User:ElizabdsWiki/Virtual Lab School

History

Originally developed for the more than 30,000 professionals who daily nurture more than 200,000 ^[1] youth in child and youth care and education programs across the four military services, the Department of Defense Child Development Virtual Laboratory School (VLS) was designed by a faculty and staff team at The Ohio State University led by Dr. Cynthia Buettner in partnership with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Content

According to the Virtual Lab School 'About Us' page, the VLS addresses a critical need for an easy-to-navigate online professional development resource for child-care professionals. VLS covers developmentally-appropriate practices for children from birth to age 12 across all functional roles in child care. Five distinct tracks (infant & toddler, preschool, school age, training & curriculum specialist, and management) include 13 Child Development Associate competencies used in early care settings around the world. The VLS simulates learning experiences found in university lab school settings with its extensive repository of interactive materials for expert instruction including streaming video, research-based content, expert narratives, reflective questions and downloadable activities & resources. The VLS professional development tool includes content across 15 core courses:

Safe Environments
Healthy Environments
Learning Environments
Physical Development
Cognitive Development
Creative Expression
Self and Cultural Understanding
Social Emotional Development
Positive Guidance
Family Engagement
Program Management
Professionalism
Communication and Language Development
Child Abuse: Prevention
Child Abuse: Identification and Reporting

The Virtual Lab School is included in the US Department of Health & Human Services Early Educator Central which identifies resources for educators working with infants and toddlers.

Future Tracks

According to Dr. Sarah Lang, ^[2] Associate Director of Research and Professional Development at the Virtual Lab School, plans are in progress to roll out a home-based care provider track in 2017.

Credentialing

While all content is available to the public at www.virtuallabschool.org the Virtual Laboratory School does not currently offer completion certificates, end of course assessments, or progress tracking for individuals who are not affiliated with military child and youth programs.

With a user account, individuals working in military child and youth care and education programs can access a learning management system that tracks progression through course content and facilitates the coaching relationship between direct care staff members and training and curriculum specialists (coaches). This coaching relationship also provides staff members with one-on-one support for their learning. Training and curriculum specialists also actively mentor staff at all stages of learning, track progress, and verify that learners have completed all learning activities prior to being issued a completion certificate.

Future Credentialing Plans for Non-Military Users

According to E. Smyth, Communications Coordinator at the Virtual Lab school, the VLS team at The Ohio State University is actively exploring ways to offer credentialing to non-military users. ^[3]

Terms of Use

According to its Terms of Use, educators may use VLS resources for noncommercial, educational purposes. Additional questions or requests are answered when sent by email to inquiries@virtuallabschool.org.

External links

Official website
VLS 37-second Informational Video
CDA Competency Standards
Dr. Cynthia Buettner
US Department of Health & Human Services Early Educator Central
Office of the Secretary of Defense
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
US Department of Health & Human Services Early Educator Central
US Department of Defense's Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth

^ Ciccone, Janet Kiplinger (2016) Preparing Early Childhood Educators Around the World. Inspire (2016), p.6
^ Lang, Sarah Email 16 August 2016.
^ Smyth, Emily. Telephone interview 8 August 2016.
^ Online training aids military childcare staff. (2014, February 5). Retrieved from http://news.ehe.osu.edu/2014/02/05/online-training-aids-military-childcare-staff/.

[1] Ciccone, Janet Kiplinger (2016) Preparing Early Childhood Educators Around the World. Inspire (2016), p.6

[2] Lang, Sarah Email 16 August 2016.

[3] Smyth, Emily. Telephone interview 8 August 2016.

[4] Online training aids military childcare staff. (2014, February 5). Retrieved from http://news.ehe.osu.edu/2014/02/05/online-training-aids-military-childcare-staff/.

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