Learning Resources

Rural Ohio District Adds Digital Library to 1 to 1 Initiative

• By Michael Hart
• 03/31/15

The Ross Local School District in Hamilton, OH, has added more resources to the 1-to-1 personalized learning initiative that it started in the fall.

In addition to giving every student in grades 5-12 a Chromebook laptop, the district in rural Ohio with 2,845 students has signed an agreement with icurio to deliver standards-aligned open educational resources to teachers and students.

The district's 1-to-1 initiative has been funded by a nearly $1-million Straight A Fund Grant from the Ohio Department of Education. As a result of the grant funding, along with each student in the fifth grade or higher receiving a laptop for use both in school and at home, the district implemented a learning management system, Schoology, to act as a framework for the personalized learning initiative, and icurio, an online learning resource library, with content that is appropriate for the district's goals.

"Our goal is to personalize learning for every student and ensure they are college- and career-ready," said Ross Local School District Curriculum and Instruction Director Kathy DiBlasi.

Officials at Knovation, creator of icurio, said the company has a focus on formative assessments, which will help teachers and administrators determine the appropriate content for all students, regardless of whether they require remediation or enrichment.

"This ensures educators don't have to access multiple Web sites and resources to provide digital content that aligns to district goals," said Knovation CEO Randy Wilhelm.