Joy Johnston
Programming and Coding
Martinsville, VA

How has NICERC curricula impacted your classroom?

NICERC has helped tremendously in getting started with our new Programming and Coding class. The hands-on activities using the curriculum help students to grasp the concepts on coding without overwhelming them with information that’s hard for them to understand. The foundational principles that this curriculum helped build for my students has ignited an interest in programming and coding in my students who have never been exposed to it before.

Why is STEM education so important for your students?

STEM is important to my students because it allows them to experience how the real world works. They are better able to determine at that point any interest they have in STEM career fields. Once that’s determined, they are better able to chart the best course for their future.

Share with us a favorite success story from your classroom.

My favorite success stories happen almost every day. I will introduce the kids to a new concept or activity and the first thing they say is “I can’t do this. It’s too hard,” and my response is always, “Yes, you can. Just try!” They are almost always able to master the concept or activity with no help at all. This happened recently with building and coding on the Raspberry Pi’s. My whole class was engaged and very proud of being able to build an actual computer and apply what they had learned to create their own game on the Raspberry Pi’s.

Thank you Joy for sharing how you use NICERC curricula in your classroom!

To see how other teachers are implementing NICERC curricula in the classroom, check out our other Teacher Features.