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In November, North Carolina educators have several opportunities 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.

The runner-up is Barnanne Creech, a family and consumer sciences teacher at Zebulon Gifted & Talented Magnet Middle School teacher in the Wake County Public School System. Creech serves in multiple leadership roles, from teacher mentor and department chair to school improvement chair. She shares and leads monthly district PLC meetings. The award was presented for the second time, with finalists from across the state in attendance.

Kurt Garner, a business teacher at J.H. Rose High School in Pitt County Schools, was named the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) 2023 Career & Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year in a special ceremony at the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center on the campus of Western Carolina University Thursday, October 19, 2023. The runner-up is Barnanne Creech, a family and consumer sciences teacher at Zebulon Gifted & Talented Magnet Middle School teacher in the Wake County Public School System.

Dr. Paula Pinkerton, formerly Director of Elementary and Intermediate Instruction in Buncombe County Schools and a veteran educator, has been named Chief Academic Officer at the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT). In her new role, Pinkerton will be the administrative lead for the programming team for NCCAT, a nationally recognized leader in professional development. She will oversee NCCAT's programming faculty in designing and implementing offerings to provide the highest quality professional development for North Carolina public school educators in collaboration with faculty and staff.

North Carolina educators have several opportunities from November 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. Apply now!

In this session, 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 that will work to engage cultural knowledge through local context, as well as global perspective and competencies. This session is intended for any grade level and content area educators.

Beginning teachers can earn an NCCAT Beginning Teacher Badge by completing all 4 sessions in the series.  In this session participants will participate in Badge Days 1 and 2 of the series Oct. 30-31 in Cullowhee. North Carolina teachers will explore strategies for organization, time management, and consistent implementation of classroom procedures and routines.

NCCAT Online second quarter classes are open now. NCCAT Online courses are self-paced modules. Depending on the course, participants can earn 5 to 15 contact hours. We recommend educators check with their school district to verify acceptance of contact hours from the NCCAT Online courses towards CEUs. Educators can register for a maximum of two (2) courses per quarter. An email will be sent out for the courses you are placed in.

The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) Cullowhee Campus Building Project Committee will convene a meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 3, 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 Building Project.

Coming to NCCAT in November - "Supporting the N.C. Portrait of a Graduate Competencies in the STEM Classroom." The North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate Initiative calls for students to not only acquire rigorous academic content, but also durable skills that will serve them as they enter the career or college of their choice. The Portrait of a Graduate Competencies include adaptability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, empathy, learner’s mindset, and personal responsibility. Each of these skills are necessary components of high-quality STEM education! Participants in this seminar will experience the Portrait of a Graduate Competencies within the context of STEM and will walk away with tangible strategies that can be quickly implemented in the STEM classroom!

Join us November 6-9 in Cullowhee for the program - "Integrating the NC Computer Science Standards into the K-5Classroom." Participants will engage in interactive and hands-on sessions diving into world of elementary Computer Science. Sessions will focus on developing digital fluency and problem-solving skills. Participants will be equipped with the knowledge, strategies, and resources to effectively integrate the NC Computer Science Standards and concepts into their elementary classrooms. Sessions are grounded in current research, theory, and best practices, utilizing 21st century methods and pedagogy to ensure meaningful learning experiences for students.

Educators from around North Carolina joined the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) for the NCCAT Conference for Curriculum Leaders on Sept. 13-15 at the Cullowhee campus. More than 90 participants were part of the three-day conference that allowed state Curriculum Leaders to collaborate and share ideas for this upcoming school year.  The agenda for the NCCAT conference was based on feedback from curriculum leaders. Conference attendees were able to identify needs in their districts and give feedback on future NCCAT programming decisions.

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.