Tech Innovation/AI Coach and IB DP Computer Science Teacher

Overview: 

Kodaikanal International School is a 120-year-old dynamic international school with a rich history of holistic education, offering the IB continuum of the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP) to our learners. Our beautiful school and community are nestled in the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu, South India.

At KIS, we empower our students to navigate through life’s challenges to achieve their true potential. We follow an inquiry-based approach that promotes critical thinking, learner agency and a dedication to serving others. We recognize the importance of a meaningful, relevant and engaging curriculum that connects students to real-world contexts for their learning. We are keenly aware of the need to adapt our teaching and learning model to respond to the needs of our students in a world of fast-paced change.

Role:

A highly motivated and innovative Tech Innovation Coach and DP Computer Science Teacher.  The ideal candidate will be passionate about student-centred learning and possess expertise in facilitating engaging experiences that leverage Technology.  This position has the responsibility of teaching IB DP Computer Science, leading the school’s efforts in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and coaching other teachers in the use of AI and educational technology to enhance learning.  All members of the KIS professional community are expected to fully support residential life in a boarding environment

About Kodaikanal International School

Motto: A School the World Needs
KIS Vision Statement:  We strive to be a school the world needs: Our graduates will be transformative leaders, caring humans and thoughtful ambassadors for a just, sustainable and peaceful world.
KIS Mission Statement:  Kodaikanal International School (KIS) is committed to empowering young people from diverse backgrounds with vision, knowledge, compassion and cross-cultural understanding. We are a community that welcomes everyone and seeks our purpose in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.’
KIS Values: Accountability, Appreciation, Concern for Others, Consistency, Context, Cooperation, Integrity, Openness, Performance, and Reverence
 

We are seeking colleagues who are driven by:

• A strong belief in KIS’s guiding principles.
•  The IB philosophy.
• Ideas about how to bring these into actualisation.
• Opportunities to contribute to creating a more peaceful world.
• A focus on trust, relationship, and community.

Our learning environment is characterized as:

• Inquiry-based learning.
• Fostering agency in our learners.
• Transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary.
• Service-oriented.
• Diverse, safe and inclusive.

Safeguarding Statement

KIS is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people in our care. We support the rights of the child and will act without hesitation to ensure a child-safe environment. We also support the rights and wellbeing of our staff and volunteers and encourage their active participation in building and maintaining a secure environment for all participants. Teachers at KIS must follow the guidelines of the school’s protective behavior policies and protocols, including reporting any situation that might constitute a health and/or safety hazard to students or school employees.

Qualifications & Experiences

Required Qualifications:
A teacher of DP Computer Science should have:

• A BEd, Secondary license or certification for teaching .
• At least a Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in Engineering, Technology or a related field.
• At least two years of full-time classroom experience teaching Computer Science in an accredited school.
• International Baccalaureate experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• An advanced degree - Master's, PGCE or equivalent.
• IB DP Computer Science training.
• Recent and relevant professional development in teaching and learning.

Preferred Experiences: 

• Proven experience in facilitating student-centred learning.
• Successful experience teaching DP Computer Science in an international context.
• Experience as a Technology Coach or Instructional Coach.
• Proven commitment to participate in and establish collaborative structures.
• Experience utilising data to make informed instructional decisions.
• Experience utilising technology tools to enhance student learning.
• Understand the developmental characteristics, differences in learning styles and intelligences and adapt lesson planning and teaching appropriately.

Preferred Skills and Dispositions:

• Eagerness to learn and adapt to new hardware and software technologies.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills for conducting workshops and training sessions.
• Ability to collaborate with faculty and students (K-12) to create a vibrant and inclusive community that uses technology in innovative ways to enhance learning.
• Creative problem solver with a passion for encouraging innovation in education.
• Deep understanding of inquiry-based learning.
• Ability to provide differentiated instruction for students with varying levels of ability.
• Proven ability to work successfully in a diverse and inclusive environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively with students, parents, teachers and others.
• Understanding and awareness of the challenges faced by learners in a multicultural environment.
• Dedication to student learning .
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Team player with the ability to delegate and coordinate work.
• Willing to work creatively with available materials/ resources .
• Able to create and teach interdisciplinary lessons.
• Capacity to support the goals and mission of KIS through his/her personal philosophy.
   

Reports to: Academic Vice Principal (Tech Innovation / AI) and Science Department Head (CS Teacher)    
Coordinates with: DP/CP Coordinators, departmental leaders and colleagues, secondary teachers.
Time Period: : Initial 2-year contract, potential extensions after initial contract

Teach Coaching Responsibilities 

Tech Coaching
The Tech Innovation Coach:

• Facilitate workshops and training sessions for faculty, covering topics such as innovation, problem-based learning, and using technology to enhance learning.
• Promote, maintain and further develop an interdisciplinary approach to learning.
• engage classroom teachers and specialists in co-planning, co-teaching and co-assessing learning experiences within documented units of learning that leverage technology and information literacy to enhance teaching and learning.
• develop and share ways to learn through use of the design process, computational thinking and coding, photos and graphics, stop motion video, simple animation, digital storytelling, robotics, simple app-making, and basic web design.
• develop, implement and monitor a successful Digital Citizenship Program integrated into the classroom.
• model and facilitate safe, healthy, legal, and ethical uses of digital information and technologies.
• develop and model the value of a Personal Learning Network for teachers and students.
• emphasize creativity, higher-order thinking skills and processes, and mental habits of mind.
• ensure professional collaboration is focused on improving student learning in the context of technology and information literacy capabilities.
• be a source of ideas, practical tips, inspiration and energy contributing to technology and information literacy initiatives and innovations.
• identify and demonstrate new and emerging educational technologies, including artificial intelligence,  for the express purpose of applying these tools to support student and faculty learning.

