I had the privilege of providing virtual professional staff development for the staff of Kids at Work Preschool in the Dominican Republic last week. I was scheduled to conduct the project-based learning training in-person. However, the training became a virtual experience due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Last year I introduced the Kids at Work Preschool staff to foundational principles of project-based teaching and learning, as well as two PBL units that are ideal and meaningful to incorporate at the early childhood level.

The training this past week was a follow-up to the 2019 introductory session. A major part of our training sessions was spent on revising classroom learning experiences into virtual, and those that can be undertaken within the home with support from the children’s parents/caregivers. We started off the training by revisiting teaching via inquiry-based practices, and strategies to truly engage and immerse the young child in the virtual learning experience.

To promote inquiry practices, I had teachers use a soap solution and a straw to blow bubbles. They made predictions, asked questions, theorized, drew in their journals, etc. We also made observations of objects found in nature.

I introduced teachers to two new project-based learning units to incorporate within their classrooms “Math Is All Around Us” and “Transportation: Things That Go“. Both of these units are ideal for incorporating meaningful and authentic PBL learning experiences within the early childhood + settings.

There was plenty of time during each of the virtual training sessions to share questions, participant video of the mini inquiry investigations they were conducting, etc. Our closing session was spent discussing ideas for a PBL unit as a group to assure that all of the staff were confident in designing and teaching a project-based learning unit over an extended period of time. As always it was a great group of dedicated educators, who like so many educators worldwide have spent countless hours on their own tweaking their teaching skills and lessons for the virtual learning platform.

The following photos were taken during the sessions, as you can see it is possible to make virtual teaching and learning engaging! For more information on virtual and in-person science and STEM-based professional staff development, Diana provides worldwide complete the contact form here.