Social Media Advocate Internship - The Educator Collaborative

Action Research + Amplifying Educators?

We may just be looking for YOU!

Everything we do is about learning. This internship is no different.

We are not simply looking for educators to “help us tweet.” Instead, we are looking for educators who want to dig into a problem of practice, experiment with features of technology, and discover the best ways of leveraging social media for not just outreach, but for the social good.

If you are interested in joining us in this experimental internship, read more below on what it is and how to apply.

Trouble we would like to solve

We love our growing channels on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram because we love hearing and learning with amazing educators. We also recognize a few areas of trouble that we are looking for one (or several) amazing educators to help us solve:

Social Media, in general, can be inwardly driven; how can we make it even more social-good driven? Twitter chats, for example, no doubt have the power to inspire and grow big ideas. Yet, much of social media – our accounts as well – are often looking at gaining followers and promoting personal goals. What are ways to accomplish both the organizational need to outreach while also the socially-minded goal of supporting and raising up the voices, stories, and hopes of educators?
We say a lot, but only listen some. Don’t get us wrong, we love tell the world about the things we are doing and the ideas and events we care about. But we are “The.” “Educator.” “Collaborative.” We want to spend more time listening to and amplifying inspiring classroom moments, struggles, and stories. What are the best ways to find, connect, and amplify classroom stories?
It feels like time to innovate, again. Twitter chats and Facebook groups are tried and true ways of connecting. What is next? How else can we listen, learn and grow with social media?

How we will grow, together

Everything we do is about learning. This internship is no different. If you are selected we will ask you to do a few things:

Together with us, develop a problem or question to research in action, through the use of one or more of our social media channels. Examples could be: “How do we tell more classroom stories of educators using our Twitter channel?” “How do we raise awareness of culturally relevant texts through our social media channels to engage more educators in their use?” “How do we best leverage Facebook video (uploaded and live) to support instructional coaches in their important work?” and so on.
Together with us, develop concrete measures of progress and an end date. Goals and data not in a “gotcha” way, not in a “you failed” way, instead in a “how can we best see if we have grown or not?” way. With that feedback, you can learn and adjust. Your project could span a semester or year. These goals will be one part outreach (engaging or expanding our audience of engaged educators, etc.) and one part impact (evidence of changing practice, growing ideas, creating networks, etc).
Have access to our accounts that you will need for your research. You would then have access to posting from our Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram account (or others) to support your project.
Share your findings. At the end of your project, select a way to share your findings with us and with the public.

What you earn

Awesome learning. That is our goal! While you will get in what you put in, we believe the structure of this work will be powerful, interesting, and supportive of your personal and professional growth.
Close time with our learning family. Social Media Advocate interns will be in conversation with Christopher Lehman to plan and prepare action research projects. You will also be invited to join The Educator Collaborative network’s internal think tanks where our family meets regularly, online, to talk and grow together.
A complimentary Full Year Study Series subscription. The internship is unpaid monetarily, however, we do want to share the gift of learning with you as thanks for the gifts we know you will give back to our organization. If you are selected for an internship, you will also receive a complimentary subscription to our Full Year Study Series, in which you can share your screen with your team.
A certificate of completion, noting approximate contact hours of your action research and a digital badge. The structure of this action research should be professional and personally valuable, we want to help you document this by providing a certificate and digital badge at completion. This could be just placed in a folder of professional learning or perhaps used for evaluation evidence. Because we are not a credit granting organization and because district expectations vary, If you wish to use this experience as professional evidence, please speak with your administrator before applying.

Who we are looking for

Social Media savvy educators. You must be an educator or work closely with classrooms in your current role. While proven expertise with social media is preferred, if you are comfortable with social media we are happy to teach you what we know.
Self-starters. This is key. Members of our network of independent consultants are selected for our network because they are brilliant and driven. While we will help formulate your project with you, we are specifically looking for individuals who set goals and work to meet them without supervision. The success of your research will rely on your work between times we connect.
Excellent communicators. The ideal candidate will demonstrate terrific writing, speaking, image, and video work or the ability to learn these skills quickly.
Have a heart full of students and this amazing profession. Above all else, applicants that show a deep care and respect for supporting and celebrating students and educators will rise to the top.

How to apply

THE 2016-2017 APPLICATION PERIOD HAS ENDED. PLEASE JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR UPDATES.

Submit an initial application using the button below (or going directly to our Contact Us page and selecting “Social Media Advocate” from the drop down) by August 15, 2016.
First round decisions will be announced by August 20, 2016.
Second round interviews will be schedule for the final weeks of August or early September as stand-out candidate’s schedules allow.
Final decision will be made in September 2016.
The Social Media Advocate intern or interns selected will then set a scope of action research with Christopher Lehman by early October 2016, as scheduling permits.

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