ABOUT THE VITAL EDUCATOR PROGRAM

BUILDING CAPACITY ACROSS THE STATE IN VIRTUAL IMPLEMENTATION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

The photograph shows a lady sitting before a laptop placed on a working table.

The New York State Education Department seeks to build expertise in the teaching and administration of virtual/hybrid schools, programs, and courses. The VITAL (Virtual Implementation for Teaching and Learning) Educator Program intends to develop a cadre of expert, or VITAL, educators who are able to turnkey professional learning content in virtual/hybrid instruction to colleagues throughout the state. Educators who complete all program requirements will receive a generous stipend and statewide designation as a VITAL Trainer. Additionally, VITAL Educators that complete all program requirements will receive an official designation from NYSED as a “VITAL Trainer.” Trainers' names will be posted on the NYSED website and will then have the ability to train educators in their regions, districts, and schools using the SED-approved content.

Through a partnership with Measurement, Inc. and Digital Promise, NYSED created professional learning modules, The TALE (Teaching Across Learning Environments) Academy, that address core competencies of virtual/hybrid instruction. Using this large set of resources, VITAL educators will participate in a year-long professional learning community to become expert trainers who will customize and turnkey these ready-made materials to other colleagues across the state for the development and delivery of PLCs, district or regional professional learning experiences. This program and cadre of trainers will seek to build the capacity of educators across the state in virtual/hybrid teaching and learning. NYSED identified core competency areas for the TALE Academy, the 7 Modules:

What topics are covered in the TALE Academy?

The TALE Academy includes 7 modules:

Shifting to Teaching Across Learning Environments (TALE)
Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Across Learning Environments
Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities Across Learning Environments
Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners Across Learning Environments
Family and Community Engagement Across Learning Environments
Social Emotional Learning Across Learning Environments
Leading to Support Educators Across Learning Environments

The VITAL Educator Program will Consist of Two Parts:

Part 1: TALE Academy Modules Training
Part 2: Train-the-Trainer Training

Post Program Expectations:

VITAL Educators will receive a distinction of VITAL Trainer from NYSED. The VITAL Trainers will be listed on NYSED website as approved to deliver trainings based on the TALE Academy resources for at least five years. While there will be no further financial opportunities from NYSED, it is expected that you are able to become a champion for the growth of virtual learning opportunities in New York. The following chart shows some example of how VITAL Educators will be able to champion virtual learning after the completion of this program:

Teachers	Offer to perform turnkey trainings in your district. Become a member of your district's technology committee.
Administrators	Develop and/or expand virtual learning programs in your school/district. Utilize TALE resources to prepare teachers during a faculty meeting.
Support Staff	Coach teachers on ways to infuse SEL into virtual courses. Ensure necessary supports are in place for virtual-only student in your school/district.
Staff Developers	Conduct regional or district-wide turnkey trainings using the TALE Academy resources.
Educator Program Preparation Faculty	Advocate for requiring pre-service teachers to have preparation in virtual instruction. Infuse TALE Academy resources into your curriculum.