Educators: Cambridge International AS and A Levels

What will the work entail?

We are looking for teachers and educators who can assist us in developing detailed subject plans for online delivery of the Cambridge International AS and A-Levels. It is assumed that students will be working from home and will be supported by teachers through online and remote mechanisms.

The subject plans should include, among other things:

• Order of the subject syllabus/curriculum over the two years (1 year in some cases), with specific reference to units and lessons from the Cambridge International syllabus. To include a two-year subject calendar.
• Total time of guided learning hours for the subject per year, and the expected time that students would spend on independent study every week for the subject, and revision time. To comment on the balance of screen time and off-screen study.
• Identification of the breakpoint between the AS and A2 levels, if taught separately
• Delivery of the subject, through identifying the units/lessons that can be learned through recorded video lectures (including before commencement of the course) – asynchronous, live tutorial sessions to support learning and live lectures – synchronous (to be kept to a minimum)
• Elements of the syllabus that require coursework or for the students to work physically in a school, laboratory or elsewhere (to be kept to a minimum)
• Listing and describing teacher-prepared materials, such as reference notes, worked examples, practise exercises on core topics, assignments and tests.
• Formative assessments – for revision, topic tests, internal trial examinations
• Description of the final examination and external assessment by Cambridge International
• The possible form that external assessment by Cambridge International might take (including your recommendations for altering the standard Cambridge scheme)
• Extension opportunities for students to take their understanding of the subject beyond the expectations of the Cambridge International syllabus
• Resources that students and teachers might use (textbooks, other text material, reference resources, kits/models, other equipment)
• Electronic resources for online learning (hardware of laptop, phone, Internet, calculators, etc.)
• Recommendations for online learning platforms, video conferencing tools and other software platforms
• Build-in opportunities for reflection and collaboration

 

Expected time commitment

We presume that experienced teachers and educators would already have, due to the pandemic, thought through the details of online delivery of their subjects for the Cambridge International AS and A-Levels. We expect that teachers would document and provide supporting literature and materials to us in, possibly, two weeks. There may be revisions or clarifications needed, depending upon the material submitted. We would also expect to have regular email communication and at least three video/phone calls at the beginning, somewhere in the middle and at the end of the process.

We will pay an honorarium for the preparation of the subject plans.

 

Our rationale

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread and affect lives across the world. School students, too, face challenges on a scale that have never been encountered before. Schools, teachers and students must prepare for further disruptions to schooling over the next 12-36 months. At the Hearth Advisors, we wish to support schools and teachers delivering the Cambridge International AS and A-Levels. Your experience and expertise can help us prepare materials and develop a shared understanding of how we will navigate our way, together, through the challenges and changes ahead.

Our philosophical approach is to challenge the conventional way of teaching and learning and seek new approaches to delivery based on research and the experience of teachers. We attempt to support schools with guidance for ground-breaking online teaching and delivery, guided by their faculty, using appropriate technological approaches to promote learning. We aim to enable compatibility with students’ personal and broader educational needs while enabling compatibility with teachers’ circumstances, abilities and interests.

The programme of study for the online delivery of Cambridge International AS and A Levels required rigorous intellectual inquiry, reflection and debate. We intend to create plans of work that provide opportunities for a balance of guided and independent learning through synchronous and asynchronous learning (perhaps 50:50).

 

If you are interested in assisting us through preparing subject plans, please Contact Us. We are looking for educators/teachers with experience in one (or more) subjects in the Cambridge International AS and A-Levels curriculum.