Details
Posted: 01-Jul-22
Location: Tampa, Florida
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Technology Instruction
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
St. John’s is seeking an Instructional Technology and Innovation Specialist for its middle division (Grades 5-8). This is a full-time (10-month), benefits-eligible position with an August 2022 start date.
The position centers around creating and furthering student lifelong learning and intellectual curiosity by providing the leadership and expertise required to develop, implement, and direct a student-centered learning and media / innovation center that is aligned with St. John’s curriculum and philosophy. The specialist will work collaboratively with faculty, students, and administration to create learning experiences that ensure students are effective users of information and ideas.
The innovation specialist will create an safe, inclusive, and creative space for 21st Century Learning, Teaching, and Innovation. A successful candidate will facilitate hands-on project and problem based learning and coordinate with community members to create authentic learning experiences for our students and help them to create high-quality learning artifacts that showcase their learning. This individual will create opportunities for our students and faculty to integrate programming, 3D modeling, 3D printing, robotics, and other STEAM/Maker technologies into the curriculum at St. John’s.
The candidate needs to be knowledgeable about current research on teaching and learning, skilled in Steam/Maker technologies (3D modeling, 3D printing, coding (Java, Python, C), robotics, physical computing (Arduino or Raspberry Pi), and/or have a background with similar technologies or experiences. The ideal candidate has exemplary teaching skills, a passion for helping students to make ideas tangible, and an enthusiasm for out-of-the-box ideas. There is flexibility within this position, as we don’t expect the person to be an expert in all of these areas. The most important qualification will be a willingness to learn, to grow, and to problem solve to help our students, our faculty, and our community. St. John’s has a number of experts in a number of these areas who will be able to help this individual grow professionally. Additionally, we will support and encourage professional development in areas that the individual seeks in order to gain expertise in other areas related to their position.
Primary Responsibilities
Innovation Lab & Student Engagement
- Create a welcoming, creative space for children of all levels of technological abilities.
- Facilitates developmentally appropriate learning in technology that develops and guides students through inquiry-based projects that promote student engagement, agency, and open ended, creative problem solving.
- Integrate appropriate educational technologies to enhance student learning experiences and invite opportunities for collaboration across academic disciplines.
- The Innovation Curriculum at SJE includes, but is not limited to,
- Digital citizenship, robotics, coding, media creation, digital fabrication (3D modeling & 3D printing), information literacy, and digital portfolios.
- Educational/innovative approaches such as design thinking, engineering design process, problem-based learning, project-based learning, and/or other approaches to create meaningful learning experiences.
- Serve as a club sponsor for students such as robotics, coding, and/or technology.
- Troubleshoot and support the software, hardware, and systems, including classroom multimedia and student and teacher devices.
- A small part of the position will be to aid in the upkeep of the library attached to the innovation lab. This will include:
- Inventory library books, curriculum materials, equipment, and other materials for the purpose of tracking current library books and equipment.
Faculty Coaching and Growth
- Establish strong partnerships with the members of the faculty to explore new instructional methods and innovative technologies for assessing student learning, differentiating instruction, classroom management, 21st Century Learning,
- Provide training and coaching for faculty to enhance project-based learning opportunities in their classrooms and in the use of the Innovation Lab/Makerspace.
- Consult with faculty members on project opportunities for their classes, and act as a visiting teacher/co-teacher to facilitate project adoption and development
- Develop and offer one on one and group workshop opportunities to train faculty and students to use the Innovation Lab to develop skills and projects to aid in academic endeavors
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
The successful candidate is an energetic, high performer who is committed to the school’s mission, who impresses with their drive, joy, and initiative. Applicants should possess:
- At a minimum, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited 4-year college or university.
- Graduate degree in innovation, technology, engineering, STEM, or related field is preferred.
- At least 2 years prior related work experience as a lead teacher or lead coordinator of innovation, technology, design thinking, engineering design, and/or professional development.
- A passion for educational technology, pedagogical innovation, and professional growth, and a capacity to instill that passion in others.
- Demonstrated track record of continual growth in technological/educational skills and abilities.
- Genuine affinity for working with children and families in an educational setting
- Ability to make independent decisions along with maintaining the confidentiality of privileged and sensitive information
- Experienced using technology including coding (Python, Java, C), CAD & 3d printing, robotics, etc.
- Teaching experience in a K(4) – 8 environments, preferably in independent schools
- Strong references to convey your abilities