The Hatch Airstream: Education Talk Radio Interview with Award-Winning Assistive Technology Specialist Sheila Miguel
Hatch technology received an impressive nod from Education Talk Radio yesterday. EduTalk hosted Sheila Miguel, award-winning Assistive Technology Specialist for Florida’s Miami-Dade School District, in a blogtalkradio.com show on Technology in Pre-K Special Education. Ms. Miguel discussed
the tangible results her district gained after implementing TeachSmart® Learning Systems by Hatch in multiple Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) special education classrooms in Miami-Dade Public Schools.
Ms. Miguel, an Educator Innovator Award winner, emphasized the importance of creating developmentally appropriate technology specifically targeted to children between cognitive ages three to five. At first she was highly skeptical that software and systems labeled for special education and Pre-K could be completely tailored for those purposes and would lack substantial content for early learners.
However, she was soon impressed with the usefulness of the TeachSmart® Learning System as an effective teaching tool in her district’s Pre-K special education classrooms. Ms. Miguel specifically discussed the benefits her teachers experienced in progress monitoring and parent conferences. The ability to record audio and video of children performing activities on the interactive whiteboard in digital portfolios allowed teachers to share authentic work samples to show students’ progress during parent-teacher conferences.
After implementing TeachSmart® Learning Systems into as many classrooms as she could get funding for, Sheila polled her teachers who were using the systems and received phenomenal feedback. “One of my students with profound ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) who shows tremendous anxiety with circle time activities began to come closer to the carpet when he heard the [SMART Board™] interactive whiteboard slide down,” said a Miami-Dade teacher. “Now he hears it hum and runs to the circle. He points to it and says ‘touch’ and participates in our activities happily.”
Listen to the entire 30-minute interview today!
Ginny Norton
Ginny Norton took the helm as President of Hatch in January 2007. She began her career at Hatch 19 years ago as a sales representative after graduating from the University of Richmond. She has been instrumental in driving and supporting the unique and dynamic mission and culture the company has become known for. Ginny has launched ground-breaking, research-based technology solution products for early learners. During her tenure at Hatch, the company has gained an esteemed reputation in the education technology industry as the first early education supplier to employ the latest scientific research on the cognitive development of young children as a guiding principle in developing technology content. Ginny has led multiple initiatives that have raised the bar for providers of early learning solutions.
Follow Me:
The Hatch Airstream: Education Talk Radio Interview with Award-Winning Assistive Technology Specialist Sheila Miguel http://t.co/lx8AeCcH