Description

This position is located in the Learning Experience and Evaluation branch of the Office of Education and Outreach, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Institution. The incumbent develops, coordinates, promotes, and delivers educational programs (both onsite and online) and publications for NMNH, that support student understanding of high priority museum topics, and provides services to Museum visitors, particularly K-12 students and their teachers.

DUTIES:

  • Works on and may lead teams to develop innovative experiences for K-12 students and support materials for their teachers and chaperones with emphasis on programs that advance relationships between informal learning and K-12 institutions.
  • Develops inquiry-centered, hands-on science learning experiences for K-12 students in informal learning settings that meet their specific needs for growth and development in science content, skills, and career opportunities.
  • Develops, evaluates, and delivers age-appropriate education experiences, including activities, programs, and products, linked to national curriculum standards and classroom curriculum, for K-12 students who visit NMNH as part of organized school group visits, especially in the museum’s hands-on learning spaces.
  • Works with staff from science, research, and collections departments in the areas of anthropology, biology, paleontology, and mineral sciences to translate current research into activities and materials for diverse K-12 audiences in informal settings.
  • Establishes and maintains supportive relationships with K-12 school systems and organizations that serve them to ensure quality and fit of all education activities and programs to national and regional curricula and standards of learning. The incumbent also initiates and maintains a local and national teacher advisory group for school programs and prepares and implements communication plans to engage the formal education community in the development and promotion of NMNH programming.
  • Oversees the training and work of docents, interns, and contractors for programs, ensuring that all programs are delivered with attention to scientific accuracy and effective instructional techniques. He/she may be responsible for short-term projects or programs developed to serve special audiences or related to special exhibitions.
Requirements

KEY REQUIREMENTS

  • Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation
  • May need to complete a Probationary Period
  • Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered with Selective Service.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

You must meet the Basic Education Requirement:
A. Degree: that included or was supplemented by major study in education or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position. OR

B. Combination of education and experience — courses equivalent to a major in education, or in a subject-matter field appropriate to the position, plus appropriate experience or additional course work that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study described in A above.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your resume will be used to evaluate your experience, education, and/or training that address the competencies below:

  • Knowledge of informal educational practices in a museum setting for K-12 students.
  • Knowledge of inquiry-centered science teaching and learning methods for K-12 students in informal learning settings.
  • Knowledge of K-12 field trip practices and the perspectives of teachers and chaperones, sufficient to coordinate resources to meet the logistical and programmatic needs of teachers, chaperones, and students.
  • Knowledge of anthropology, biology, paleontology, or mineral sciences sufficient to design, develop, write, edit, and deliver programs and/or activities and written materials about these areas to multiple K-12 audiences.
  • Ability to create digital learning experiences and integrate technology into live and online learning experiences for K-12 students utilizing technology best practices
  • Skill in applying standard formal and informal education principles and concepts in order to oversee and work well with others to develop and deliver programming that meets national K-12 education standards using informal educational resources
Job Information
  • Washington, Dist. Columbia, 20013, United States
  • 26025989
  • December 2, 2015
  • Education Specialist
  • Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
  • Education
  • No
  • Full-Time
  • Indefinite
  • BA/BS/Undergraduate
  • 1-2 Years
  • 0-10%
  • $52,668.00 – $68,468.00 (Yearly Salary)