Monthly Archives: October 2013

Does Price Predict Quality of Educational Apps?

Posted on October 31, 2013 by karen mahon

Skeptical about the instructional value of paid educational apps? Our research at Balefire Labs shows that you should be. We pretty regularly get questions and comments about paid versus free apps. There seem to be two general (and competing) schools … Continue reading →

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There’s one key difference between kids who excel at math and those who don’t

Posted on October 28, 2013 by karen mahon

I really enjoyed this piece. We know that everyone can learn…and we know that optimizing the learning conditions and providing plenty of practice opportunities make a big difference. Competencies and capabilities are not fixed in something called “intelligence!”

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Musings on What I Forgot to Be Grateful For in Corporate Life

Posted on October 24, 2013 by karen mahon

Today I’m sitting here, manning my own booth, at the Massachusetts Computer Using Educators Conference at Gillette Stadium. I’m here exhibiting Balefire Labs, which by now you know is my ed tech startup that provides an online service reviewing educational … Continue reading →

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Lessons from a dolphin trainer for any manager or parent

Posted on October 21, 2013 by karen mahon

Originally posted on John Stepper:
Despite my experience raising five kids aged 3 to 18, I’ve been using ineffective parenting techniques for a very long time. As Einstein might have said, I’ve been insane. In trying to shape my children’s behavior,…

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What Sir Ken Got Wrong

Posted on October 14, 2013 by karen mahon

I just came across this article…it is nothing short of amazing. It’s a bit on the long side, compared with the nuggets we are accustomed to online, but well worth the read. Please take the time! Best bets “We are … Continue reading →

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How the iPad can turn teaching special ed ‘on its head’

Posted on October 12, 2013 by karen mahon

I worked in special ed for a long time and really enjoyed this article. Hope you do too.

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A Great Math App for Kids

Posted on October 9, 2013 by karen mahon

Just in case you didn’t catch it someplace else, I thought I’d share the free math app review that we published this week over on Balefire Labs. I’ve talked to you guys about the Native Numbers app before, but here … Continue reading →

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What I Learned at my CHIFOO Talk

Posted on October 6, 2013 by karen mahon

This past Wednesday I had the opportunity to give a talk at the Computer-Human Interaction Forum of Oregon (CHIFOO). CHIFOO is a really interesting group. They are a local chapter of SIGCHI, the premier international society for professionals, academics and students … Continue reading →

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