CS Education Hero: Lee McMillan, TK/K Teacher
Mr. McMillan is a dedicated TK/Kindergarten teacher at Yorkdale Elementary School. After another year of ensuring his students have access to computer science education, he is one of three winners of the 9 Dots’ CS Education Heroes Awards this year! The CS Education Heroes Award is granted to two outstanding teachers and one administrator partnered with 9 Dots. Although all teachers partnered with 9 Dots are exceptional candidates, Mr. McMillan’s commitment, patience, and dedication to providing his students with access to a transformative CS education is something that could not be overlooked.
The 9 Dots mission is to provide a transformative computer science education to every student, beginning in Kindergarten, in order to truly set them up for success. Having access to computer science education as early as Kindergarten is an important factor that closes the equity gap because it enables students to identify as a coder at a very early age. The commitment to providing accessible CS education to all students would not be possible without the dedication of teachers like Mr. McMillan. Throughout the past two years, Mr.McMillan grew momentum and really began to own and gain the confidence to teach computer science to what is arguably the toughest grade level with respect to coding -- TK/K.
Last year, Mr. McMillan took the initiative in teaching the curriculum with only partial on-site support. This means that a 9 Dots Coordinator would only be there to assist him with half the lesson. As a result, he would set up the computer lab and take over the other half of the lesson on his own. He consistently demonstrated flexibility and a commitment to CS by asking for support with the lesson of the week and bringing his students to the computer lab even on weeks where he was not scheduled for support. Giovanna Bonilla, a 9 Dots staff member who worked closely with Mr. McMillan, shared that Mr. McMillan “did an excellent job in demonstrating patience with students, modeling how to navigate the computer/ platform and explaining challenging coding concepts in a way that was understandable to TK/Kinder students.”
This year, Mr.McMillan transitioned to a fully independent teacher, the last step of 9 Dots’ gradual release model, where teachers lead coding lessons on their own. His patience and communication skills set him up for success in teaching CS without in-class support. Each week, Mr. McMillan brought his TK/K students to the computer lab to teach them a 9 Dots lesson. He never skipped a beat and taught a new lesson every week. He expressed what a joy it was to teach the curriculum, and how he loved to introduce his young students to the world of CS. Mr. McMillan said “The program helps all students be successful. I can see the positive growth in other content areas, specifically language arts and math. I can also see the social-emotional benefits as students master more and more complex challenges.”
Mr. McMillan’s commitment is not only seen in the classroom but is also projected in other realms. During a 9 Dots training, he chose to do a workshop titled “What We’re Reading.” In that workshop, the task was to read current papers and excerpts from books about the state of CS Education in California. He was very moved by an excerpt from Stuck In the Shallow End by Jane Margolis. Through his sharing he revealed how passionate and dedicated he is about his students and their futures. He openly reflected on whether he had ever been biased in his teachings of CS and stated that he would purchase the book to become more informed on the inequities in CS so that he can do his best to provide students with an equitable CS education. Mr. McMillan said in his survey that day, “Stuck in the Shallow End was fascinating, informing, and useful in my daily interactions with my students. I am going to read the entire piece at home.”
Educators like Mr.McMillan make the 9 Dots mission come to fruition, because he is genuinely providing a transformative CS education to Title I schools. In recognition of the commitment and dedication that he devotes to his students, 9 Dots is proud to grant the 2020 CS Educator Heroes Award to Mr. McMillan. Thank you!