Conectados

Patti J. Marinelli has had a distinguished career teaching Spanish at the University of South Carolina. The recipient of many university awards, she also was named Teacher of the Year by the South Carolina Foreign Language Teachers' Association in 2008. She has extensive experience coordinating the introductory Spanish program and mentoring graduate teaching assistants at the university. Her online Beginning Spanish II course with MindTap for Conectados was recently selected for a Blackboard Exemplary Course Award. Marinelli has authored two other Spanish textbooks, including the best-selling high beginner textbook Puentes. Both her teaching and writing are informed by her experiences as a certified ACTFL OPI tester and her expertise in standards-based instruction. Karin Fajardo is an educational publishing professional who has authored language learning materials for more than a dozen Spanish textbooks across all levels. As a native Spanish speaker who has lived in and traveled extensively throughout Spain and Latin America, her primary focus has been to generate culturally rich interdisciplinary language lessons. Fajardo also is a pioneer in the creation of online products and the development of authentic video for instructional purposes. Her current writing interests focus on self-directed learning.