CHRISTIANSTED — While public schools, Head Start, as well as various private schools and day care centers are closed, the Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System said it wants to inform educators, parents, caregivers, and students of the programs and resources available through its television channels and online platforms.
On television, WTJX-TV boasts its PBS Kids channel, available to viewers with an antenna on channel 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and Viya cable channel 91. These programs are also on Channel 12, which is on the Dish network, between the hours of 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
These programs teach and inspire children in areas such as the sciences, engineering, social and emotional strategies, the arts across disciplines, reading, comprehension, vocabulary, astronomy, social studies, civic skills, math and problem solving, all while being entertaining.
Additionally, you can view the PBS Kids Channel live online on WTJX’s website. The following is a core list of our online resources: Resource for PreK-12 Educators PBS LearningMedia offers educators a variety of features that support distance learning, including easy searching by grade level, curriculum area, and national standards, as well as integration with Google Classroom and Remind.
We invite educators to sign up for the webinar: “Distance Learning with PBS LearningMedia” on Wednesday, March 18 at 7:00pm at the following address: http://public.pbs.org/DistanceLearningResources.
PBS will offer a one-hour professional learning event for PreK-12 educators that will include tips and techniques to support distance instruction.
If you can’t attend, sign up anyway and the recording will be made available to you.
Digital Content and Resources PBS NewsHour Extra is an educational platform with resources for teachers and students in 6 to 12 grade levels.
It provides teachers with up-to-date lesson plans on current events. PBS NewsHour Extra also features student-produced stories and media literacy. NOVA Education is for educators in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
NOVA Education is a great digital resource. NOVA Education has videos, audio, lesson plans, and interactives designed to enhance classroom learning.
Resources for Children and Families PBS Kids offers a variety of free resources to support families and caregivers, including the previously mentioned 24/7 channel with anytime access to trusted educational series for kids ages two to eight and the following digital tools: PBS Kids Video is available on mobile devices, tablets, and smart TVs.
It also includes the PBS Kids 24/7 Channel which is also on WTJX-TV. PBS Kids Games app has at least 200 educational games designed to improve students reading, writing, and math skills.
PBS Kids for Parents is a great resource for parents with information, tips, and activities. It even includes resources for talking to kids about the coronavirus, managing feelings, and encouraging healthy habits.
PBS Kids Daily Newsletter is a new weekday newsletter with activities and tips for parents as well as videos, games, and offline activities for learning at home. All of these resources are centrally accessible on WTJX’s website at www.wtjx.org under the Education and PBS Kids tabs.
“WTJX is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the most trusted media landscape for children to learn and grow,” WTJX CEO Tanya-Marie Singh said. “As we deal with social isolation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic we want parents to feel comfortable with the knowledge that their children are able to learn the way they did, through WTJX.
We’re not just on television anymore, we are on all of your smart devices; I encourage everyone involved in the teaching and learning process to visit our website or call me at 340-690-6696 for more information.”