What should literacy instruction look like in today’s classrooms? High quality literacy instruction promotes and advances critical thinking. This program will investigate intentional instruction that fosters critical thinking skills. Examine strategies to “dig deeper” into the text and discover the art of dialogue and purposeful questions. Utilize multiple media and technologies to support and enhance a student’s critical eye for thoughtful interpretation of ideas.

Whether or not your school or district has adopted a Google Chromebook environment, if your LEA infrastructure allows for the use of Google Tools and/or Apps, the “Googlesphere” can be an immense help. It can aid in engaging students, keeping in touch with parents, automating feedback and assessment, sharing documents, and more. Hone your skills with the Google Chrome Browser, with Google Apps, with Android Apps, and with Chrome OS so that you can engage your students using freely available tools on almost any platform.

Writing well allows students to process and organize their thoughts and feelings and to communicate effectively with a range of audiences. Writing well is also one of the most difficult skills to teach, and many find the task overwhelming. The grading alone taxes the commitment of even the best of our profession. In this program, we will examine ways to write and how best to introduce various writing techniques to your students while providing useful, timely feedback. Participants will be given several writing assignments and should be prepared to give and receive feedback on that writing.

Reading, as the old saying goes, is fundamental. However, not all public school students have access to the variety of materials necessary to build a strong reading foundation. Research grant opportunities for purchasing books, digital devices, and other materials to aid in literacy instruction. Explore multiple means of acquiring literacy-related donations and discover open-access materials online. Finally, participate in the sharing of strategies for the effective use of these resources.

Literacy instruction is as difficult as it is essential. This program will provide early grades teachers with a complement of research-based tools and strategies to help answer some of their more burning questions: How do I teach close reading to students who don’t yet know the alphabet? What level of writing can I attain from children who are still learning to spell? How do I simultaneously provide enrichment for advanced readers and remediation for delayed readers? How can I integrate reading and writing instruction into all other subject areas? Finally, what does this instruction look like in the classroom and how are student engagement and learning measured in this process?

Designed for elementary math, ELA, or self-contained teachers of grades 3–5.

Students who struggle with the abstract and symbolic nature of mathematics may benefit from leveraging their reading and writing skills to analyze, evaluate, and solve complex problems. In this program, teachers will engage in a series of activities that combine reading and writing skills with mathematical inquiry. They will then have time to create or revise lessons that integrate these areas. Teachers of younger or older students may benefit, but activities will be geared to the upper elementary grades.

Designed for educators teaching students in 6th through 12th grade.

200-word essay required for placement (see below for details)

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. Participants will meet our bus at predetermined locations across the state and then journey together to Washington for this intensive week. Under the guidance of museum staff and teacher fellows, we will study in the museum which has earned an international reputation for the quality of its contents, presentations, architecture, and technology. This program is for educators involved or interested in teaching about the Holocaust to students eleven years of age and older. (Two participants to a room. Participants must be physically able to walk up to 1/2 mile over level ground, stand for extended periods, and ride for up to 8 hours on an excursion bus without detriment to their health.)

Three days of substitute teacher costs are covered. Applicants must exhibit a seriousness of interest in the subject matter as expressed in an essay that is reviewed by NCCAT staff as a part of the application process.

Designed for teachers in grades 4–12.

Students are engaged when they are involved in their work, persist despite challenges and obstacles, and take visible delight in their accomplishments. Solving student engagement issues is complex. What works in one class may be a failure in the next, with every year presenting new challenges for engaging students in various lessons. This program will review and evaluate strategies for motivating disengaged students and will prepare you to implement them upon your return to the classroom.

Whether or not your school or district has adopted a Google Chromebook environment, if your LEA infrastructure allows for the use of Google Tools and/or Apps, the “Googlesphere” can be an immense help. It can aid in engaging students, keeping in touch with parents, automating feedback and assessment, sharing documents, and more. Hone your skills with the Google Chrome Browser, with Google Apps, with Android Apps, and with Chrome OS so that you can engage your students using freely available tools on almost any platform.

The multiple transitions that North Carolina has made in the mathematics curriculum have students, teachers, administrators, and parents scratching their heads. How can we navigate the complexities of a very difficult subject in a world where numerical fluency is increasingly important? Many high school students have given up. They are turning to Wolfram-Alpha or deciding that “I’m not a math person.” Explore ways to engage students in the secondary mathematics classroom to show the relevance and importance of math in their everyday lives. Discover interactive digital resources to use in the classroom and connect with other educators across the state to form supportive networks.