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The Effects of Technology on Reading Performance in the Middle-School Grades:A Meta-Analysis With Recommendations for Policy (2005)
This article reports the results of a meta-analysis of 20 research articles containing 89 effect sizes related to the use of digital tools and learning environments to enhance literacy acquisition. Results (weighted effect size of 0.489) demonstrate that technology can have a positive effect on reading comprehension, but little research has focused on the effect of technology on metacognitive, affective, and dispositional outcomes. We conclude that although there is reason to be optimistic about using technology in middle-school literacy programs, there is also reason to encourage the research community to redouble its emphasis on digital learning environments for students in this age range and to broaden the scope of the interventions and outcomes they study.

Project REAL Lesson Plans (2004)
These lessons are examples of teacher work developed as a result of participation in Project REAL (Rural Education Aligned for Learning). Although not all the lessons were exemplary (based on world-class models of curriculum, instruction, assessment, or technology use), they truly were exemplary benchmarks of teacher growth in Ohio. The representative lessons included many stories of personal achievement. They included teachers who were told, for example, they had to teach driver's education because they were not content-competent; coaches who stated that so long as their teams won games, they were not expected to be good teachers; and teachers who were shy and intimidated by public viewing. Most of all, the lessons were exemplary benchmarks of teachers who would agree that Project REAL was a life-changing experience that made them feel both more competent and more empowered as professionals.

An Educator's Guide to Evaluating Claims About Educational Software (2002)
There are many issues to consider when selecting educational software that can make the process complex. Among these issues are finding evidence that the software is effective; determining if the software aligns with school, state, or district standards; determining if the software is suitable for student needs and learning styles; and deciding if the cost of purchasing, maintaining, or upgrading the software is worthwhile. This Web site has been designed to help educators deal with these considerations through checklists of key elements considered by professional researchers when evaluating research; red flags that point out special concerns that should be addressed when evaluating a study's results and conclusions; and a buyer's worksheet that provides aid in collecting key information when evaluating software packages.

enGauge^® Framework and Online Assessment (2001, ongoing)
EnGauge is a Web-based framework that helps schools and districts plan and evaluate the systemwide use of educational technology. Developed by NCREL with the Metiri Group, enGauge provides a comprehensive view of critical factors that strongly influence the effectiveness of educational technology. It provides online assessments to help schools and districts gauge their progress with learning technology and develop an informed plan of action. It also presents information on the effective uses of technology to advance student learning and the educational system conditions required to use technology effectively. (Audience: K-12 administrators, technology coordinators, education policymakers, K-12 teachers, education researchers)

E-Learning Knowledge Base (2002)
E-Learning, or online-equivalent courses are one of the most significant new applications of learning technology to emerge in the last 10 years. A growing body of research, theory, program evaluation, and policy analysis is documenting the rapid introduction of e-learning in postsecondary institutions in the United States and around the world. The E-Learning Knowledge Base includes a review and synthesis of current literature in e-learning and an online "annotated bibliography" available as a searchable database that covers the best online resources on the Internet. The database is updated periodically as new resources become available, so make sure to return often to keep up with the latest developments in this area. (Audience: education policymakers, K-12 teachers, education researchers, K-12 administrators)

Pathways Critical Issue: Promoting Technology Use in Schools (2001)

Templates, Forms, Interactive Tools, and Guidebooks

EdSTAR Minnesota (2001)
EdSTAR is a comprehensive Web site that connects educational standards with technology, applications, and resources. It provides teachers with substantive help, direction, and professional development in the implementation of Minnesota state standards. (Audience: education policymakers, K-12 teachers, K-12 administrators, educational researchers)

Scoring Guide for Student Products (2001)
This Web tool helps teachers evaluate student products that are created with technology. It focuses on the student's content knowledge and effective technology use. (Audience: K-12 teachers)

Captured Wisdom™ in Middle School (2000)
Captured Wisdom™ vignettes provide examples of real educators and learners using successful practices of technology to support instruction and learning in their classrooms. Captured Wisdom in Middle School presents two examples of teachers and learners using technology in middle school. (Audience: K-12 teachers)

Captured Wisdom™ on Adult Literacy (2000)
Captured Wisdom™ vignettes provide examples of real educators and learners using successful practices of technology to support instruction and learning in their classrooms. Captured Wisdom on Adult Literacy presents seven examples that help educators learn about successful practices of technology integration for improved adult education. Innovative activities are also shown, described, and discussed by front-line classroom educators and learners. (Audience: K-12 teachers)

NCRTEC Lesson Planner (2001)
This Web tool helps teachers write focused lesson plans that are aligned with standards. It helps them address essential questions that are often overlooked when planning curriculum units. The result is comprehensive lesson plans that address assessment, content, teaching strategies, and use of technology. (Audience: K-12 teachers)

Supplemental Resources

A Bibliography of Research and Resources on Technology and Engaged Learning (2000)
This collection of resources has been compiled for educators interested in educational technology and its uses with engaged learning and instructional approaches by the NCREL Resource Center. It can be viewed online.

NCREL's Learning Point: All Wired Up...Now What? (2002)
This issue of Learning Point magazine presents three articles focused on technology implementation and integration strategies for use in the classroom. "Thinking Outside the Cardboard Box" contains suggestions for educators on using technology to its full potential in the classroom. "Innovation Knows No Boundaries" focuses on specific uses of NCREL technology products that educators have found in schools throughout the world. "Tecnologia para Todos" discusses how technology can be used to break through language barriers when educators work with non-native English speakers. (Audience: K-12 teachers, K-12 administrators, education policymakers, education researchers, technology coordinators)