Today I was feeling very grateful for a creative solution. You all know of my struggles with having only one computer online, which also happens to be the one computer attached to the LCD projector. In addition that one computer online does not allow me in anyway to install 99.9% of all software. Oh, and that computer does not have a printer and will not allow me to install a printer. However here is a work around that is going well for us.
1) Using the converter for U3 flashdrives we have been able to run Classroom Suite Player from a flashdrive on the internet enabled/LCD connected computer. (Read how to do this here.)
2) Using a "no software needed" switch interface (we like the Don Johnston Switch Interface Pro), the LCD projector and a Jelly Beamer students who are switch users, have low vision or both can do all sorts of academics using Classroom Suite (most of which I am able to download for free from the Intellitools Exchange)
3) Using the free program Cute PDF Writer (which does not install to the registry and therefore is part of the .1% of software I CAN install) we print completed work to a PDF and I e-mail it to myself for data collection and alternative assessment (and I can e-mail it to parents as well.)
This post is less about the actual solution we are using and more about creative problem solving. Sometimes it is difficult to see it, but most of the time there is a way to make things work.
But really the problem is how sad this is. That a teacher, who has all these great software ideas & resources, is hampered by IT policy. Really, what good is having technology to help our students if you can't use it. I think it is absolutely ridiculous to expect teachers to be tech geniuses to "get around" admin restrictions!
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