Carl Frank, a computer science instructor at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the arts, has been named a finalist for the 2021 Arkansas Computer Science Educator of the Year Award.
The Arkansas Department of Education recently announced the five finalists for the award. This is the third year that the department is giving the award, and it is the second time that Frank has been selected as a finalist. He was a finalist in the inaugural awards in 2019.
Other finalists this year included:
- Ashley Kincannon of Lake Hamilton Junior High School;
- Kimberly Raup of Conway High School;
- Stacy Reynolds of McGehee High School; and
- Lauren Taylor of Dardanelle High School.
Frank said he was honored to be recognized with his peers as a finalist for the award. He said he has known or worked with many of the finalists for years through his association with ASMSA, the Computer Science Teachers Association and various education and government advisory groups during his three decades of teaching and working in computer science.
Frank was previously recognized as the national Computer Science Teachers Association Advocate of the Year in 2015 while serving as president of the organization’s Arkansas chapter. He also serves on the Arkansas Computer Science Task Force, appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. The task force researches and recommends computer science and technology standards for the state.
He offered praise and thanks to ASMSA administrators for allowing him to serve as an advocate for computer science in the state.
“The administration of this school has always supported my promoting computer science as a discipline, whether it’s allowing me to go to an outside conference or serving on committees to set state standards or develop licensure tests,” Frank said. “Not just for ASMSA students, but for the state. Sometimes I have been asked who would be a good representative to serve on committees and I’d recommend a teacher, but their administrator would say they can’t afford for that person to be out of the classroom.”
Frank said he was also pleased with the advancements in computer science education that the state has achieved under Hutchinson, whose administration placed an emphasis on developing a computer science curriculum for all public and charter middle and high schools in the state.
“Having the governor push this initiative has been a great benefit for the state of Arkansas. I’m glad to have played a small part in that,” he said.
Frank also mentioned his gratitude for Clarence Durand, a professor at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia where Frank earned his undergraduate and master’s degree in computer science. He said Durand encouraged Frank to return to college for a master’s so that he could later teach the subject at Henderson.
It was during his time on Henderson’s staff that Frank learned an important lesson about computer science. He said the Sociology Department required their students to take one semester of computer science. He was having lunch with the head of the department one day and asked why the department required the course.
“He told me that their students learned important problem-solving skills in that course. While it may not lead to them learning programming or seeking a career in computer science, it taught them how to find solutions to problems on their own,” Frank said.
Two of the other finalists have connections to ASMSA’s computer science program. Kincannon of Lake Hamilton and Taylor of Dardanelle have participated in professional development and outreach programs in ASMSA’s Coding Arkansas’ Future initiative. Kincannon has attended workshops focused on middle school curriculum and the computer science Praxis exam, which allows educators to earn their professional license in that subject. Taylor was in the initial cohort of the initiative’s Computer Science Plus program, in which high school educators received professional development while ASMSA computer science instructors helped them teach a computer science class on their campus.
Kincannon said the professional development she received through Coding Arkansas’ Future played a significant role in her career.
“The professional development I have received through ASMSA has been foundational to my success as a computer science instructor,” she said. “Prior to my transition to computer science, I was an English teacher. As an English teacher, I discovered my love for educational technology during my first year of teaching. Shortly thereafter, I learned about computer science and the need for more computer science educators, which helped spark my curiosity about this incredible field.”
Kincannon said she watched a fellow instructor, Karma Turner, make a transition to teaching computer science. Turner was one of the members of the initial Coding Arkansas’ Future cohort and was named the inaugural Arkansas Computer Science Educator of the Year in 2019. It inspired Kincannon to make the transition herself after Turner encouraged her to participate in Coding Arkansas’ Future.
“I went from knowing very little about computer science to having an entire toolbox of knowledge in just a year,” Kincannon said. “Now, I am a full-time computer science teacher, and I absolutely love and adore what I do. I cannot wait to participate in future ASMSA PD opportunities because I know the training will help me improve as a computer science educator.”
Taylor was also a finalists in the 2020 competition. At that time she said she entered the program without any prior computer science experience.
“I like 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.
Each finalist will receive a $2,500 award from the Arkansas Department of Education Office of Computer Science. A panel of representatives from the ADE Computer Science Unit, the 2020 Arkansas Computer Science Educator of the Year Sean Gray, external industry leaders and other education experts will review the finalists’ applications to determine this years winner. The winner will receive an additional $12,500 award.
“This year’s applications were some of the most competitive we have seen in the three years of this award,” said Anthony Owen, the state director of Computer Science Education. “Unfortunately, our team could only select five, and we selected the educators who best demonstrated both a long-term and ongoing commitment to, passion for, and impact on computer science education in Arkansas and the nation.”