Megan Gilson

Best Practices for Differentiated Instruction

Differentiation is tailoring or modifying lessons to best fit the needs of learners. Learning goals are the same, but students progress through the materials at different speeds and with different supports. It allows teachers to take into account the specific needs, skills and profile of their learners which is based on their interests, and the particular way they learn when designing each teaching hour as the needs vary from lesson to lesson, even for the same student. When learners have access to differentiated and tailored instruction, this can have a positive impact on behavior and skill acquisition.

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New enCORE Curriculum Experience

Three cheers for the brand new look and feel of the enCORE Curriculum Tab! With the launch of the new enCORE Curriculum Tab today, it is easier than ever to find the lessons, materials, and resources you need to plan efficiently. 

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2023 TeachTown Product Letter

As we look back on the past 12 months, we are proud to be your trusted partner in delivering high-quality, individualized education for your students with disabilities. At TeachTown, we remain singularly focused on one mission – measurably improving the academic, adaptive, and behavioral functioning of students with disabilities. This letter highlights the major curriculum enhancements and platform investments of 2023. Our district partners now have access to a complete and comprehensive K-12 adapted core curriculum, benchmark assessments, standards-based reporting, breaking news resources, an in-app onboarding explorer, new UX/UI within the platform, and so much more!

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TeachTown Named 2023 Excellence in Equity Award Winner in 2 Categories

TeachTown is pleased to announce that its K-12 standards-based, adapted core curriculum, enCORE, was selected as a winner in two categories of the 2023 Excellence in Equity Awards program presented by the American Consortium for Equity in Education. The awards were presented for both Best Online & Blended Learning Solution and Best Special Education Solution.

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TeachTown Named A Winner in 2023 Fortune Impact 20 List

TeachTown, a leading provider of special education curriculum for students with moderate to severe disabilities, proudly announces its recognition as a winner in the prestigious 2023 Fortune Impact 20 list. This accolade spotlights TeachTown's commitment to boosting student outcomes and delivering equitable and inclusive access to the general education curriculum for our most complex learners.

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Reinforcement in the Classroom: Nurturing Positive Learning Environments

Both as educators and parents, we frequently associate reinforcement with smiley stickers, candies and pizza parties. We tend to overlook that even in adulthood, reinforcement plays a significant role. In the workplace, it can look like verbal praise or recognition for an individual accomplishment being posted on a company-wide forum or email OR receiving a promotion or raise based on exceptional performance. When we experience reinforcement in either of these ways, we are motivated and are more likely to keep engaging in these behaviors!

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Reading Instruction Redefined

Oftentimes when we think about those early elementary school years, we envision primary colors, making friends, hands-on learning, classroom number lines, and ABCs. At the core of it though, is the early stages of reading comprehension. Students need to be able to read texts and make meaning from those texts. This forms the basis for all of the learning that occurs in later elementary and extends through middle school, high school, and beyond. Yet, throughout the years, there has been much debate regarding the best instructional strategies that get students to the goal of reading comprehension. How do we best teach students to read text and make meaning from it?

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Transition to Adulthood Curriculum Enhancements

We are thrilled to share our Transition to Adulthood curriculum enhancements are now LIVE. Teachers with a Transition to Adulthood license now have access to 600 new functional academic lessons available as student-led technology lessons. Lessons are differentiated by level to mirror the personalized support offered throughout enCORE.

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The Role of Play-Based Learning

Play is an integral part of a child’s development. It is how children develop and improve their cognitive and physical skills, as well as their overall emotional well-being. Play is also how children practice social skills, build and establish relationships, develop their language and communication skills, and learn about their world and themselves. To foster and develop appropriate play skills, as educators we must create an environment in which children can explore and express themselves. To do so effectively, it’s important for educators to pair themselves with a preferred play in which the child wants to engage with and learn from.

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Mitigating the Threat of Litigation in Special Education

Special education leaders want to uphold the laws that protect the rights of students with disabilities to ensure they truly have access to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Yet, thousands of mediation requests, due process complaints, and state complaints are filed across the nation every year. In this guide, we cover the federal laws that guide special education policies, the key threats to litigation, and best practices that minimize districts’ legal entanglement and maximize student learning.

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