What kind of computer do I need to run Switched-On Online?

Basically, all you need is a web browser and access to the internet.

Switched-On Online runs on various web browsers including Mac browsers.
You do need the latest version of Flash player and you need a program for reading .PDF files such as Adobe Reader both of which are available at www.adobe.com.

Minimum System Requirements
• Live connection to the internet (broadband or dial-up - If you are on dialup, the media files are available on a DVD and may be purchased by individual users.)

• Standard web browser (any one of the following)
-Firefox 0.8 and higher (we recommend Firefox, click here to download it)
-Internet Explorer 6.0 and higher
-Safari 1.2.4 and higher
-Netscape 7.1 and higher
-Mozilla 1.4 and higher
-Opera 8 and higher

• Macromedia Flash Player Plug-in 7.0 or higher

• A PDF reader (such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit PDF Reader).

Optional
• If you are going to stream the multi-media content locally, you will need to have a DVD drive
• If you are using a wireless network, you need to have the 802.11g protocol

We also recommend you take other steps for protecting your computer and student on-line. Click here for more information.

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How much hard drive space will I need to use Switched-On Online?

If you access the curriuculum on-line, you don't need any additional hard drive space. If you copy the curriculum to the hard drive using the curriculum DVD you will need seven gigabytes of hard drive space.

Accessing the subjects from the hard drive takes up a lot of space but it allows faster access to the multimedia content Switched-On Online uses.

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The videos take time to load; what can I do?

For those with slower Internet speeds, it is possible to purchase the multimedia files on a DVD. Copy all those files to your hard drive, which will allow the program to access the files locally from your machine rather than stream them through the Internet.

Note: If you access the curriculum media from the DVD, please do not upgrade to Adobe Flash Player Version 9. Versions of Flash Player newer than 8 do not work well with DVD streaming. If you already have upgraded please do the following:
1. Click here to download the Flash uninstaller.
2. Once the download window opens, click on Save and then a window will open that says "Save As" window.
3. On the left hand side click on the icon called Desktop then click on the Save button. Once it is done downloading, the file will appear on your desktop.
4. Double-click the file called uninstall_flash_player.
5. When it is done, download Flash Player 8.
• For Windows users who use Internet Explorer: use flashplayer8r34_winax. Click here to download it.
• For Windows users who use other browsers: use flashplayer8r34_win. Click here to download it.
• For MAC users: use flashplayer8r34_mac.dmg. Click here to download it.
6. Once the download window opens, click on Save and then a window will open that says "Save As" window.
7. On the left hand side click on the icon called Desktop then click on the Save button. Once it is done downloading, the file will appear on your desktop.
8. Double click on the file you downloaded to install Flash 8

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How do I change streaming access to local access?

Note: streaming does not work if you use the Safari or Internet Explorer 7 browser because it automatically installs updates that are the equivalent of Flash 9 which is incompatible with DVD streaming. We recommend you use Firefox instead. click here to download it.

To change streaming from the DVD to the internet:
1. Click on "My Settings"
2. Select "Streaming from Internet"
3. Remove the drive letter from the
"Local drive" address box The 2007 DVD can be read from a local DVD drive or from mapped drive shared on a local server. The path must include the directory name 'curriculum2007'. For example:
D:curriculum2007
D:/curriculum2007
U:/curriculum2007
Y:/MyBigServerShare/DVD/curriculum2007

To change streaming from the internet to the DVD:
1. Click on "My Settings"
2. Select "Read from local drive"
3. Type the path to the DVD in the "Local drive" address box
The slash can be entered as either a "forward slash" ( / ) or a "back slash ( ). If necessary, the slash will automatically be corrected by the application. Do NOT type a slash at the end of the path.

Mac OS X
For Mac OS X, when the DVD is placed in the drive it generally appears on the desktop labeled with the volume name. The blue Switched-On Online Media Files 2007 disk. Enter this path: /Volumes/AOPDVD2007/curriculum2007 in the local drive address box. Remember, there is no slash at the end.

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How can I check the speed of my Internet service?

There are free tests you can obtain online. The one we recommend is: Speakeasy Speed Test. Choose the city location closesest to you. It will perform a test within a few seconds and give you the kbps speed for download and upload.

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How do I add Switched-On Online to my trusted site list?

Firefox 3.0 (we recommend Firefox, click here to download it)
1. Click on Tools, then click on Options.
2. Click on the Privacy tab.
3. Click on the Exceptions button under Cookies
4. Type or paste the Switched-On Online URL into the box under "Address of web site" then click the Enable button.
5. Click Close then OK.

Firefox 1.0-2.0
1. Click on Tools, then click on Options.
2. Click on the Privacy tab.
3. Click on the Exceptions button under Cookies
4. Type or paste the Switched-On Online URL into the box under "Address of web site" then click the Allow button.
5. Click Close then OK.

Internet Explorer 6.0-7.0
1. Click on the Start button then double-click on Control Panel. If it says 'Pick a Category' or you have Windows Vista, click 'Classic View' on the left side of the window.
2. Double-click on Internet Options.
3. Click on the Security tab.
4. Click on the icon that says 'Trusted Sites'.
5. Click on the Sites button below it.
6. Type or paste the Switched-On Online URL into the box under 'Add this website to the zone' then click on the Add button.
7. Click Close then OK.

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Should I allow Cookies?

"Cookies" are used by website programmers to identify the current user connected to the application and keep the connection in place. We do not use any "cookies" to gather personal information. The URL you use should be placed on the "Allow Cookies" list of the web browser.

