K-12 Media Studies Faculty

Ross School is seeking faculty to implement a newly developed media studies curriculum. This  program comprises theory, media history, and practices/ethics. Students explore the function of media and ideology in history and the world today while gaining technical skills. Media Studies faculty will be responsible for implementing and further developing an interdisciplinary program in grades K-12 while collaborating with scholars and faculty from a variety of fields including neuroscience, cultural history, and engineering. S/he would be responsible for teaching both core media criticism/media history courses and electives.

The largest boarding/day school in New York, the Ross School is one of the only K–12 institutions featuring media studies in its core curriculum. Students gain a wide variety of skills, both technical and critical, traditional and innovative while working on creative media projects and studying the works of media scholars such as Elizabeth Eisenstein and Walter J. Ong. The curriculum draws from research on 21st-century media literacy by scholars such as Henry Jenkins to ensure that students are endowed with the most current and relevant media competencies. Students also explore how media and technology have influenced history, art, and society by applying critical frameworks to cultural history content.  

We are looking for candidates interested in teaching at the either the lower (K–6) or upper school level (7–12). In the lower grades, students develop transmedia projects while studying an array of creative work – ranging from filmmakers Charlie Chaplin and Stan Brakhage to cartoonist Ed Emberley to designers Ray and Charles Eames to emergent breakthroughs in data visualization. Students additionally explore how media influence broad social and political movements while affecting our emotions, our psychology, and our environment.

Students are introduced to coding through MIT’s Scratch program early on in lower school before moving onto different languages such as Java and HTML. In grade level courses, students of all ages produce multi-media installations, while middle and high school students engage in political debates while studying the workings of rhetoric and ideology. In addition to core courses, students take electives where they can advance coding skills, data visualization projects, filmmaking, transmedia storytelling, and installations.

Our emphasis is analytical and historical and so we are more concerned with developing in students the ability to assess the role of media in their lives and the world, rather than solely developing media production skills. Students learn the history and structure of media throughout world history and to analyze the effects of electronic and print media as well as the written word.

The ideal candidate will have strong proficiency in media theory, digital citizenship, production and coding. Candidates able to teach from an integrated perspective encompassing language arts, cultural history, and science are especially encouraged to apply.

Must hold a BA or Masters in Media Studies, Communication, or related discipline, and a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience.

Submit a cover letter and a resume to hr@ross.org. For more information about Ross School, visit ross.org and rosslearningsystem.org.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implement an interdisciplinary media studies curriculum in grades K-12, teaching critical studies- and production-based courses and electives

• Collaborate with faculty from cultural history, science, and world languages to enhance integrated learning experiences for students

• Prepare students to critically examine how media operates in their lives and surrounding world as a major social, political, and environmental force

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent, demonstrated teaching ability; 2 years minimum of experience in project-based teaching

• Strong proficiency in one of the following: media history, data visualization, digital citizenship, or coding

• Bachelor's degree (Masters preferred) in Media Studies, Media and Culture, Politics and Mass Media, Cultural History, Communication, Rhetoric, or the equivalent

• Knowledge of politics and current events

• Knowledge of key writers and theorists such as Elizabeth Eisenstein, Walter J. Ong, Susan Sontag, Terry Eagleton,  Marshall McLuhan, Henry Jenkins

• Technical skills enabling creative work across a variety of multimedia/web tools, software, and programs

• Value creativity and collaboration

• Willing to experiment with educational strategies

• Possess a sense of humor, and an abiding interest in the unconventional and idiosyncratic

• Willing to support students inside and outside the classroom

• Flawless written, oral, and interpersonal skills

• Highly organized and efficient in time management, responsible and reliable