Educational Technology for Engaged Learning. District 59 Technology Program Evaluation. Summary.

In the 1998-99 school year, the Arlington Heights School District 59 (Illinois) joined with the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory to evaluate the district's technology program, focusing on the impact of technology on engaged learning. The evaluation took place at a cluster of one junior high school and two of its feeder elementary schools. Findings suggest that teachers usually focused on one technology tool at a time when the structure is already in place for using multiple applications to engage students. The evaluation showed that teachers really did not know how best to use technology for instruction, even though the tasks they used were generally authentic and challenging to a degree. Evidence supported the idea that technology use supports student engagement, but that continued professional development is needed to enable teachers to use technology to enhance student learning. (SLD)