Author Archives: karen mahon

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About karen mahon

i am a behavior and learning scientist. i hold an ed.d. in educational psychology and am trained as an instructional designer. i have spent more than 15 years working in education and instructional software design.

My 100th Post: Balefire Labs and #EdApps

Posted on June 3, 2013 by karen mahon

I’ve been a bit off the grid this past week, so my apologies for not writing. That said, this is my 100th blog post! Wow! Thinking back to my first blog post, it’s been a really fun ride. For my … Continue reading →

Posted in App Reviews & Recs, Balefire Labs, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How To Cite Social Media: MLA & APA Formats

Posted on May 21, 2013 by karen mahon

This isn’t a “usual” type of post for me, but I think a lot of you will find it extremely useful. I know I will!!

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Past, Present & Future of SmartPhones…in the Classroom?

Posted on May 17, 2013 by karen mahon

Here’s a fun infographic for a Friday, originally posted on Edudemic.com. I’m fascinated by the surge in smart device use in classrooms, as you know, and for a few years I’ve been predicting (we’ll see how this works out for … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My First MOOC!

Posted on May 15, 2013 by karen mahon

Seems like I’ve been having a lot of interesting firsts lately…my first EdCamp last week, my first zip lining a few weeks ago (it was fun!) and now my first MOOC. For those new to  the term (which hopefully isn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My First EdCamp in Boston!

Posted on May 8, 2013 by karen mahon

This past Saturday I attended EdCamp Boston. It was the first edcamp for me and I’ll confess, I was skeptical. I’ve been to other teacher-centric events before and they’ve often felt like what I always imagined cheerleader camp would feel … Continue reading →

Posted in Professional Development, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Parents’ thoughts on K12 Mobile Learning!

Posted on May 2, 2013 by karen mahon

We know that smart devices and mobile learning are HOT in K12 right now. And here’s what parents have to say (we think they like it!)

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Creativity and Basic Skills in Education

Posted on April 28, 2013 by karen mahon

Creativity is a complex subject. To say the least. It’s also a topic that creates a great deal of conflict. I’ve been thinking about creativity for a long time as it applies to learning and education. I’m not really sure that … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Learner Behavior | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Teachers Love Technology!

Posted on April 23, 2013 by karen mahon

I really enjoyed this graphic, which originally appeared on OnlineUniversities.com, so wanted to share it with you all here. We’re making huge progress with technology in the classroom. Isn’t it awesome?

Posted in Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Competency-Based Education and Me.

Posted on April 18, 2013 by karen mahon

I’m kind of liking this competency-based education thing. I think I’ve been behind the curve on this, because it’s only really come to my attention recently. And when I did a little more reading for this post, I could see … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Instructional Design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Standards and creativity – compatible

Posted on April 11, 2013 by karen mahon

I really loved this post from Grant Wiggins…and I agree with him completely! What do you think? Granted, and…   Why do people insist on viewing the Standards as inconsistent with teacher creativity and choice? I am baffled by such … Continue reading →

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