Instructional Technology Specialist jobs in Minnetonka, MN

The Blake School seeks an enthusiastic and dedicated Instructional Technology Coach for the 2023-24 school year. This unique position requires an educator with a deep knowledge of design, building, digital media and tinkering. This candidate has a passion for igniting student curiosity and loves inspiring teachers to move outside of their comfort zones.

This position encompasses many roles—mentor, project planner, software guru and teacher-leader—promoting a growth mindset with teachers and students. As a teacher-leader, a primary focus will be to increase teachers’ fluency with educational technologies to advance Blake’s mission. The Instructional Technology Coach is part of a team along with our Technology Integration Specialist and Teacher Librarian. Together they manage a space for students to explore, play, build and create. This position is based out of the Middle School library in a developing makerspace. Duties will include co-leadership in the makerspace, co-teaching and classroom instruction, coaching teachers, providing professional development opportunities, and resolving educational software issues for faculty and students. This role works with Information Support Services to manage interactive classroom technology in classrooms and provides hands on A/V support for school-wide events on the Blake campus.

Blake is particularly interested in candidates who will enrich the diversity of identity, lived experience and thinking that makes a community strong and empowers students to engage across differences.

The search committee will begin reviewing resumes on Feb. 20. Blake covers the travel and lodging costs for finalist candidates visiting from out of town.

Required Experience:

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Assist teachers in their continued use, exploration and adoption of academic technologies and instructional design techniques through coaching and collaboration
• Collaborate with colleagues to support library, technology integration and technology department initiatives
• Demonstrates understanding of best practices to meet the needs of all learners
• Co-lead the makerspace to promote and support the use of instructional technology, creation and computational thinking for both independent projects and classroom collaboration
• Offer activities and clubs during the school day centered around design, tinkering, engineering, computational thinking or applied science
• Coordinate and support general A/V needs for events by communicating with organizers, providing training and ensuring equipment is set up and ready for use
• Troubleshoot classroom A/V equipment including ultra short-throw interactive projectors, audio and video resources

Additional duties and responsibilities as needed and assigned.

Abilities and Attributes:

• Authentic empathy, warmth and collegiality
• Confidence and humility, together with a sense of humor and warm personality
• Ability to perform hardware and software troubleshooting and technical support
• Ability to lead, work independently and collaborate as a member of a group with a growth-oriented mindset
• An inspirational, pragmatic, diplomatic and patient leader who is passionate about making and design to support creative, engaged learning
• Evidence of ability to work with diverse populations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Multiple years of experience as a classroom teacher
• A proven commitment to the development of young people as individual learners
• Experience working with teachers and mentoring teachers
• Enthusiastic learner of new and emerging technologies and pedagogies
• Experience planning curriculum and developing student learning outcomes for design and engineering, in partnership with teachers of other disciplines
• Working knowledge of and previous experience with A/V systems and equipment
• Experience with post-production and filming
• Experience with macOS, G-Suite for Education and Canvas or other learning management systems
• Experience in a school or educational setting

Working Conditions:

• General indoor school environment-may be noisy at times with frequent interruptions
• Work may be sedentary and may require standing and walking for up to 80% of the time
• The working environment does not generally include hazardous or unpleasant conditions caused by fumes, dust, etc.
• Position requires occasional weekend and/or evening work, dependent on school wide events

The Blake School is a pre-kindergarten through grade 12, co-educational, nonsectarian, independent day school enrolling 1,350 bright, talented students from nearly 56 Twin Cities-area communities. Founded in 1900, The Blake School has the advantage of facilities and campuses designed for specific developmental ages. Blake’s mission is to engage students with a dynamic, academically challenging education in a diverse and supportive community committed to pluralism and a common set of values. Students pursue an integrated program of academic, artistic and athletic activities, preparing for college, lifelong learning and purposeful lives as community and global citizens. The school community is also guided by its Commitment to Pluralism and core values.

The Blake School believes that a diverse society enriches all individuals and communities. Diversity of race, ethnicity, national origin, geography, religion, gender, affectional or sexual orientation, age, physical ability, and marital, parental or economic status forms the fabric of our society. As a result of these beliefs, The Blake School actively seeks students, families and employees who value and contribute to the fullness of a diverse community within the context of its mission. In doing so, we recognize our responsibility to help make each person's experience a success. EOE
From: The Blake School