Practitioner Specialist

The Reimagining Early Childhood Education (RECEPZ) project has been established to promote and investigate the practices of inquiry, innovation, and learning design amongst a cohort of educators representing a diverse array of early childhood learning settings in Abu Dhabi. Funded by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), this five-and-a-half-year project endeavors to change the education landscape throughout Abu Dhabi by leveraging Project Zero’s long history of professional development, pedagogical innovation, and collaborative inquiry. To do this work, the Reimagining Early Childhood Education initiative aims to connect schools to innovations in education, inspire new approaches to practice, and ignite local and system-wide change.

AGPN Practitioner Specialist

The AGPN Practitioner Specialist is an experienced educator and teacher leader who participates in all aspects of the intellectual work of the project, with special responsibility for overseeing study groups associated with the Al Ghad Public Nurseries (AGPN)—a growing community of Arabic-speaking early learning centers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The AGPN Practitioner Specialist will work flexible hours as necessary given the time difference for the UAE participants. The AGPN Practitioner Specialist will visit the UAE 3-4 times per year with other members of the project team to facilitate workshops, conduct school visits, and support study group members.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Collaborates on project strategy and design - Works collaboratively with the Principal Investigator and other team members to determine project goals and priorities. (10%)

• Designs and facilitates professional development - Under the general direction of the Principal Investigator and in collaboration with Senior Research Managers, designs and develops learning community sessions, study group meeting agendas, and other tools central to the collaborative inquiry of over 100 educators from participating schools—with a special focus on the Al Ghad Public Nurseries. Introduces educators (teachers and administrators) to selected Project Zero frameworks and ideas, drawing from in-depth knowledge of Project Zero research and approaches to learning. (20%)

• Supports classroom inquiry and school-based learning communities - Supports educators in conducting inquiry and innovation projects in their classrooms and provides expertise in facilitating school-based learning communities through small group and one-on-one virtual and in-person meetings and conversations to clarify and deepen understanding of key concepts and ideas.  (25%)

• Builds and maintains educator relationships, collects documentation, and provides insights - Builds and maintains strong working relationships with participating educators. Helps teachers adapt Project Zero ideas to their grade levels, subject matter, and settings, providing ongoing support as needed. Helps administrators identify ways to support participating teachers and maintains ongoing contact with all participating educators. Collaborates with local colleagues, maintains close contact with teacher-facilitators, maintains a record of insights that emerge in study groups, and identifies follow-up actions and proceeds accordingly. Engages in qualitative research to better understand the participant experience and practice.  (25%)

• Contributes to project materials and dissemination - Contributes to the creation, testing, and dissemination of project materials. Writes articles, reports, and project materials and represents the project to varied audiences through conferences, institutes, and/or convenings. (20%)