Partnership of Manson Northwest Webster Community Schools and Webster Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association Expand Classroom Technology
Gowrie, IA (PRWEB) September 04, 2014 -- The Manson Northwest Webster Community Schools are Google Apps for Education Schools with 300 Google Chromebooks in use in the elementary building along with 125 iPads and a host of apps. With the MNW grades 3-12 also a 1:1 school with each student provided a computer, it is a must that a stable and consistent bandwidth be maintained.
This technology is used every day in reading programs, the school data information system and many other programs. Today's learning environment allows for classrooms world-wide to interact and learn together during studies each school day. All of this is made possible through broadband technology.
"Our reading program allows for reading books online at home and at school. Teachers and students use Google Apps to produce online written docs, slide shows, video projects, etc.," states Brad Kruse, tech coordinator at MNW. "Projects are then shared with other students in the classroom via the “cloud.”
Devices like Chromebooks and apps from Google require high bandwidth to access cloud services because information is stored outside the network not within the device. The benefit is that students can access their information from anywhere they have an internet connection. Bandwidth becomes even more important when you have hundreds of these devices in the same immediate area.
“Even though we're located in rural Iowa, students do have access to high quality fixed broadband at school and at the home. Webster Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association (WCCTA) provides a fiber to the home infrastructure that was completed several years ago and is essential to extend the learning experience of the students outside of the school day. This network gives us the ability to grow together as needs increase regardless if it is 100MB or 1Gig of service and keeps our students connected and learning,” states Marcie Boerner, office manager at WCCTA.
Students and teachers are not the only ones that benefit from the high-speed broadband services. Building infrastructure such as the HVAC controls were installed recently in both the elementary and middle school/high schools. Here the heating and air conditioning systems function through monitoring devices using the internet. Safety issues are also addressed with security video solutions installed and, again, monitored through the internet.
When asked to sum up the partnership between MNW and WCCTA, Brad Kruse says, "MNW is very appreciative of the service they provide for our students. The Internet bandwidth they provide saves us thousands of dollars a year. This allows us to invest that money in other technologies needed that we normally would not be able to provide."
Webster-Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association is located at 1106 Beek Street, Gowrie, IA 50543. It has a Fiber driven network and provides landline telephone, Internet and digital television service to the Iowa communities of Gowrie, Pilot Mound, Vincent, Thor, Churdan, Knierim, Somers, Barnum, Duncombe, Farnhamville, Badger, Clare, Moorland, Boxholm, Lanyon and Paton. Additional information is available by calling 515-352-3151 or visiting http://www.wccta.net
Marcie Boerner, Webster Calhoun Cooperative Telephone Association, http://www.wccta.net, +1 5153028026, [email protected]
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