How to Evaluate Technology for Early Learners

Lilla Dale McManis is the Research Director for Hatch, where she works to both inform and carry out research on technology products for early childhood. Dale holds a B.S. in Child Development and a M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Georgia, after which she spent several years teaching. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Florida focusing on learning and cognition in poverty children, while instructing prospective teachers and serving as Lead Evaluator for a large Head Start Grant. She then took consecutive positions at the Massachusetts Departments of Education and Public Health where she served as Evaluator and then Co-Director of the Office of Statistics and Evaluation. She joined the University of Texas faculty in 2001 and for several years worked on research projects in the State Center for Early Childhood Development within the Children’s Learning Institute. In this capacity she oversaw several large projects related to school readiness, most notably the state School Readiness Certification System. Joining Hatch in 2008, Dr. McManis now works in tandem with Hatch Product Development in the design and evaluation of educational technology for early learners.

Jenne Parks started her career as a kindergarten teacher in a federally funded full-day Title-1 class and continued her career with at-risk pre-kindergarten students. In 2000, Jenne accepted a position as a Curriculum Specialist with La Petite Academy managing the Education Department that served over 600 schools and 13,000 teachers. She determined which training tools would be the most effective and relevant for teachers; and also created and launched the training tools. In 2010, Jenne began her work with Hatch and she now assists in the creation of content for existing and new products based on the latest valid research and scientific findings. She is an accomplished national presenter and author on early childhood teaching and training.