On occasion I do some consultation in other special education programs, typically around assistive technology. During a recent session an OT commented about how frustrating it must be to do this kind of consultation and have half a session (or more) wasted when, for example, no one knows the password to install software (or no one has administrative priviledges) or free online switch programs will not run because the system does not have the current version of flash player installed (both of which happened in one session).
It was so saddening for the TEAM in the room and myself to watch this little boy, who according to all reports has never been so motivated or so engaged, become so angry when the technology failed him. He was so excited when as a final activity for the session I challenged him to a basketball game at Help Kidz Learn and then we couldn't play it!
Today Lon over at No Limits to Learning makes a call for us to change how we use computers in special education. I would like to not only second his call but to take a step back and ask school districts and administrators to think about how they limit students who's entire lives, from communication to recreation and beyond, depend on access to current, working, accessible technology.
Showing posts with label admin priviledges. Show all posts
Showing posts with label admin priviledges. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Saturday, December 13, 2008
From a Private E-mail: Admin Priviledges and Boardmaker Frusterations
This is from a private e-mail conversation I have been having with online, it references the frustrations of not having admin privileges on school computers and some special education software companies refusal to take these issues into account.
Isn't it crazy that schools don't install sped software because of "security issues"? Like Boardmaker and Intellitools are going to be problems! I haven't been using Boardmaker very much because I cannot nstall it on the school computer attached to the "big screen" (due to admin privilege issues) and I cannot run Boardmaker Player from a flash drive. Switch It Maker Player, Choose It Maker Player and Classroom Suite Player can all be run from a flash drive, but not Boardmaker Player. I know my school is technically the problem, but why is it Intellitools and Inclusive are responsive to this pervasive issues and Mayer-Johnson isn't?
Would it kill them to design their software in a way that it doesn't need to install files to the registry and therefore is not a problem in all the schools with this issue. I am one of MJ's biggest advocates and they are slowly losing my loyalty.... (with every day that passes that I cannot use activities that my students would find meaningful on the computer of my choice).
It really is amazingly frusterating that just when all these fantastic interactive boards are going up on Adapted Learning so many teachers and speech therapists cannot use them at school because of lack of admin priviledges to either install the Boardmaker series of software or to download and unzip files on school computers. When I mentioned the issues with downloading in schools a Boardmaker rep told me he hopes schools can work out those issues. Well I hope they can too, otherwise people will only use Boardmaker for print activities and use other, easier to share, easier to install softwares for interactive activties. (That's what I do, Boardmaker for printing Classroom Suite or Choose It Maker for interaction.)
PLEASE, PLEASE comment if your school (or your child's school) has these issues. The more people that say something the more likely Mayer-Johnson knows this is a pervasive issues across the US and the the more likely they are to address it!
Isn't it crazy that schools don't install sped software because of "security issues"? Like Boardmaker and Intellitools are going to be problems! I haven't been using Boardmaker very much because I cannot nstall it on the school computer attached to the "big screen" (due to admin privilege issues) and I cannot run Boardmaker Player from a flash drive. Switch It Maker Player, Choose It Maker Player and Classroom Suite Player can all be run from a flash drive, but not Boardmaker Player. I know my school is technically the problem, but why is it Intellitools and Inclusive are responsive to this pervasive issues and Mayer-Johnson isn't?
Would it kill them to design their software in a way that it doesn't need to install files to the registry and therefore is not a problem in all the schools with this issue. I am one of MJ's biggest advocates and they are slowly losing my loyalty.... (with every day that passes that I cannot use activities that my students would find meaningful on the computer of my choice).
It really is amazingly frusterating that just when all these fantastic interactive boards are going up on Adapted Learning so many teachers and speech therapists cannot use them at school because of lack of admin priviledges to either install the Boardmaker series of software or to download and unzip files on school computers. When I mentioned the issues with downloading in schools a Boardmaker rep told me he hopes schools can work out those issues. Well I hope they can too, otherwise people will only use Boardmaker for print activities and use other, easier to share, easier to install softwares for interactive activties. (That's what I do, Boardmaker for printing Classroom Suite or Choose It Maker for interaction.)
PLEASE, PLEASE comment if your school (or your child's school) has these issues. The more people that say something the more likely Mayer-Johnson knows this is a pervasive issues across the US and the the more likely they are to address it!
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