Generation Z has never known a world without cell phones, texting, and the Internet. Our students are more comfortable with the use of technology than former generations. However, this technology-driven style of learning seems to have resulted in a generation of learners who seek immediate gratification—are prone to boredom and ready to jump to the end of the book. How do we teach the Zs? In a mash-up of professional education—a blend of an EdCamp, an interdisciplinary conference on active learning and assessment, and a gamification boot camp—educators will answer that question.

Formerly titled “Research and Development Teams” programs.

The NCCAT Solution and Planning Teams program offers educators an opportunity to meet in a residential setting devoid of distraction to create and advance departmental, school, or district-wide projects. These projects might consist of new programming, research, planning, or curricula. Gather a team together to create or refine your own innovative solutions. Early grades literacy or digital learning projects will be given preference, however, all project proposals will be considered. Single rooms, meeting space, Internet access, and meals for the participants will be provided by NCCAT. Travel and the cost of substitute teachers are not covered. Teachers, administrators, central office personnel, and district coordinators are encouraged to apply.

NCCAT schedules Solution and Planning Teams programs throughout the year. If your team is interested in a date that NCCAT has not already scheduled, contact Teacher Services to see if we can accommodate the date you prefer.

Formerly titled “Research and Development Teams” programs.

The NCCAT Solution and Planning Teams program offers educators an opportunity to meet in a residential setting devoid of distraction to create and advance departmental, school, or district-wide projects. These projects might consist of new programming, research, planning, or curricula. Gather a team together to create or refine your own innovative solutions. Early grades literacy or digital learning projects will be given preference, however, all project proposals will be considered. Single rooms, meeting space, Internet access, and meals for the participants will be provided by NCCAT. Travel and the cost of substitute teachers are not covered. Teachers, administrators, central office personnel, and district coordinators are encouraged to apply.

NCCAT schedules Solution and Planning Teams programs throughout the year. If your team is interested in a date that NCCAT has not already scheduled, contact Teacher Services to see if we can accommodate the date you prefer.

Primary sources, such as photographs, manuscripts, maps, and government documents, are now digitized. Educators can easily access and use them to enhance digital learning for their students. Join us at NCCAT as we partner with university libraries and online programs that provide relevant and engaging teaching resources in user-friendly online forms. We also will discover other online sources and explore means of using them that promote critical thinking and analysis skills and engage middle and high school students in technology, language arts, science, social studies, and other subjects. Together we will locate materials relevant to your own North Carolina hometowns or counties and share ways to improve your students’ digital literacy and make these sources more meaningful to them.

Designed for K–8 educators.

Being literate in the 21st century entails more complex criteria than in prior generations. As students move away from print reading and journey into a world of literacy that is predominantly visual, sensory, and technologically based, visual literacy instruction becomes an important part of a child’s education. It allows for a deeper interaction with the “text” and introduces the process of analytical thinking. From picture books to classics, from artwork to advertising, learn how teaching visual literacy helps students better interpret texts of all kinds. Join us for a hands-on, engaging, in-depth exploration which will provide opportunities to link visual literacy with comprehension. Presented by A+ Schools Program of the North Carolina Arts Council.

It’s time to start thinking outside the box! Teachers often think projects take too much time to plan or don’t know how to align them with curriculum. PBLs are an effective and enjoyable way to learn which allows students to work as a team, reflect, ask questions, build confidence, work with a purpose, problem solve, and learn time management. Investigate what essential questions, unit questions, and content questions will enable you to develop your own PBL unit. Return to your classroom with a PBL unit you create that will excite and engage your students as they claim ownership of their learning.

NCCAT’s Holocaust Education Program works to promote Holocaust education in North Carolina public schools. It is important to continue our efforts to promote student understanding of the ways in which our individual and collective actions shape the direction of the present and the world of the future. Join fellow alumni of our Holocaust education program as we explore teaching the Holocaust through writing and literature with various genres, including personal narrative/memoir, biography, poetry, and film. This program will help teachers focus on the power of individuals’ personal stories as an effective vehicle for teaching about the Holocaust, so they may involve students in appropriate and powerful study of this difficult topic. The Gathering is open to teachers who have participated in NCCAT’s “Teaching the Holocaust” programs or in comparable intensive Holocaust education programs.

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.

Social Studies lessons in the elementary classroom often receive minimal coverage as much of the school day must focus on language arts and math lessons. Join experts in the field of digital learning, history, and other social studies content as we explore the best resources to engage elementary students in ways that will ultimately improve their literacy skills. Create lessons from the history, economy, and current events of our state that will encourage students to read more and to explore on their own the vast amount of digital resources now available.

Educational research and experienced teachers recognize that most school-aged students learn by doing. Teachers who build kinesthetic movement into their instruction report that their students are less disruptive and more engaged. Research supports that physical activity improves memory retention, comprehension, and self-regulation in students of all grade or achievement levels. Learn how you can transform a typical desk-and-chair classroom into an active classroom. Design and create your own movement-enhanced lessons with low-cost materials for use in the pre-K–12, differentiated, and exceptional classrooms.