Hatch® has formed a new Research Division that will serve as an industry resource for the application of education technology in early childhood. Dr. Lilla Dale McManis, an expert in child development, special education and educational psychology, will head the division.
“The work of the division will highlight practical applications of educational technology innovations in the classroom and how contributions by the private sector can empower teaching and improve student learning outcomes,” said Hatch President Ginny Norton.
“With the formation of the Research Division, Hatch is making a solid commitment and contribution to the field of early childhood, most notably to research-based educational technology for early learners,” said Research Director Dr. Dale McManis.
As an educator, evaluator and researcher for the past 25 years, Dr. McManis has worked in numerous school settings, held senior-level positions at state-level departments of education and public health and served on the faculty at the University of Texas-Houston in the Children’s Learning Institute. She has been a special education instructor, taught at the university level and overseen many large research studies.
The Hatch Research Division recently released the Relationship of the TeachSmart® Learning System with Literacy and Mathematics Outcomes for Preschoolers which studied the effectiveness of interactive whiteboard technology in preschool classrooms. The study showed that theTeachSmart Learning System, a SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard pre-loaded with more than 1,100 preschool activities, significantly improved student gains in core early literacy and math skills.
Members of the division will be participating in upcoming national education conferences, including the National Head Start Association Conference (NHSA), the National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development Conference (NAEYC-PDI) and the International Society for Technology in Education Conference and Exposition (ISTE).