Building Capacity Through Professional Development

• assess the need for technology and information literacy professional learning tied to all school or team goals.
• initiate, lead and participate in Professional Learning opportunities that develop teachers’ capacity to provide rich student learning enhanced through technology.
• provide ongoing, job-embedded support for effective integration of technology that enhances. teaching and learning, inquiry-based learning, differentiated instruction, and collaborative practices.
• support teachers and teaching partners to become independent in leveraging technology and information literacy to improve teaching practice and student learning.
   

Teaching and Learning Responsibilities

Instruction

A KIS teacher is expected to provide quality instruction for the students at KIS in accordance with the school’s established curriculum, school policies and expectations. A KIS teacher:

• Actively realizes the full potential of each student and promotes ideals of excellence in their learning.
• Establishes a well-managed, psychologically-safe learning environment where active, individual learning and progress for all students is the norm.
• Collaboratively develops unit plans by employing a backwards planning model that utilizes the identified scope and sequence, content standards, and the relevant MYP or DP course guides.
• Utilizes data from varied sources (diagnostic, formative, summative, standardized, etc.) to inform instruction and develop learning opportunities that meet students needs as described in the KIS Inclusion Policy.
• Provides timely feedback to students that is actionable and relevant to their learning as described in the KIS Assessment Policy.
• Effectively embeds intentional learning experiences focused on developing a student’s approach to their learning and offers ongoing reflective opportunities for our students.
• Nurtures a learning environment steeped in integrity as described in our Academic Integrity Policy.
• Engages with colleagues collaboratively in co-planning, co-assessing, collaborative meetings, reflecting on student data and reflecting on one’s own teaching practices.
• Monitors, advises and assists in the pastoral care of students.
• Develops professional practice by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks; and participating in professional societies.
• Upholds the school and IB philosophy as described in the KIS mission, vision, policies, and the staff handbook.
• Teach up to 75% out of total instructional periods in a 6-day cycle.

School Organization

A KIS teacher is expected to work in a positive, professional, supportive manner and develop a collaborative and team approach to enable the school to achieve its stated mission, vision, values, and strategic goals

The Teacher:

• Maintains accurate records for unit planning, assessment and attendance.
• Is familiar with all school and department procedures as appropriate.
• Actively participates in faculty and departmental meetings, including those when students are not on campus.
• Participates in professional development opportunities, departmental meetings, planning, in-service training activities and invigilation duties as required by the Subject Chair or Coordinators.
• Sets and engages in professional goal setting that is aligned to the School’s strategic direction
• Reads all staff bulletins for whole school and their own division, as well as other memoranda from administration; checks and responds to emails within 24 hours.
• At all times, conducts school business in a professional and ethical manner.
• Is familiar with the school’s teaching resources, safeguards the loss/damage of the school equipment and materials, and hand-over all relevant material to the Subject Chair / Coordinator upon departure from KIS.
• Prepares, marks, writes reports, and performs all other administration related to the teaching of the subject(s).
• Is available to support students outside of regularly scheduled class times.
• Promptly passes information to advisors, residential Parents, and Coordinators when student’s attendance, academic performance or behavior is praiseworthy or giving cause for concern.
• Assists the administration and subject colleagues in covering classes and duties as needed.

School Community

A KIS teacher is expected to support the holistic development of the child.

The teacher:

• Understands and supports the diversity of the school community and students’ backgrounds
• Works in a positive, cooperative and supportive way with students, parents, co-workers and other stakeholders.
• Communicates regularly with students, residential parents and students’ parents on matters of school business.
• Engages in and supports activities that help promote school spirit and sense of community
• Promotes opportunities for developing community involvement throughout the wider community
• Recognizes the importance of service learning to our community and promotes this with students and the wider community.
• Support residential life of the school by chaperoning activities, clubs, field trips, camp, long weekend field day etc.

Other

• Support, promote and enforce the ethos of KIS as defined in the Mission Statement, Guiding Principles and strategic plans.
• Promotes a positive attitude about the school with all members of the school community
• Implement decisions made in department and school committee meetings, as relevant to the department.
• Follow the guidelines of the school’s protective behavior policies and protocols and personal data protection policies and procedures, including reporting any situation that might constitute a health and/or safety hazard to students or school employees, and reporting any personal data breach.
• To respect the confidential nature of discussions at staff meetings and other contexts in which sensitive information is likely to be communicated – particularly in terms of interaction with students.
• The teacher is expected to perform other appropriate duties as assigned by the subject chair, coordinator, Vice Principal, or Principal.

Application Process:

1. Download Application Form >> KIS Academic Position Application Form
2. Fill-in the required information
3. Use the form below to submit your application along with your resume

Please note that applications that do not include the application form and a resume will not be considered.