It is a given that tomorrow's leaders must be able to adapt to rapid change and be technologically astute. As a result, three important educational reform questions must be asked when integrating technology into the classroom and applicable curriculum:

1. How do we, as educators, address the issue of integrating technology with curriculum?
2. How do school districts assess the effectiveness of using technology in the classroom?
3. How do school districts determine the needs and technical knowledge required for their classroom teachers?

The Taylor School District has taken the lead in addressing all of these important educational reform questions. Realizing that teachers are the primary conduit for the dissemination of information to students, the district embarked on a unique approach to incorporating technology in its curriculum. The Technology Literacy Curriculum Project (Project: TLC) , spearheaded by Dr. Diane E. Szalka, provides Taylor District teachers with four weeks of comprehensive instruction in the use of technology for classroom applications. The training sessions are conducted by a certified technology instructor in a fully equipped laboratory. The teachers are schooled on learning how to incorporate a variety of equipment and applications into their lesson plans. In addition, teachers are required to design and develop classroom units which employ the equipment to teach State Mandated curriculum. While in this off-site environment, the participants' home classrooms are being taught by full-time substitute teachers.

Upon completion of the training session, technology coordinators are elected by their peers to serve as the in-school technology liaisons. Returning to their schools, participants of Project: TLC are greeted with fully equipped and completely wired school buildings. The equipment and set-up within their school mirrors the technology they were exposed to in the technology lab.

It is clear through Project: TLC, when you give teachers the opportunity to learn . . . the students become the REAL WINNERS! ! !


The Taylor School District identified the need to take the use of computers in the classroom to a different level from simple 'drill and kill', word processing and game playing. As a result, the key question became "How does a district transform the way teachers teach so that they integrate technology as a teaching tool?"

The Technology Literacy Curriculum Project (Project: TLC) is the first of its kind to provide prolonged, in-depth staff development training for classroom teachers. This technology training allows both teachers and parents from six (6) Title 1 elementary schools to experience first-hand the value of a hands-on learning approach.

Taught in a newly established technology laboratory within the Taylor School District, the four week, full-day immersion program emphasizes how to effectively deploy technology in the classroom and how to utilize applications for curriculum delivery. Lesson plans, developed by a project manager, address teachers' needs to attain a strong comfort level in the use of sophisticated equipment such as digital cameras, DVD projectors, digital video cameras, scanners, interactive white boards and a class set of quick pads with their classroom computers.

Learning to use the Internet as an information resource, producing PowerPoint presentations, creating story books using Hyper-Studio, and downloading digital pictures to enhance a lesson are just a few of the examples of how technology will be revolutionizing teaching strategies within the Taylor School District. Utilizing the computer and white boards are truly bringing curriculum and lesson plans alive from both a teaching and learning perspective.

The participants in the first sessions of Project: TLC overwhelmingly expressed their excitement, their commitment and their understanding of the project's goal and targeted outcome. . . a student body equipped to compete in the future. The impact of the program was immediate and is expected to be long- lasting as teachers' transform the way they approach the delivery of the State Mandated curriculum.

Project TLC did not become a reality without first overcoming a number of obstacles. The first obstacle which had to be overcome was the ability to attract and retain substitute teachers for the school year, as these resources were at a premium. Second, the necessity to apply for E-rate discounts to help pay for the wiring of buildings and the installation of hubs and servers was time consuming. The third obstacle to be overcome was gaining commitment from the District to use some of the Federal funds for the purchase of hardware and software which required putting other District programs on hold. Fourth, was the actual writing of the Technology Literacy Curriculum Project grant. This required the hiring of a grant writer to put the vision in the appropriate format for submission to the State of Michigan for possible funding. This grant provided the funding for the use of substitute teachers, which otherwise would have been cost prohibitive to the District. The fifth obstacle to be overcome was a vital component for Project TLC. The District's commitment to the program required pre- and post- transition time for training staff in a closed learning environment through the use of the substitute teachers. This element allowed the District to alleviate the concern of staff, principals and parents notwithstanding a large amount of commitment and understanding from all involved and impacted. The final obstacle, yet to be overcome, is the need for the District to locate additional funding which will allow the remaining teaching staff to be technology trained. This will ensure that all Taylor students will be positively impacted from this program.

Upon completion of Project: TLC, one hundred and ten (110) teachers, eighteen (18) parents and thirty (30) parochial teachers will have had the opportunity to participate in the training sessions. As a result, over three thousand students will be ultimately impacted in how their lessons are delivered. This change in teaching methods will require students to become engaged in higher order thinking skills and become proficient in the use of computers and technology. Teachers as facilitators of knowledge in the classroom will be equipped to enhance the learning process through the use of technology as a teaching tool. This coupled with a cooperative learning and team-oriented classroom environment is vital to the success of students as they enter the workforce of tomorrow. This is a huge beginning . . . a vital section of the pie . . . soon to be the apple of everyone's eye.

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