Profiles

	JoAnn Berkowitz, MEd joann@mycriticalconnections.com

	With over 35 years in public education, my passion continues to be working with teachers ! The opportunity to empower each teacher to tackle the GREAT work is my real joy. This is the work that is meaningful to you, that has an impact and makes a difference. It is a source of both deep comfort and engagement—often you feel as if you’re in the “zone”, where you’re working at your best, effortlessly. My experiences have been as a special education teacher, middle school teacher and administrative roles in urban, suburban and rural districts. But most importantly for you is the teaching I have done with teachers and the awesome outcomes that result. Some evaluation comments from teachers in my classes: This class was very engaging, and JoAnn was truly inspiring! JoAnn was an excellent instructor! She was very organized, knew the content and materials extremely well and did an excellent job presenting the material! The course design and the methods the instructor used to facilitate learning supported us to a very high level. My brain hurts from thinking so critically but that’s a good thing! I really appreciated the instructor’s positive encouragement! JoAnn is a phenomenal instructor and did a great job helping us connect the information to our classrooms. Ok, my husband is now asking if my head will fit through the door—-but seriously, bringing all of my training, experiences and insights to our classes is very crucial. I realize the investment that you make to your profession, and I take the opportunity to work with you as a real honor.


	Mari Engelhart, MEd mari@mycriticalconnections.com

	Ok, I will admit that I am rather a nerd, but a “teacher-friendly” nerd. With over 25 years in experience with technology, I also am proud to say that I am a certified teacher, technology integration specialist, and webmaster. I have instructed my colleagues and advised administrators in my district and others. I am happy to report I am still in the classroom teaching high school students business, marketing, and technology. How many of you have received a new gizmo in your classroom and were expected to use it without any support? You are not alone! Integrating new technology tools and applications into your lesson plans can be overwhelming. I hear you! “Which ones do I use?” “Should I always integrate technology into my lesson plans?” “What about student safety?” I understand how teachers feel with respect to integrating technology into their classrooms and my passion is to assist you without intimidating, useless tech-talk! Since JoAnn included a few evaluation quotes, I thought I would share a couple too I just wanted to thank you for the amazing presentation yesterday. You lit a fire under some of my teachers (and my principal). I want to thank you for passing along the love of technology to a new group of teachers. Both staff and students have received hands-on training from Mari Engelhart. She has taught us programs that permit online, real time collaboration anywhere in the world; trained us how to create digital stories and so much more. Mari’s instruction is revolutionizing how our staff delivers curriculum and involves students in active learning. I look forward to assisting you to confidently use technology in your classroom and school district. I can help you not only engage your students, differentiate instruction, but also help make teaching a bit more fun!