As technology integration teacher for East Haven schools, Taylor Auger brings technology and iPads into East Haven classrooms.

Taylor Auger never thought he could take his interests in education and technology and put them together into a career, but he has, and the entire East Haven Public School district is benefitting.

Taylor is the technology integration teacher for the school district, a role he has held since fall 2011. Prior to that, he served as a consultant to the district for six months.

His career is based on a right place, right time moment. As an intern in the Norwich Public Schools, Taylor attended a meeting for schools that received a technology grant. East Haven Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Erica Forti and Marilee Noonan, then a science instructional leader at the high school, met Taylor there.

"I gave them ideas for their STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] competition. I told them they could do it digitally," says Taylor. "They called two weeks later to see if I could do some consulting work. If it wasn't for that meeting, I wouldn't be here.

"I didn't think this job existed," he continues. "I thought I would be in a classroom teaching. Now I can teach and teach teachers how to implement technology in a good way."

Taylor, who grew up in Gales Ferry, graduated from Ledyard High School in 2005. He earned education certification in history and elementary education from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2009. He received his master's degree in teaching with a focus on educational technology from Sacred Heart University in 2011. Taylor is currently working toward his sixth-year degree at Southern Connecticut State University.

Taylor has played an integral role in the school district's success in the STEM competition and has also brought iPads into the schools.

"I'm the iPad guy," says Taylor.

The school district has about 500 to 600 iPads in use in the elementary schools. This year, iPads are also being used at Joseph Melillo Middle School.

"I create the digital curriculum that meets the curriculum requirements in the district," says Taylor. "The iPads run apps requested by teachers or ones I recommend."

Taylor explained that the iPads are also used for class assessments. Digital assessment software allows teachers to assess grades Pre-K through 5 on literacy skills. When the students take tests on the iPads, the data is all stored online so parents, teachers, and administrators can view that data.

"Before that, the data was in different places. Now we can make quality decisions based on that data," says Taylor.

This year, Taylor expanded those assessment capabilities to administrators so they can more effective assess teacher performance.

"They can run reports with the click of a button," says Taylor. "Now they can look at data and what the staff is doing right and wrong and provide feedback."

Overall, Taylor said having the iPad technology in the schools has been a very successful endeavor.

"If used right, they can have positive student achievement outcomes," says Taylor.

Because iPads are so easy to operate, "it allows for technology to get out the way and the learning to happen," adds Taylor.

Taylor said the 700 devices in use across the district all operate through the school district's wireless network.

"I set them up so I can manage them remotely," he says.

Users can't download inappropriate apps and, because the iPads have location awareness, they can't be operated if stolen.

The school district's success has led to the middle school being selected for a tablet initiative. Every student in grade 7 will be given a tablet to use as part of the program. Taylor is looking forward to working on that project.

Google Apps for Education is a free service used by students, teachers, and principals to collaborate on documents from any location. Taylor said he plans to use Google Apps to enable students to create digital portfolios of their work throughout their years in East Haven.

Another project Taylor is enthusiastic about is an app he's creating for the district. He felt there could be improvement in communication across the district, from staff, the buildings, and even into the community.

"I want to provide a way for people in the district to have an app to make them more effective communicators," said Taylor.

He is developing an app that will provide information of interest and need to students, staff, and parents. It will contain news, a calendar, phone numbers, and other information of interest to members of the school district community, all in one centralized location.

"That app will be utilized on any platform, tablet or smartphone," said Taylor. "I hope it increases communication and allows everyone to be on the same page."

Taylor said he hopes the new app will be available to use within the next couple of months. Taylor has recently helped redesign the district website and the individual school sites are going to get a facelift as well so they all have a similar look and feel.

Overall, Taylor is pleased to bring the technology and all of its benefits to the students and staff of the school district.

"I'm privileged to be in a position to be creative and make an impact on student learning," he said.