Virginia Department of Education's Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC)

Mark Your Calendars for

Tech Tuesdays 2026-27

Registration Coming Soon!

The Virginia Department of Education’s Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech is proud to announce that our Tech Tuesday series is back for 2026-2027! This year, we will be hosting 1-2 sessions per month from December through March on various augmentative alternative communication (AAC) systems. These 1.5 hr. virtual sessions will be presented by representatives from some of the leading companies that provide AAC options and will focus on implementation in the classroom to ensure access and participation.

In response to the passage of HB 2219, this virtual webinar series will focus on practical strategies and guidance for integrating AAC into daily instructional practices and learning environments. Participants will explore the importance of ensuring students have consistent access to their AAC systems throughout the school day, learn strategies for supporting communication across academic and social settings, and examine ways to promote student engagement, participation, independence, and self-advocacy. Topics will include AAC implementation, collaborative planning, staff roles and responsibilities, modeling and aided language input, and creating communication-rich classrooms.

Supporting Student Writers: Two New SIM Resources

Effective writing requires students to decide what they want to communicate, who will read their work, and how to organize their ideas. Two new Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) resources address these needs: Fundamentals of Paragraph Writing, a Learning Strategy instructional program for students in grades 2–6, and the Writing with Purpose Routine, a Content Enhancement Routine for teachers of adolescent writers.

Both resources support writing instruction, each with a different emphasis. Fundamentals of Paragraph Writing teaches the foundational skills students need to write organized paragraphs. Writing with Purpose engages students in creating and evaluating writing for an authentic purpose and audience.