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Postdoctoral Research Scholar #16866

Employer
May Lou Fulton Teachers College
Location
Arizona, United States
Salary
Salary Not specified
Date posted
Aug 17, 2021

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Position Type
Faculty Positions, Education, Other Education, Teacher Education
Employment Level
Post-Doc
Employment Type
Full Time

ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College (MLFTC) has the mission of creating knowledge, mobilizing people and fostering actions that improve education. Our programs bring people and ideas together to increase the innovation capabilities of individual educators, schools and organizations, districts and communities. MLFTC is building the Next Education Workforce which starts with the conviction that, if we're not getting the workforce or the learning outcomes we want, we need to redesign the profession, the workplace and how we prepare people for both. As such, the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, partners with schools and organizations to:

1. Provide all students with deeper and personalized learning by building teams of educators with distributed expertise; and

2. Empower educators by developing new opportunities for role-based specialization and advancement.

Our core values align with ASU's charter and design imperatives most importantly those related to: justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI).

We are seeking a postdoctoral associate to join a multidisciplinary research team on an NSF-funded research project called Accessible Computational Thinking in Elementary Science Classes within and across Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Contexts (ACT).

The ACT project investigates best practices for helping teachers provide culturally relevant experiences for elementary children to participate in and engage with computational thinking in science lessons. As such, this project focuses on the overarching question:

How do elementary teachers develop the skills and dispositions to provide access to computational thinking-integrated science lessons incorporating Culturally Responsive Teaching practices for culturally and linguistically diverse learners? 

Under the supervision of the ACT project Principal Investigators, the Postdoctoral Research Scholar will be a key member in designing, expanding, and exploring more accessible and culturally relevant ways for bolstering elementary teachers' effectiveness and efficacy with integrating computational thinking in science lessons as well as students' learning of, interest in, and confidence in engaging in computational thinking. The project will work with participating teachers and students in Phoenix, Arizona, Maryland, and Washington, DC to design, implement, and evaluate culturally relevant lessons incorporating computational thinking and science at the K6 level.

This is a benefits-eligible, fiscal year (12-month) position that begins January 3, 2022 (with possible earlier start).

Duties and responsibilities

  • Conducting research, monitoring and evaluation activities for a K6 Computational Thinking and science learning initiative,
  • Collaborating on design and implementation of Teacher Professional Development workshops and ongoing teacher support activities,
  • Supporting classroom implementations in the Phoenix area,
  • Promoting excellence, equity, and diversity,

Required Qualifications

  • Earned Ph.D. or Ed.D. in education or a closely related discipline (degree must be awarded by the start date)
  • Fluency in English and Spanish
  • Experience in teaching and/or researching K6 classrooms

Desired Qualifications

  • Teacher professional development experience/expertise
  • Computational thinking/Computer Science curriculum design
  • Equity focus (esp. Culturally Responsive Pedagogy/Teaching)
  • Science education (esp. K6) 

Professional Opportunities and Benefits of the Position

  • Orientation to the specific research endeavor: This will include introductions to the research team and relaying information about research policies and practices. The Research Scholar will be closely involved with all study analyses, summer PD sessions, academic year teacher support, and classroom implementations.
  • Development of Individual Development Plan (IDP): this process will identify skills and strengths The Research Scholar wishes to develop and will outline approaches to do so.
  • Personal Research Time: The Research Scholar will spend a fraction of each week's  time on personal research objectives.
  • Participation in research team meetings and convergence building activities.
  • Career Search and Development: The Research Scholar will receive regular feedback from project PIs, ASU faculty, and staff on job application materials, interview seminars, and job offer negotiations.
  • Participation in formal workshops: These focus on locating grant funding, grant proposal writing and budget preparation, and training on research ethics, lab safety, etc.
  • Proposal-writing Opportunities: The Research Scholar will be encouraged to contribute to writing of grant proposals in collaboration with PIs, with other ASU faculty, and with collaborators at other institutions.
  • Presenting Research Findings in Professional Settings: Support will be provided for travel to conferences to present research findings and participate in workshops and sessions.
  • Mentoring Opportunities: the mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students from ASU will be strongly encouraged and nurtured.

About the College

ASU's Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College creates knowledge, mobilizes people, and takes action to improve education. Nationally recognized as a leading innovator in teacher education and scholarly research, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College prepares over 7,600 educators annually. MLFTC faculty create knowledge by drawing from a wide range of academic disciplines to gain insight into important questions about the process of learning, the practice of teaching, and the effects of education policy. MLFTC mobilizes people through bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, through non-degree professional development programs, and through socially embedded, multilateral community engagement. MLFTC takes action by bringing people and ideas together to increase the capabilities of individual educators and the performance of education systems. MLFTC is committed to ensuring that the fundamental commitment to advancing system equity, inclusion, and justice is enacted in our curricula, programming, and relationships. Our ultimate goal is to help us imagine possibilities for creating sustainable cultures in our college and with our global communes that is reflective of a deep commitment to inclusion, systemic equity, and justice.

For more information about the College, please visit our website at http://education.asu.edu/.

Application Deadline and Procedures

The application deadline is October 1, 2021. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.

Only electronic applications will be reviewed.

To apply, submit the following:

  • Letter of application/interest that speaks to how you meet any required/desired qualifications of the position
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Contact information for 3 professional references
  • A statement with specific examples and indication of impact that describes how your teaching interests and experience have intersected with and/or will contribute to matters of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. (Maximum of 500 words)

For questions about the position, please contact: Dr. Brian Nelson (brian.nelson@asu.edu)

Apply Now: http://apply.interfolio.com/91614 

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

A background check is required for employment. Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

(See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.) 

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU's  Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf.  You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456

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