From In Class to Online Preschool: Our Virtual Journey
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, child care services across the world were forced to find new and innovative approaches to provide early learning experiences. In our workshop on December 9 & 10, the ISS of BC will share their journey from in-person preschool to online programming during Covid-19, how they are continually re-imagining their work as Early Childhood Educators.
In this article Ana Delgado, Christina Fasciglione, Helen Hart and Maria B. Abina share their incredible story in advance of their upcoming workshop about adapting their programming for Covid 19.
Inspired by the Early Learning Framework, the team also created documentation to make learning visible during their virtual preschool sessions, an example of which can be found in the right-hand menu of this page.
On April 1 st , 2020 our LINC preschool moved online as Covid forced our in-person services to close. The team of Early Childhood Educators had to quickly build a program that could be offered to the families that was age appropriate, engaging and interactive and that would build on the existing relationships within the preschool communities. The aim of the educators was to offer a space where the families could still socialize with one another and programming that would meet their needs during isolation. We decided as a team that it was important to continue documenting our sessions, making the learning visible and capturing our journey as educators in
these unprecedented times in our careers as educators. 
Initially, the team planned simple weekly sessions in the hopes that families would have basic supplies to ensure their child could participate. By May it was clear that the pandemic was staying. The team coordinated supply boxes for each family so that the children would all have access to the same materials. This then allowed the educators to plan a more responsive program with a return to the children’s ideas and wonderings leading the planning, as is done at in-person preschool. We had 100% attendance almost every day. In June, we hosted a 3rd practicum for an ECE student who is a substitute in the preschool. This was a really exciting experience as she was able to help us to continue to grow the online program by offering new perspectives and possibilities.
We returned in September and welcomed back our returning families, as well as new ones. We again arranged supplies for the children so as to enable our continued work online.
As we continue with our online preschool, we are working very hard to maintain a program that aligns with our in-person preschool, that reflects the program philosophy, and that incorporates the B.C. Early Learning Framework.
Ana Delgado, Christina Fasciglione, Helen Hart and Maria B. Abina.
Immigrant Services society of BC (ISS of BC) Preschool, Vancouver, BC.