Northstar Curriculum Writer

Literacy Minnesota is seeking an individual for a Northstar Curriculum Writer position. This benefits-eligible position is 40 hours per week or 1.0 FTE. Organizational Background: Literacy Minnesota is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing the power of learning through education, community building and advocacy. Our team provides direct services and strengthens literacy programs in Minnesota and beyond by providing training, national service resources and technical assistance to other organizations. Position Overview: The Northstar Curriculum Writer will work as a part of the Northstar team to draft learning resources to implement the Northstar Digital Literacy Standards in Adult Basic Education and other classroom settings nationally and internationally (these may include in-person and/or virtual settings). The Curriculum Writer will work in collaboration with other Curriculum Writer/s and under the direction of the Curriculum Manager. This position will also support the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment helpdesk.This position reports to the Northstar Managing Consultant and the Northstar Curriculum Manager. This is a remote position, with attendance at monthly Northstar meetings on-site when possible, or via virtual meetings. Due to occasional meetings on-site, applicant must live in Minnesota. Time spent on the computer is approximately 90%. Travel: Ability to attend meetings monthly at the Literacy Minnesota main office in-person or remotely, as scheduled. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Specific responsibilities of the Northstar Curriculum Writer include, but are not limited to:Northstar Learning Resource Development – 65%

  • In alignment with the Northstar Digital Literacy standards:
  • Storyboard new Northstar Digital Literacy Assessments and Northstar Online Learning (NSOL) modules following set procedures and templates.
  • Draft lesson plans using the Northstar Curriculum lesson template.
  • Create instructional videos for NSOL modules and/or the Northstar Manual using TechSmith Camtasia.
  • Under the direction of the Curriculum Manager, collaborate to draft new Northstar Standards incorporating feedback from stakeholders.
  • Contribute to learning resource planning sessions for lesson sequencing and storyboarding.
  • Adhere to project timelines, and communicate frequently with team in Slack regarding deadlines and works in progress.
  • With the Northstar team continually evaluate, edit and refine Northstar curriculum, NSOL modules, and assessments, based on feedback from Curriculum Manager, Northstar team, and Northstar users.
  • With the Northstar curriculum writing team, edit lesson plan drafts for consistency, grammatical errors, and ‘teachability.’
  • Differentiate learning resources for diverse groups of learners following equity informed instructional best practices.
  • Work with Northstar team members to evaluate and maintain the accuracy of the Northstar website and manual content through periodic revision of online resources.
  • Support language translation projects in collaboration with other Northstar team members.

Zendesk Support – 25%

  • Respond to support tickets, and coordinate assigning tickets to Northstar team members when appropriate, and/or requesting additional information from team members, to provide the fastest and most effective customer support.
  • Suggest and develop ticket Macros for commonly asked questions; update existing Macros when needed.
  • Coordinate with other Northstar support team members to ensure tickets are answered promptly.
  • Develop and offer suggestions for improving overall support functions.

Other Responsibilities – 10%

  • Actively pursue opportunities to continue to learn best practices in curriculum writing, customer service, and DEI through professional development.
  • Attend virtual meetings with the curriculum team and/or Curriculum Manager, twice a month.
  • Attend monthly Northstar Team Meetings, and monthly Literacy Minnesota staff meetings (either in-person or virtually).
  • Support other Northstar team projects, as assigned.

Qualifications for this position include:

Required:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Education, Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Instructional Design or related field; Equivalent combination of education and experience accepted in lieu of degree.
  • Extensive digital literacy and computer skills, including experience with MS Office software, Google Apps (e.g. Drive, Docs, Slides), video editing software (including but not limited to Camtasia), email and internet.
  • Experience scaffolding instruction to support English language learners and diverse student populations.
  • 3+ years curricula writing experience.
  • Ability to work collaboratively.
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
  • Excellent communication skills.
  • Proven capacity to meet deadlines for writing projects.
  • Ability to attend regular meetings, as needed.

Preferred:

  • 3-5 years teaching experience with adult basic education learners preferred.
  • Familiarity with digital literacy skills as described in the Northstar Digital Literacy Standards.
  • Experience with nonprofit organizations and diverse communities.
  • Valid MN teaching license in ABE or other related discipline strongly preferred.

Compensation: Starting pay rate between $50,000 – $56,000/year (commensurate with experience) and a generous benefits package.To apply: Please email cover letter and resume with Northstar Curriculum Writer in the subject line to hr@literacymn.org. This position is open until filled, with priority given to applications received by Tuesday, March 21, 2023.Literacy Minnesota fosters an organizational culture that is welcoming and inclusive to all. We strongly encourage applications from people of color, indigenous peoples, immigrants and refugees, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities.