Director of Academic Technology and Innovation

OVERVIEW

Brooklyn Friends School (BFS), a thriving Preschool-12 grade school located in vibrant Downtown Brooklyn, seeks a visionary leader to serve (effective Summer 2020) as Director of Academic Technology and Innovation and provide technological leadership to a vibrant community of students and colleagues (BFS uses the all-inclusive term, colleagues, to refer to all rather than one that delineates faculty/staff). Founded in 1867, Brooklyn Friends School’s pillars of social justice, service learning/civic engagement, and Quakerism, serve as guideposts for our action-oriented collective work. Our school’s history has been illustrious and reflective of the expansive nature of human experiences. Guided by our mission, BFS provides a dynamic, diverse, and robust social/emotional environment and academic program that cultivates compassionate, intellectually curious, and confident changemakers. As a school, we affirm that human diversity includes, but is not limited to: race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic class, family structure and physical ability, as well as diversity of thought, talents, and learning style.

THE LEADER
Reporting to the Assistant Head of School and leading and working with dynamic and engaged colleagues, the Director of Academic Technology and Innovation is charged with overseeing the day-to-day technological operations of our school as well as articulating a clear, compelling and innovative vision for academic technology. They will assist the faculty in integrating appropriate and innovative technologies to support, enhance, and extend learning.

With immensely talented colleagues, committed families, a meaningful curricular program, and a community that believes in a values-actionable educational experience, Brooklyn Friends is in a uniquely positive position, with a deeply-rooted identity and mission combined with a genuine openness to the possibilities that lie ahead. As a member of the school’s Leadership Team, this person will maintain current as well as envision and orchestrate academic technology initiatives including professional development, PS-12 technology course oversight, integration of tech practices and applications, learning about and understanding global technology trends, defining and leading the School’s Virtual BFS program. This person will work collaboratively with all necessary stakeholders to plan for and execute the technology strategic initiatives outlined by the school. The Director of Academic Technology and Innovation will oversee the work of the school’s educational technologists and tech specialists in order to be cohesive in practice and to make pedagogically-centered decisions on curricular issues relating to technology at the School.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Design and deliver technology initiatives that support teaching and learning

• Organize and support high-quality professional development opportunities that are focused, aligned to the school’s, and support effective teaching with respect to technology

• Research and evaluate new and emerging educational technologies, remaining mindful of maintaining BFS’s mission

• Collaborate with colleagues on specific needs and growth opportunities

• Develop, coordinate, and teach workshops and classes on the instructional and administrative applications of various technologies

• Provide technical curriculum leadership and assistance regarding device usage, software applications, and the general instructional use of technology in the classroom

• Identify age-/grade-appropriate technology applications across the School and lead technology team in the delivery of such applications

• Establish systems for educators to access, preview, or receive training in hardware usage and software applications

• Model for and guide a technology team to provide information about training services and research, including preparing memos and making presentations, accompanied by training videos/manuals (that when necessary, are customized)

• In conjunction with Technology Team members, support and troubleshoot problems relating to hardware and software

• Guide and train the technology team in staying current with technological knowledge and skills

• Network with local, regional, and national technology associations

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Assistant Head or Head of School

REQUIRED LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
Demonstrates . . .

• Genuine ability and desire to work across difference (intellectually and socially)

• A commitment to and love of adult education

• Experience and visionary leadership in virtual/hybrid learning

• Familiarity with trends in educational technology and social media

• Respect for the life of the child

• Experience in robotics, coding, and computer science are desired skills

• Joy and a respectful sense of humor

• Commitment to engage in collaborative approaches to assessing and refining our technological framework and plans on an ongoing basis

• Ability to view challenges and problems as opportunities for growth and transformation

• Modeled skills that reflect effective and meaningful teaching

• Commitment to stay current with educational tech research and best practices

• Ability to reflect earnestly and celebrate mistakes as opportunities for learning and positive change

• Compassion, integrity, and open-mindedness in all interactions

• Collegiality, approachability, flexibility, and adaptability

• Consistently strong, respectful, and gracious interpersonal and communication skills

• An ability to partner and collaborate with all community members

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree preferred, in Curriculum Design, Educational Technology, or similar discipline

• 5+ years of experience in curriculum coordination or educational technology

• Demonstrated knowledge of instructional technology hardware, software, and related web-based or other tools, information technology, systems management, as well as network development and management

• Demonstrated success working with faculty in all disciplines to identify instructional needs to enable/enhance student learning

• Classroom teaching experience and proven experience as a supervisor

• Fluency and proficiency with both PC and Macintosh operating systems

• Fluency and proficiency with Google Apps for Education

• Strong supervisory, organizational, technical, and analytical skills

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills

• Detail-oriented and strong problem solver