Company Summary: Connections Education is a leading, fully-accredited provider of high-quality, highly accountable virtual education solutions for students in grades K12. Since 2001, the company's Connections Academy division has delivered individualized learning to students through virtual public schools and a private online academy. In the 2011-2012 school year, 23 Connections Academy virtual public schools will operate in 22 states and expect to serve more than 40,000 students from across the U.S. The Connections Learning division meets the needs of schools, school districts, and other institutions looking to develop and enhance their online learning programs. Connections Learning delivers a full range of targeted digital learning solutions to the K-12 education community including online courses, a program for homebound students, a digital learning platform, and more. More than 300 schools, school districts, state departments of education and other educational institutions, serving tens of thousands of students throughout the United States and beyond, are already utilizing Connections Learning products and services. Connections Education is committed to expanding quality education through technology and helping students achieve both academic and personal success. Position Summary: Working as contractors from home, the Curriculum Writer and Content Editor will be part of curriculum development projects to be implemented in the 20122013 school year. The Middle School Science Curriculum Writer is responsible for developing course outlines, and writing lesson plans. The Middle School Science Content Editor will work with the curriculum and editorial teams to ensure quality and accuracy of content and to become familiar with and apply Connections Education's general editorial style guidelines. Effective communication with the Project Specialists and other curriculum and instruction team members is essential. Candidates with experience in teaching and content development in the areas of Middle School Science or curriculum editing in educational publishing are encouraged to apply. Responsibilities: • Develop course outlines to meet state and/or national standards; • Develop lessons, which will be delivered online, to meet state and/or national standards; • Design and develop innovative instructional strategies to teach concepts and skills; • Work with the curriculum development team to develop a comprehensive and consistent academic program; • Review interactive/online courses according to predetermined criteria in an online/Web-based format; • Work with editorial and curriculum teams to implement a comprehensive and consistent academic program; and • Other duties as assigned. These contractual positions are temporary and are usually paid per piece. These positions will be home-based and may be part-time or full-time. Requirements • Experience teaching and delivering instructional material • Content development experience • Degree in education (post-secondary degree a plus) or equivalent content area expertise in one of the disciplines listed above • Strong verbal and written communication skills • Detail oriented • Excellent organizational and time management skills • Ability to positively receive constructive feedback in order to improve the quality of work • Must have excellent keyboarding skills • Must work well in an environment that requires flexibility and creativity • Excellent organizational and follow through skills • Ability to follow explicit instructions consistently, but also able to exercise good judgment when making work-related decisions • Ability to effectively meet deadlines • Solid knowledge of Microsoft Office software suite