Gabe Lee | UF Superior Accomplishment Award
March 4, 2021
P.K. Yonge is pleased to announce campus Technology Integration Specialist, Gabe Lee, as a recipient of a University of Florida Superior Accomplishment Award. As a faculty appointment assigned to technology integration, Gabe leads and manages campuswide technology-related program and system development and supports 85 kindergarten through 12th grade teachers in integrating a variety of technological tools, learning management systems, and other software into their teaching practice.
Gabe’s work is multifaceted, and a unique skill set is essential to meet the demands of his position– up-to-the-minute expertise in emerging instructional technologies, deep understanding of networks, hardware, and software, teaching experience and current knowledge of quality teaching practices, and the ability to translate teaching from the face-to-face into the online environment without sacrificing quality of instruction. In Gabe, all of these skills are packaged in a personable, patient, creative problem-solver who continually performs beyond all expectations.
Many institutions identified heroes and outstanding work performances as they navigated the unpredictable circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. At P.K. Yonge, Gabe Lee stands out as a campus hero. The timeline from news of potential campus closures to actual closure was rapid, yet Gabe, while assisting with the deployment of 348 devices for our elementary students, also planned 83 comprehensive professional learning events for 85 faculty members in preparation of moving to 100% remote instruction using ZOOM, Canvas, and other supplemental instructional technologies in a matter of days. During the week prior to Spring Break 2020, Gabe spent daytime hours providing remote instruction and hundreds of support consultations and working on device deployment, and spent evening hours preparing for the next round of instruction and working on Canvas courses and integrated applications to support a fully-remote school.
The Friday before the scheduled break, all teachers had received training for the aptly dubbed Virtually P.K., scheduled to become our new way of doing school after the holiday. Over the break, Gabe continued to work — setting up, checking, and testing systems to ensure a smooth launch into P.K. Yonge’s new, fully-virtual endeavor. With the transition to Virtually P.K. considered a success, Gabe provided seemingly endless support to faculty and staff and handled issues as they arose — responding to help tickets that increased during this period by 300%. As always, Gabe’s manner remained patient, calm, and with good humor.
The end of a very demanding 2020 school year arrived, and in addition to assisting with the return of student-issued devices to campus, Gabe was hard at work running scenarios for a potentially online or hybrid return to school in the fall to preempt systems required to support a successful return. At the same time, Gabe’s involvement in the shift to a new collegiate-style 6-12 master schedule planned for a Fall 2020 launch was critical in merging the Canvas learning management system, the Skyward student information system, and the State of Florida reporting system.
After testing and evaluating various instructional scenarios, the 2020-21 school year began with a number of different models to support on-campus and off-campus learners from kindergarten to 12th grade. Along with those models came systems challenges to support instruction for students who were on and off campus long term and short term. Gabe managed these systems and shifts that often occurred on a moment’s notice with grace and creativity and with endless dedication. As luck would have it, P.K. Yonge’s new secondary school facility was scheduled to open during the 2020-21 school year, and while managing the challenges of yet another school year in the context of a pandemic, Gabe led the design, planning, installation and purchasing of instructional technology for the 78,000 square foot P.K. Yonge secondary building that opened its doors to students on January 20, 2021.
The school community is so pleased to celebrate Gabe’s exceptional dedication to P.K. Yonge in the form of a University of Florida Superior Accomplishment Award. As the school year continues, so does Gabe’s commitment to serving the Blue Wave community above and beyond the call of duty. Gabe’s role in the success of Virtually P.K. was pivotal, and the role he plays on our campus is critical. We congratulate Gabe on his award and offer him our profound gratitude for his contributions toward providing the Blue Wave community the tools and skills to bring school into the homes of more than 1,000 students and for his ongoing commitment to our school.
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