Editor's Note: Sean Gray, a computer science secondary teacher at Marion high School, was named the 2020 Arkansas Computer Science Educator of the Year Award.
Two of the five finalists for the Arkansas Computer Science Educator of the Year are alumni of Coding Arkansas’ Future’s first cohort of educators.
Coding Arkansas’ Future initiative was created by the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in 2015 after Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson required every public and charter high school in the state offer at least one computer science course.
One of the program’s initial goals was to offer digital instruction for a number of schools across the state to help them meet the governor’s mandate that became law that year. It also featured the first cohort of educators who received professional development and course assistance through the initiative in order to become licensed computer science educators for their districts. Sixteen districts participated in the first cohort.
Sean Gray, a computer science secondary teacher and head softball coach at Marion High School, and Lauren Taylor, a business education teacher at Dardanelle High School, were members of that first cohort. They were both announced as finalists for the 2020 Arkansas Computer Science Educator of the Year by the Arkansas Department of Education earlier this week.
Gray said he was extremely excited to hear he had been nominated for the award.
“We’ve put in a lot of work on the computer science program at Marion High School and the school district,” Gray said. “We are trying to grow the program, even in lower grades. We’re trying to pipeline the courses to the entire district.”
Taylor, who also serves as a middle school career education instructor, said, “I was excited of course, but I was a little bit shocked,” when she received the news that she had been named a finalist.
Both credited the support of their administrators for helping develop a successful computer science program in their district.
“Our district wanted to do it the right way,” Gray said. “Anything I’ve asked for or needed, they’ve been all in on it. We are trying to be cohesive and uniform throughout the program. I couldn’t ask for more support from the very top down.”
Taylor said her district is eager to expand Dardanelle’s program. There were three different courses offered this year and another may be added next year, she said.
Taylor and Gray also said that the professional and curriculum development they received from ASMSA and Coding Arkansas’ Future was influential in their success. Taylor entered the program without any prior computer science experience.
“I liked that it was taking you from not knowing anything about computer science to the point where you could not only teach a class but to pass the Praxis (professional licensure test). It also provided ongoing support that I could take into my class,” Taylor said.
Gray had some computer language experience and taught geometry and Algebra 1 and 2 at Marion before taking on the challenge of becoming the district’s lead computer science teacher. While participating in the first cohort, he learned some teaching techniques from Moix that changed the way he teaches in general.
“He treated us like his students,” Gray said of Moix. “He would never directly answer a question. Instead he would ask us another question that would guide us to finding the answer. He gave (cohort members) tools to do it themselves. He demonstrated techniques and strategies that have become common instruction methods I use.”
Gray said the two-week camp that was held before the summer of 2015 was “probably the most intensive — and most effective — professional development he’s had in his career. “Even today, Mr. Moix is a constant mentor. If I have a question about something, I can send him an email. He had to teach most of us (in the initial cohort) how to program. That two-week course formed the foundation for the rest of my computer science teachings.”
He said he continued to attend other professional development trainings, including how to use 3D printers in class. His cohort also served as mentors for a week in the next year’s initial training.
Jackson said her year in Coding Arkansas’ Future taught her many things, including her first introduction to video conference software like Zoom and learning management systems such as Google Classroom. She’s continued to use many of those resources since then, and it has made this time of required remote instruction a natural progression for her students.
She has also become a leader in various educational groups. She created a workshop based on her business education courses that she has shared with educators around the state. Taylor also is involved in a program at Arkansas Tech that provides observation hour opportunities for student teachers.
Both Gray and Jackson said they also continue to have contact with other members of their cohort. When they have questions, they often turn to each other for ideas on how to find solutions or new practices.
“That group today still talk to each other,” Gray said. “They are good colleagues who we may not see once but every few years, but we send each other emails and texts all the time.”
That connection was vital during the first year especially, Taylor said.
“I don’t think I would have made it the first year without it,” she said. “I still reach out to them and Daniel for help. It’s still benefitting my classroom today.”
The two were very happy to hear that they each had been nominated for this year’s award. A fellow cohort member — Karma Turner of Lake Hamilton High School — won the state’s inaugural Computer Science Educator of the Award last year.
“I was excited when I saw his name. It was very cool because we have that foundation from learning in the cohort together,” Taylor said.
Moix also was excited to see the list of nominees include two Coding Arkansas’ Future alumni.
“The individual achievements of this year’s finalists demonstrate what a vibrant community of practice exists in the state,” Moix said. “It is encouraging to see multiple educators who began teaching computer science through our Coding Arkansas’ Future program recognized this year. It shows what we have believed since the start — that talented educators of many backgrounds can learn and teach computer science well right here in Arkansas.”