The effective use of technology, and a better understanding of how to engage, motivate and assess student learning has always been important to Professor Spitler. In 1998, he attended a Technology Conference in Atlanta, and in 2001, he attended the Voyage to Excellence Conference on distance learning at Southeastern Community College. These professional development activities contributed to the creation and offering of the first online class in his program areas. In 2004, Professor Spitler completed graduate level courses in Community College Teaching through North Carolina State University, and he was able to apply what he learned during student interactions. In 2010, Professor Spitler participated in the Institute on Best Practices and Institutional Effectiveness Assessment. Upon returning to campus, he participated in an initiative that created a new assessment model for Sandhills Community College programs. The Student Learning Outcomes data that is generated through this assessment process allows for a measure of teaching effectiveness, and it allows for data-driven decisions to be made with regards to instructional changes.
Professor Spitler has attended many professional development activities to enhance his teaching effectiveness within his discipline and his leadership skills. Since 1999, the Experience Engineering Project that he created has allowed faculty within his programs to stay current on industry trends and topics, while at the same time providing students with a unique educational experience. Professor Spitler has led field trips to numerous trade shows, construction sites, and professional offices since 1999. Besides visiting sites and teaching at Sandhills, Professor Spitler has also been the featured presenter at eighteen different professional seminars for engineers and surveyors across North Carolina and Virginia. These seminars have provided an opportunity to network and discuss a wide array of civil engineering, geomatics and technology topics with industry professionals. These seminars enhance teaching effectiveness through the addition of new course materials, and a thorough review of topics by current professionals. Growing as a leader is important, and in 2001, Professor Spitler was proud to graduate from the North Carolina Community College Leadership program. The leadership skills learned in this program have been of great value.
Being an educator and the son of an educator, professional development through college classes and certificate programs are of great value to Professor Spitler. From his frequent interactions with industry professionals, Professor Spitler noticed an increase in the use of spatial science technologies within both the civil engineering and surveying fields. Professor Spitler had the vision to see the changing marketplace for graduates and need for new educational experiences, so he completed online classes through North Carolina State University on these topics. In 2012, he earned a Master’s of Geospatial Information Science and Technology degree, and this education helped him to assume a leadership role within the Civil Engineering and Geomatics faculty during the North Carolina Community College System Code Green Curriculum Improvement Program. His teaching within these subject areas has greatly improved, and his students will benefit from the increased use of new Geographic Information Science and Global Navigation Satellite System technologies. Professor Spitler also completed the North Carolina Low Impact Development Certificate Program in 2011 through North Carolina State University, and additional sustainability topics have been incorporated in his program areas.