NCCAT

Last week I had the pleasure of getting together in Cullowhee at NCCAT (North Carolina’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching) with the other 48 Kenan Fellows. After spending a week in a cubicle at the Department of Public Instruction, NCCAT was literally a breath of fresh air. I am enjoying my time at DPI, and it is truly a privilege to discuss assessments with the professionals who work on them every day. It is a rare opportunity for teachers who are on the ground working with students every day to share their thoughts with a mentor who is the director of accountability services for all of North Carolina. All of that being said (or written :)), I was ready to move around and think about my classroom again.

NCCAT provided that opportunity and so much more. Throughout the week, we were inundated with new technology tools to use with our students. I can’t wait to try out:

• Go Soapbox: Lots of different options to turn mobile devices into clickers for a barometer, quizzes, polls, discussions, social q&a, and back channeling. Love that there’s no login and a profanity filter (a must-have in high schools, although we saw that it doesn’t quite catch everything…)
• Padlet (use to be Wallwisher… now it has many more features): Students can build a wall and add almost anything to it. I’m thinking about using it for journaling or current events. Students can also comment on each other’s walls. Also no login… which is fantastic. It can connect to a Google account so that teachers can easily keep track of the walls.
• Voki: Create a quick avatar – 60 seconds in a free version. Can pull in your own background and there are several options for people (including some famous people – I’m thinking of using Barack Obama to introduce my Drone Debate project). This would be great to record instructions so students can go back and listen to it as many times as needed (so you aren’t constantly repeating yourself!). Also great for foreign language teachers (or ESL students) because students can listen multiple times.

The biggest highlight of the week wasn’t the lesson ideas, rafting experience, or wonderful service (NCCAT staff treated us like the professionals we are… which sometimes doesn’t happen for educators), but the chance to engage and get to know 48 other teachers from across North Carolina. It is incredible to spend time with teachers of different contents, grade levels, and districts to learn about their successes and challenges. I really enjoyed getting to know them and have been inspired by their level of commitment to the profession. They encourage me and challenge me to become a better teacher. I can’t wait to continue to learn and grow along side them throughout the rest of my Kenan Fellowship.

Every time I meet teachers across our great state, I am struck by their intelligence, passion, and tenacity. For anyone who is worried about the state of public education, spend a few minutes with some of North Carolina’s teachers.