STCC professor creates virtual preschool in response to pandemic

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College student-teachers will get experience this summer instructing young children through a virtual preschool.

Assistant Professor Aimee Dalenta, chair of the Early Childhood Education program at STCC, came up with the idea of the Pioneer Valley Virtual Preschool, which was created in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 14 education students at STCC enrolled in a summer student teaching course needed to get hands-on teaching experience. Normally, they would go into preschools and have face-to-face interactions with children, but pandemic-related restrictions meant face-to-face teaching was not viable this summer.

“Because we are living in times of uncertainty, schools are not yet able to safely open to accommodate this type of learning,” Dalenta said. “Therefore, we have created student-centered, virtually connected learning experiences for children ages 3, 4, and 5 to enjoy while we wait to transition back into our beloved classrooms.”

Dalenta said face-to-face interaction is the best way to teach, nurture and support the development and growth of preschool children.

“Virtual learning is not the best practice for this age group, but the virtual preschool provides our early childhood education students with the opportunity to participate in a practicum, which means they will get experience teaching real students,” Dalenta said.

I’m proud of the work the Early Childhood Education department put in to launching the virtual preschool. We are leading the way for Massachusetts community colleges. Rick Greco, Dean, Liberal Arts and Professional Studies

STCC is collaborating with established private preschools to enroll children in the virtual school. STCC students will develop a curriculum, or plan for instruction. A professor and professional preschool teachers and directors from area preschools will supervise student-teachers and make sure the teaching is in compliance with the state Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). The EEC approved the virtual preschool as part of an emergency plan stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A technology-focused college like STCC is an ideal place to launch a virtual preschool, said Richard Greco, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.

Greco said STCC is the only community college in Massachusetts using a virtual preschool for student-teachers to get experience.

“I’m proud of the work the Early Childhood Education department put in to launching the virtual preschool. We are leading the way for Massachusetts community colleges,” Greco said. “At STCC, there is a focus on technology and innovation in all of our departments, even ones you wouldn’t expect. Our early childhood education department created a website and the infrastructure that’s associated with it. The students are using the technology. I am impressed with the way students and faculty are adapting during uncertain times.”

Greco said the virtual preschool experience is a natural progression for the STCC education students who are taking online classes this summer and fall. Early Childhood Education Transfer, a two-year degree program at STCC, is for students who intend to transfer to a four-year college or university to seek a bachelor’s degree, leading to teacher licensure for pre-kindergarten to second grade in a public school.

“The students want to do this online practicum because they’ve been exposed to this type of learning in such an embedded way since March,” he said. “The virtual preschool is going to offer a benefit for the community.”

Some of the classes will be taught in Spanish by bilingual STCC students. The virtual preschool will be open for 10-10:30 a.m., Monday through Thursdays, for six weeks beginning June 22.  

For more information about the Pioneer Valley Virtual Preschool, contact Aimee Dalenta at adalenta@stcc.edu. Seats for the virtual preschool are limited.

For more information about the Early Childhood Education Transfer program at STCC, visit stcc.edu/explore/programs/ectr.as/.

About Springfield Technical Community College

Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of Western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, liberal arts, and STEM fields continue to provide the most affordable options for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of about 7,000 day, evening, weekend, and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.

For more information about STCC, visit www.stcc.edu. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@S_T_C_C) and Instagram (@stccpics).

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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