Meet the MassCUE 2022-2023 Champions

Brandon Hall — Brandon is the Director of Instructional Technology for the Pembroke Public Schools. Prior to his current role, he was a high school social studies teacher for 15 years in Pembroke. Brandon has a BA in History and Education from Stonehill College, a MEd from UMass Boston, and a post-graduate certificate from The George Washington University in Educational Technology. He provides ongoing professional development and support for teachers in Pembroke as well as at various conferences such as MassCUE, Googlepalooza, and ISTE. Brandon is a member of the Southeast, Cape and Islands Technology Administrators group, a Google Certified Trainer, and an Apple Certified Teacher as well as a Seesaw, Flipgrid, and iCivics ambassador. Brandon is also the host of MassCUE’s Get a CUE Podcast.
Follow him on Twitter @ HallsHomework

 

 

Dante Quercio — Dante is a District Instructional Technology Coach for the Worcester Public Schools. Born and raised in Worcester, he graduated from Clark University in 1999 and holds a Master’s in Education from Worcester State University. Dante has been working for the Worcester Public Schools since 1999. He taught middle school social studies for 11 years before taking on the role of WPS District Instructional Technology Coach – training teachers on how to integrate meaningful technology into their curriculum. For fun, he works as an ambassador for the Worcester Red Sox. Follow him on Twitter @ dquercio76

 

 

 

 

Johanna Wilson — In her current role, 6-12 Technology Integration Specialist, Johanna works closely with the teachers and students in Hamilton-Wenham to support the effective use of technology in teaching and learning. In addition to designing and implementing professional development opportunities for her colleagues, Johanna coaches the school’s student-tech leaders as they learn, practice, and apply valuable future-ready skills. Johanna is passionate about project-based learning and was charged with the design and oversight of a school makerspace, where she collaborates with teachers who are looking to incorporate hands-on, in-context, meaningful project-based learning experiences for their students. Johanna is a Level 2 Google Certified Educator and a member of the first MassCUE Champions Cohort.

 

 

 

Joli Boucher — Joli is a Google for Education Certified Teacher, Trainer & Innovator as well as the co-leader and founder of Google Educator Group New England. Joli is an edtech coach, K-5 library/technology teacher, instructor for EdtechnologySpecialists.com, a MassCUE Champion, Apple Teacher, Seesaw Ambassador, and edtech blogger. She has presented nationally as a featured presenter at numerous conferences including the official Google for Education Stand at ISTE 2019. Joli is passionate about all things related to educational technology and enjoys sharing and curating resources on Twitter @ joliboucher.

 

 

 

Lori Cooney — Lori Cooney, M.Ed., Program Director, Inclusive Education & Curriculum Design, coordinates a Federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) grant for Future Quest Island, a fully accessible college and career readiness gaming adventure for elementary and middle school students. Lori has over 25 years of extensive experience in designing and delivering professional development on universal design for learning (UDL), inclusive education, individualized learning plans, curriculum development, course design, technology integration, college and career readiness, and assessment strategies for PreK-16 students. Lori has received the 2012 MassCUE Pathfinder Award, a Technology Humanist Award from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and is recognized as a Christa McAuliffe Teacher by the Challenger Learning Center at Framingham State University. Follow her on Twitter @ lori_cooney

 

 

 

Megan McGovern — Megan has been a special education teacher for 11 years and is currently working in the East Bridgewater Public School system. She has had the pleasure of working with all different types and learners throughout her career and she is driven to create a more inclusive world. Two things define her teaching philosophy: inclusion and love. Besides being a 9th-grade Inclusion Specialist, she is the Student Activities Coordinator for her school, creating events like Homecoming, March Madness, Awareness Week, Teacher Appreciation, and Positive Sign Thursday. Another role she has in the building is coach of the Unified Sports program, which is designed to serve students with various disabilities. Her most significant role is being a mother. She has two children, Tommy, 5, and Theresa, 2. Tommy was diagnosed with Autism in 2021, which ignited her drive for change. She is working as a mother and a teacher to break the stereotypes connected to diverse learners. Follow her on Twitter @ mmcgovern46

 

 

 

Melissa Zeitz — Melissa is a PreK–8 Digital Literacy and Computer Science Teacher, has worked to support DLCS curricula in her school and across her district (Springfield Public Schools). Melissa is the technology and curriculum resource coordinator for the CSforALL Springfield NSF-funded grant, which aims to write computer science curriculum to be integrated into the district’s academic curriculum. In these roles she has guided numerous teachers to different DLCS resources and curricula and advised the district in deciding what computer science resources may be beneficial for the elementary level. Melissa is the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) of Western Mass President and a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. Follow her on Twitter @ whisperinedtech

 

 

Michael Albert — A Technology Specialist for the last 5 years, Michael has taught at South Elementary in Plymouth for the last 23 years. He runs the learning hub at South Elementary, where students explore, make mistakes, and become curious. Michael likes to say that this is a work in progress, and we are never quite finished. Follow him on Twitter at @ mralbertses

 

 

 

 

 

Nili Bartley — Nili is currently a Technology Teacher and Digital Learning/Innovation Coach at Wilson Middle School in Natick, MA. After an eleven-year adventure in the classroom, Nili’s technology integration role at the elementary level for the next three years pushed her to see the importance of a thriving culture and led her to write “Lead beyond Your Title: Creating Change in School from Any Role.” Nili is committed to sharing her passions beyond the school community and is always excited to connect with other educators.