News

Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at 3 p.m. via in-person and Zoom. The meeting may be accessed at the following link: https://www.nccat.org/, The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) Cullowhee Campus Building Project Committee will convene a meeting at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, via zoom and at 276 NCCAT Drive, Cullowhee, NC 28723. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the NCCAT Cullowhee Campus Capital Project.

Please join NCCAT for The Maker Mindset in Cullowhee August 14-18. A current trend in education uses the maker mindset to encourage students of all ages to build, design, program, solve problems, collaborate, and innovate. Learn to plan lessons that teach the maker mindset and pull in content as diverse as engineering, reading, and math! In this hands-on session you'll explore how you might use maker activities in your classroom to promote learning, foster engagement, and build innovation and creativity in your students. Topics include: design, 3D printing, building, invention, robotics, programming, electronics, app smashing, and more! This program is open to teachers in grades 3-12.

Join NCCAT for "Let's Up Your Physical Education Game" this August in Ocracoke. Physical education plays an important role in the overall educational process. An effective program can help boost academics for the entire school. While games have played a central role in modern day physical education, we should remember that less than 25% of adults will actively participate in sports as adults. This program will introduce a wider range of healthy lifestyle activities that students can experiment with, learn to enjoy and play, and potentially continue throughout their lives. This session is designed for K-12 physical education teachers who want to learn new and exciting ways to up their classroom “game.” 

Please join NCCAT in August for "Building Thinking Classrooms in Secondary Mathematics" in Ocracoke. Now more than ever, middle and high school students need math classroom structures that honor their strengths and promote mathematical thinking. Join us as we explore highly effective teaching practices that get students up out of their seats and engaged in thinking mathematically. Sessions for this program will examine selecting math tasks, strategies for engaging learners in mathematics, and formative assessments. This program is open to math teachers in grades 5-12. 

Join NCCAT August 7-10 in Cullowhee for - Environment and Genetics: The Science Connection. Our physical, psychological, and emotional well-being are interconnected. Through experiential lessons learn about the latest research on the connection between our environment and our genetics. Participants will study light, circadian rhythms, genetics, body systems, macromolecules, and more found in science standards grades 3-12. Literacy, science, and social studies will be featured in our activities as we discover how to make science standards applicable to our student’s lives.

The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) hosted the 2023 Inclusion Summit in June. The Inclusion Summit was hosted by Western Carolina University. The Annual Inclusion Summit brings various disability inclusion stakeholders together to discuss current practices and future innovations. Invited participants included presenters from among educators, school administrators, and related service providers. This year’s theme, Transitioning Across the Lifespan, reflected on the understanding that every step of life development involves small and large transitions. Events helped equip participants to practice and advocate for better inclusion of individuals with disabilities.

Teachers from across North Carolina joined us for "K-5: Literacy for Multilingual Learners" recently at NCCAT Ocracoke. The five components of effective literacy instruction are of particular importance to our Multilingual Learners and include Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. Writing is also a key component and is one avenue for meaningful use of language. Multilingual Learners can often participate in writing activities, even when their speaking skills are limited. These Elementary ESL teachers explored these components while collaborating with colleagues and a former district ESL coach to learn how to help their students improve their literacy skills based on reading science.

The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) was proud to once again host the Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership at N.C. State University Summer Institute. This year there are 38 outstanding K-12 educators from North Carolina public and charter schools who make up the 2023-24 Kenan Fellows. These educators, hailing from 25 counties across the state, represent diverse grade levels and subject areas including math, science, Career Technical Education (CTE), special education, and English Language Arts. The Kenan Fellows Program provides teachers with invaluable experiences in industry and research settings and supports them in translating their internship experiences into a wealth of instructional resources that are shared with their schools, districts, and communities.

Excited to have a great group of educations with us for The Maker Movement program at Ocracoke. The Maker Movement empowers colleagues to become inventors, engineers, and designers. A current trend in education uses the Maker mindset to encourage students of all ages to build, design, program, solve problems, collaborate, and innovate. These educators from across North Carolina learned to plan lessons that teach the Maker mindset and pull in content as diverse as engineering, reading, and math.

Twenty-four teachers from across North Carolina have been selected as finalists for the 2023 North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year Award in honor of their dedication, innovation, and ability to inspire students to achieve. One of these talented educators will be named the NCCAT 2023 NC CTE Teacher of the Year. The award is scheduled to be presented on October 19, at the Western Carolina University campus. The finalists will be at the NCCAT campus in Cullowhee for professional development the week of October 16-20.

NCCAT was pleased to host the Clinton City Schools Dark Horse Fellows to our Cullowhee campus. The school district effort seeks to encourage more students to become teachers. The Dark Horse Fellows is a teacher preparatory program designed to support Clinton High School students in Sampson County with a passion for education. The Dark Horse Fellows Program is available to successful Clinton High School rising juniors and seniors with a strong passion to become educators.

NCCAT appreciates these teachers for joining us for "Bringing High Quality Project Based Learning to Your Classroom" in Cullowhee. High Quality Project-Based Learning is a pedagogical strategy used by forward thinking educators around the world to inspire students to collaborate, think critically , and share their work. Though many educators have heard about PBL and are excited about it, they struggle to implement it with fidelity in their own classrooms. This program, designed for educators in grades 6-12 of all subjects, including Career and Technical Education, introduced educators to the HQPBL framework and help them create their own PBL units in a high energy, collaborative atmosphere. 

NCCAT was pleased to host North Carolina educators in Ocracoke for the "STEM Schools of Distinction" program. During this planning institute schools reviewed the overarching principles of the NC STEM Schools of Distinction Rubric, considered what each principle means in the context of their individual school, assess the school’s readiness, drafted a strategic plan and developed next steps for school improvement or to apply for the NC STEM Schools of Distinction. The institute included whole group discussion to learn from best practices across the state and individual school team planning. Those who were encouraged to attend were: School teams of three to five (including a required administrator). Schools which currently have a STEM focus or have previously applied for the STEM School of Distinction designation will benefit the most from this institute.

Educators from across North Carolina joined us for "Shifting the Paradigm: Student-Centered Instructional Coaching" at NCCAT Cullowhee. The work of instructional coaching is a dynamic part of school communities. Supporting coaching cultures where students are at the center is an essential part of this work. Throughout the week, the participants learned coaching moves that create opportunities for professional growth, and suggestions for putting student learning at the forefront. Sessions included models for co-teaching moves, providing strength-based feedback, and high-impact instructional strategies. Time was spent collaborating with coaches from across NC, and learning new ways to connect with teachers and their classrooms.

NCCAT Summer registration for programs in July, August, and September is now open. NCCAT, a recognized national leader in professional development, supports teachers and impacts students across North Carolina. NCCAT is also starting a new registration system. Find out more at https://learn.nccat.org/ NCCAT helps North Carolina teachers grow in knowledge, skills, compassion, and professionalism so that students become engaged, self-motivated, and successful. NCCAT's instructional programs reflect the broad range of unique professional development topics for public school teachers and other educators. Challenging formats shape the offerings. All programs incorporate state standards.