(RALEIGH, N.C.) - The Capital Center for Quality Teaching & Learning™ welcomed a special visitor on Nov. 12. Anne Hancock, the U.S. Secretary of Education's Regional Representative for the Southeast, spent some time talking to educators in the Center, located adjacent to headquarters of The Centers for Quality Teaching and Learning.

Dr. Anne Hancock talks to teachers during a visit to the Capital Center for Quality Teaching & LearningT.

Dr. Hancock noted the gap that sometimes exists between what teachers know about technology and what their students know - and the need for professional development opportunities that help teachers feel more comfortable with modern teaching tools. She said what inhibits many teachers is "the insecurity of not being properly trained."

The QTL™ program focuses not on technology skills, but on the modeling of teaching strategies that incorporate technology and other tools. QTL™ instructor Billie Durham explained this approach helps teachers more than learning specific software. "It gives them hands-on experience instead of training."

Though she's now in a federal position of great responsibility and even has the ear of President Bush on occasion, Dr. Hancock said she is still a teacher at heart. "I really love to be back in the classroom," she said after her QTL™ Center visit. "This type of thing is a great opportunity... I wish I could to stay here longer." She had a plane to catch, but said she hopes to be able to arrange a longer visit soon.