Supporting 1:1 Schools in Northeast Iowa

In a 1:1 school each student is assigned a laptop, iPad or similar device to use every day.

Across Iowa schools are forging a path into new territory: the 1:1 environment. In a 1:1 school each student is assigned a laptop, iPad or similar device to use every day. Keystone AEA, located in northeast Iowa, provides leadership and guidance to schools that are investigating and implementing 1:1 devices for their students. Nearly half of the districts Keystone AEA serves have moved to 1:1 computing.

Keystone AEA guides districts in the development of 1:1 exploratory committees made up of faculty, technical staff, administration, Board members and students. This involves visiting other 1:1 schools to experience learning and best practice in action.

We work with schools to budget for increased Internet bandwidth and coordinate network and wireless upgrades to make school networks 1:1 ready. We also work directly with teachers before, during, and after the 1:1 implementation to encourage engaged, meaningful instruction in all content areas.

On the date of the roll-out, Keystone AEA staff hosts sessions for students and parents to review digital citizenship and cyber-bullying courses to ensure that students are safe online.

Keystone AEA offers ongoing technician services and creates meaningful communication opportunities for teachers to collaborate.

Keystone AEA also provides eBooks and other online resources such as Gizmos, Britannica, First In Math, DE Science, and Click N Read Phonics to enhance learning for individual students. Keystone AEA is moving aggressively toward the acquisition of eBooks in various formats to meet the needs of all students.

With each 1:1 implementation the communication and collective knowledge base of Keystone AEA and the schools of Northeast Iowa are strengthened. Whether a school is in the initial planning phase or is further along in their 1:1 journey Keystone AEA provides professional development and leadership in technology integration to ensure success.