" as we explore strategies that allow all students to thrive and grow into successful mathematicians who ask questions, engage in math discourse, and think critically. Badge one will focus on core instructional models and mathematical discourse. Badge two will examine conceptual teaching and learning through the concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) model. Badge three will explore research-based number sense routines that support students’ reasoning skills. Badge four will investigate problem-solving routines that embrace the eight mathematical practices.

Governor Roy Cooper has appointed Dr. Freddie E. Williamson of Robeson County to the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), a recognized leader in professional development programming for North Carolina teachers. Dr. Williamson became Superintendent of the Public Schools of Robeson County in 2020.  Williamson — who began his career as a classroom teacher — came to Robeson County from Hoke County Schools, where he served as superintendent for 15 years. Dr. Williamson has received multiple accolades for his leadership, character and resolve to make a difference in the lives of the students he has served. Throughout his educational tenure, he has served students in Sampson, Hoke, Scotland and Robeson counties.

North Carolina educators have several opportunities from September through January to attend the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT), a recognized national leader in professional development programming for teachers. Registration for these programs is open now. Applicants are encouraged to register as soon as possible to ensure a spot. Programs are available to North Carolina educators at the Cullowhee and Ocracoke campuses, online, and with NCCAT faculty visiting school districts. From our literacy-focused programs to digital learning, to STEM, math, and science, we have plenty of offerings designed to help teachers to positively impact student learning across our state.

We appreciate all the work being done by educators being done by North Carolina educators to ready for Back to School. NCCAT is here to help with a variety of professional learning opportunities. September will feature several professional development opportunities at the NCCAT Cullowhee and Ocracoke campuses.  Programs like Unlocking the Secrets to Student Engagement, Canvas: Time to Design, Teaching Writing in the High School English Classroom, and more. NCCAT Online registration is open, too. Residential, online or visiting your school we have professional development that supports teachers and impacts students. Join us!

Coming September 11-15 at NCCAT Ocracoke - "Teaching Writing in the High School English Classroom." In this seminar, we will examine how to introduce various writing techniques to your students while providing useful, timely feedback that doesn't overwhelm the student or teacher. We will also examine ways to find a balance between utilizing available technology and getting students to write off screen. Participants will practice producing different modes of writing, receiving and giving feedback, and collaborating on best practices for supporting teenage writers. This program is intended for classroom teachers and coaches in grades 9-12.

Teaching the Holocaust: Resources and Reflections (Washington, D.C.) November 12 - 17, 2023. Apply now.The aim of this program is to gain an understanding of the precursors, events, and consequences of the Holocaust and to grapple with the problem of how best to convey this history and the meaning that it can have in the lives and civic practices of our students. To accomplish this goal, we will explore the exhibits and other resources of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.

September with NCCAT will feature several professional development opportunities at the NCCAT Cullowhee and Ocracoke campuses.  Programs like Unlocking the Secrets to Student Engagement, Canvas: Time to Design, Teaching Writing in the High School English Classroom, Unlocking Advanced Learning Differentiation with NC Literacy Standards and more. Also check out NCCAT Online. There is no charge for NCCAT Online courses. NCCAT Online courses are self-paced modules. Depending on the course, participants can earn 5 to 15 contact hours.

Navigate and utilize digital literacy to understand grade-related science topics and expand their critical thinking skills.  Participants will explore the nature of science and author and personal bias, address common scientific misconceptions and take-home templates and protocols to assist in guiding these conversations with students. Learn how to strengthen understanding of grades 5-12 science standards by weaving together hands-on lessons, research analysis and problem-solving. This session is also appropriate for all ELA, Humanities, and media teachers.

The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) Cullowhee Campus Building Project Committee Meeting will convene a meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at the NCCAT Cullowhee campus, located at 276 NCCAT Drive, Cullowhee, NC 28723. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the NCCAT Cullowhee Campus Capital Project.

Coming September 11-15 in Ocracoke. In this seminar, we will examine how to introduce various writing techniques to your students while providing valuable, timely feedback that doesn't overwhelm the student or teacher. We will also examine ways to balance utilizing available technology and getting students to write off-screen. Participants will practice producing different modes of writing, receiving and giving feedback, and collaborating on best practices for supporting teenage writers.

Join NCCAT for Canvas: Time to Design September 5-8 in Ocracoke. Canvas is a useful tool whether it’s for fully online courses or to create modules for a blended teaching approach, but who has the time and support to craft great Canvas resources? This program will give teachers exactly that - the time and support needed to accomplish their Canvas design goals. Teachers will learn best practices for building lessons, assignments, discussions, and modules, while being supported in their work. Come with ideas for lessons that need an online component.

Is your school interested in using the NC STEM Schools of Distinction Rubric for school improvement or to receive the STEM School of Distinction designation? Join us in September in Cullowhee for "STEM Schools of Distinction." During this planning institute, schools will review the overarching principles of the Rubric, consider what each principle means in the context of their individual school, assess the school’s readiness, draft a strategic plan and develop the next steps for school improvement or apply for the NC STEM Schools of Distinction. The institute will include group discussions to learn from best practices across the state and individual school team planning.