• DK Affiliates •

Don and Kathie McMahon are retired educators with a combined 72 years of experience in education. Don is the right-brained half of the team, with expertise in technology, math, and science. Kathie expresses herself better through music, literature, and history, while keeping everything organized and on track. Together we have collaborated our best ideas to provide our clients with tried-and-true projects, whether it be for a single classroom, grade level, or all-school participation. While all projects can be aligned with Common Core standards, the main emphasis of these activities is on student engagement, tapping into alternative avenues of learning.

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Don received his bachelor's and master's degrees in elementary education from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. After shoveling snow one Easter morning, Don decided to head to a warmer climate in Arizona. He spent 30 years in the elementary classroom, where he was a master teacher who excelled in creating hands-on experiences for kids. His final ten years were spent with the district Educational Technology department, where he was in charge of special projects and training teachers in the latest technology for the classroom. He has also developed websites for many groups, including a children's theatre, Teachers in Space program, and local entertainers and golf pros.

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Kathie was born into a family of musicians, so she was destined to be a music educator. After teaching elementary band and general music for twelve years, Kathie decided to tackle the challenges of the regular classroom. It was there that she decided to write school musicals that aligned with the curriculum. She received her bachelor's degree in music education from Northern Arizona University and her master's from Arizona State, where she also pursued classes in music composition. She has collaborated on seven musical productions with a community children's theatre, for which she has earned four ariZoni awards for Original Music Composition. Kathie also writes children's books. You can find out more about her latest books here.