Currently principal of Joyner Elementary School in Tupelo, Brenda (McCarthy) Johnson was formerly principal of East Corinth Elementary School in Corinth, a position she assumed after teaching third and fourth graders in a multi-grade system at Rankin Elementary School in Tupelo. "I equip students with experiences that increase their ability for competing globally," said (McCarthy) Johnson. Cooperative learning, interdisciplinary instruction, hands-on experiences, real-life problem solving and the acquisition of combined skills were essential elements of (McCarthy) Johnson's teaching methods. Her students pursued such varied projects as constructing an automated conveyor belt and caring for a caterpillar throughout its entire life cycle. (McCarthy) Johnson also helped develop Rankin's technology system, making it the first public elementary school in Mississippi to have a local area network and an Internet connection in every classroom. In 1996, the National Science Foundation recognized (McCarthy) Johnson with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching.
199 Mississippi State University, Other
