Educators\nat the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Inclusive Childcare Lab and\nDiagnostic Center are using technology to keep their preschool students\nconnected while the center is temporarily closed due to COVID-19. In the\nmorning, students and their parents log on to Zoom for virtual circle time with\nteachers to listen to stories, play games, practice counting and learn the\nalphabet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\nwanted to maintain face-to-face contact with the children while the center was\nphysically closed,\u201d explained Sherryl Tonge-George the center\u2019s director. \u201cThe\nchildren are excited to keep in touch with teachers and see their friends. It\u2019s\nimportant for them to continue learning and for their social development,\u201d she\nsaid. The online group classes take place on weekdays for an hour, split into\ntwo 30-minute sessions. Individual sessions are also scheduled for students who\nmay need one-on-one support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAn\nadvantage to the virtual program has been that parents are able to participate\nin activities and be a part of the learning environment,\u201d said Tonge-George.\nRecently, parents helped children make puppets for a virtual puppet show and\nwere involved in a Father\u2019s Day project. Kyle Thomas, UVI alumnus and parent,\nsaid he enjoys participating in the virtual sessions and his overall experience\nwith the program has been exceptional. \u201cMy two-year old son began the program\nin January, and in just six weeks was able to meet important developmental\nmilestones and develop more confidence in that environment,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
UVI\nSchool of Education Dean, Dr. Karen Brown, who oversees the center, explained\nthe virtual program came about after staff members began holding administrative\nmeetings on Zoom. \u201cWe branched out to scheduling meetings with families, then\nto offering live activities,\u201d she said. The Zoom sessions started in April and\nwill continue until the center is scheduled to reopen later this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ncenter first opened its doors in June 2019 with the initial aim of providing afterschool\nand childcare services to UVI students and staff, as well as members of the St.\nThomas community. A second center is under construction on the\nAlbert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix. The centers are funded by a Title III\nfederal grant from the U.S. Department of Education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to childcare services, the center serves as a training lab for UVI students in the School of Education. This spring, UVI student Lenesha Rabsatt gained practical experience there as an intern in her final semester before graduating in May with an associate\u2019s degree in inclusive early childhood education. As part of her internship, she shadowed teachers, interacted with children, and prepared and executed lessons under the supervision of the teachers and her professor. \u201cThe teachers at the center were supportive and guided me throughout \u2013 it was a good experience,\u201d said Rabsatt. The classroom can accommodate up to two UVI interns per semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another important function of the center is to provide screening services for developmental delays and disabilities. \u201cEarly intervention is key,\u201d explained Dr. Brown, who is also a trained speech and language pathologist. \u201cTeachers can be taught to do screens that will increase earlier identification of children with developmental delays and disabilities and get them referred sooner to Infant and Toddler Services for help,\u201d she said referring to the program within the V.I. Department of Health. \u201cOnce student needs are identified, teachers can respond with strategies in the classroom to help support that individual\u2019s needs,\u201d added Tonge-George, an experienced special educator. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Educators at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) Inclusive Childcare Lab and Diagnostic Center are using technology to keep their preschool students connected while the center is temporarily closed due to COVID-19. In the morning, students and their parents log on to Zoom for virtual circle time with teachers to listen to stories, play […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":732,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/726"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=726"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/726\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}