Technology in Education
Outstanding Adjunct Faculty

For more than a decade, Karen Mayfield has been teaching in the early elementary grades and in Special Education, providing support as a K-6 Technology Specialist, leading and training as an adjunct faculty in the educational technology arena. It was her experiences working with students with special needs that led Karen to seek solutions for meeting individual needs through the use of technology.

In her own elementary classroom and working with Lesley students, Karen has found that the most exciting, engaging, and effective learning takes place when students are actively involved in collaborative projects that require inquiry, creativity, and problem-solving. She sees technology empowering both teachers and students and accommodating varying learning styles and intelligences. She believes technology, wisely and thoughtfully selected, can support each teacher's unique teaching strengths.

Two philosophies--original creativity and individual ownership of learning--are woven throughout the courses Karen teaches. It is not uncommon to find students in her classes blending traditional methods and materials with new technologies. As a Technology Specialist in the Kent School District, Karen instituted student tech teams that provided on-site support, classroom lesson assistance, and job-embedded training for teachers and students.

Karen earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary and Special Education with Honors from Seattle Pacific University in Washington. She completed her master's degree in Technology in Education at City University. Karen joined Lesley's Technology in Education program as an adjunct faculty member in 1998 and is currently working with her 30th group of Lesley Master's degree students. She teaches three Lesley courses:

Lesley Technology in Education students enjoy her teaching and give her very high scores on evaluations. We are proud to have Karen as a Lesley adjunct faculty member.

Karen lives in a small, rural town overlooking the Snoqualmie Valley in Washington. She and her husband and four children are building their own home. They share their land with deer, dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, and pygmy goats.