Cheryl Carruthers

Iowa AEA Online is a statewide collaborative project provided by Iowa’s Area Education Agencies.

(AEAs) that provides no-cost access to 14 high-quality, web-based resources for all Iowa PreK-12 grade students and teachers.

These electronic, across-the-curriculum resources allow all schools, regardless of financial or geographic constraints, to offer a “library without walls” that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from any Internet-accessible computer, at school or at home. Iowa AEA Online gives Iowa’s students access to a wealth of information for assignments, classroom projects, and personal interest.

Parents, does your child have an endangered species project to complete? Reference information can be found in the Britannica School Online edition, a truly multimedia encyclopedia. Does your child need to create a presentation about a different culture? Try the resource, CultureGrams for an inside look at cultures around the world and within the United States. Or what if your child needs a photo of a famous person? The resource, AP Images, will have many copyright free photo options that can be downloaded andused by your child for their learning.

Does your student need a nonfiction book about volcanoes? The resource, TrueFLIX, has several eBook titles that can be read by students and also includes an option for the book to be read aloud to the student. Many of these online resources offer the option of searching for reading materials at a certain reading level to support student success.

When accessing Iowa AEA Online, students use information skills of finding, evaluating and using information; technology skills; and literacy skills in reading, analysis, and problem solving. The online resources are important tools for students to use and understand and will provide them with lifelong skills.

Your student can access these online resources at www.iowaaeaonline.org using the username and password for their specific school building. Remember, the license for these resources limits use to student and school related activities. To learn more, contact your local school’s teacher librarian or an Area Education Agency 267 (AEA 267) media and technology consultant.

Cheryl Carruthers is a Service Area Supervisor for Information & Technology, Area Education Agency 267

(AEA 267) based in Marshalltown and Cedar Falls. Area Education Agency 267 serves over 65,000 students. In addition, over 5,000 educators rely on AEA 267 for services in special education, school technology, media and instructional/curriculum support. The agency’s service area reaches 18 counties and nearly 9,000 square miles.