Firefox 1.0-3.0 (we recommend Firefox, click here to download it).
To Enable Cookies
1. Click on Tools, then click on Options.
2. Click on the Privacy tab.
3. Make sure there is a check mark next to "Accept cookies from sites" and next to "Keep until" make sure it says "they expire"
4. Click OK.

To Allow Cookies
1. Click on Tools, then click on Options.
2. Click on the Privacy tab.
3. Click on the Exceptions button under Cookies
4. Type or paste the URL into the box under "Address of web site" then click the Allow button. (For Firefox 3.0, click the Enable button).
5. Click Close then OK.

Internet Explorer 6.0-7.0
To Enable Cookies
1. Click on the Start button then double-click on Control Panel. If it says 'Pick a Category' or you have Windows Vista, click 'Classic View' on the left side of the window.
2. Double-click on Internet Options.
3. Click on the Privacy tab.
4. Make sure the slider bar under Settings is set to Medium.

To Allow Cookies for
1. Click on the Start button then double-click on Control Panel. If it says 'Pick a Category' or you have Windows Vista, click 'Classic View' on the left side of the window.
2. Double-click on Internet Options.
3. Click on the Privacy tab.
4. Click on the Sites button.
5. Type or paste the URL into the box under "Address of website" then click the Allow button.
6. Click OK.

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How do I get rid of anoying advertising popups?

If you are getting advertising pop ups in Internet Explorer 6.0, we recommend that you download and install Firefox. Click here to download it. Though Internet Explorer 7.0 comes with a popup blocker built in but we still recommend that you download and install Firefox. It is a free browser and it is less susceptible to spyware than Internet Explorer.

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the install and choosing all the default options to ensure it works with Switched-On Online.

If you install this browser you may need configure your firewall to allow this program to run. Refer to your firewall help guide for further help.

Click here for more information on protecting your computer and student on-line.

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How do I turn off the Browser Caching function?

Firefox 3.0 (we recommend Firefox, click here to download it).
1. Click on Tools, then click on Options.
2. Click on Advanced then on the Network tab.
3. Change the number to zero under Cache so that is says "Use up to 0 MB of space for the cache"
4. Next, click on the Clear Now button then click OK.

Firefox 2.0
1. Click on Tools, then click on Options.
2. Click on the Advanced tab.
3. Change the number to zero under Cache so that is says "Use up to 0 MB of space for the cache"
4. Next, click on the Clear Now button then click OK.

Firefox 1.0
1. Click on Tools, then click on Options.
2. Click on the Privacy tab.
3. Click on the plus (+) sign next to Cache and type 0 (zero) in the box (Use up to 0 KB of disk space for the cache.).
4. Next, click on the Clear button then click OK.

Internet Explorer 7.0
1. Click on the Start button then double-click on Control Panel. If it says 'Pick a Category' or you have Windows Vista, click 'Classic View' on the left side of the window.
2. Double-click on Internet Options.
3. On the General tab, click on Settings.
4. For the option - "Check for newer versions of stored pages:", choose the first option – "Every visit to the page".
5. For "Amount of disk space to use" – Change the box to 8 MB.
6. Click OK.

Internet Explorer 6.0
1. Click on Tools, then click on Internet Options.
2. On the General tab, click on Settings.
3. For the option - "Check for newer versions of stored pages:", choose the first option – "Every visit to the page".
4. For "Amount of disk space to use" – Change the box to 1 MB.
5. Click OK.
6. In the same General Setting tab, under Temporary Internet Files, click on the Delete Files button.
7. Check the box for Delete all offline content, and click OK.

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For security, how can I disable the Saving Passwords function?

When you login to your homepage, your password may be automatically entered for you. This is a function of the web browser.

The first time you log into a web site, your browser may ask you if you want it to remember your password for you. You need to click on "No" if you do not want your password is stored in memory. We recommend against using this feature to save passwords for security reasons. You can turn this function off using the following steps:

You can also disable the computer’s ability to store your passwords for you and turn off the prompt asking if you want to use the feature.

Firefox 3.0 (we recommend Firefox, click here to download it),
1. Click on the Tools menu and select Options.
2. Click on Security.
3. Remove the check mark next to 'Remember Passwords for sites'.
4. Click OK when done.

Firefox 2.0
1. Click on the Tools menu and select Options.
2. Click on Security then on the Passwords tab.
3. Remove the check mark next to 'Remember Passwords for sites'.
4. Click OK when done.

Firefox 1.0-1.5
1. Click on the Tools menu and select Options.
2. Click on Privacy then on the Passwords tab.
3. Remove the check mark next to 'Remember Passwords'.
4. Click OK when done.

Internet Explorer 7.0
1. Click on the Start button then double-click on Control Panel. If it says 'Pick a Category' or you have Windows Vista, click 'Classic View' on the left side of the window.
2. Double-click on Internet Options.
3. Click on the Delete button.
4. Click the Delete Passwords button.
5. Now, click on the Content tab.
6. Click on the AutoComplete button.
7. Make sure there is no check mark under 'AutoComplete for' in the box next to the option 'Usernames or passwords on forms'
8. Click OK the OK again.

Internet Explorer 6.0
1. Click on the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
2. Click on the Content tab.
3. Under Personal information, click AutoComplete.
4. Select the check boxes for the AutoComplete options you want to use.
5. Make sure there is no check mark in the box next to the option 'Usernames or passwords on forms'
6. Click on the "Clear Passwords" button to removing the existing data
7. Click OK the OK again.

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How can I turn off AutoComplete?

Firefox 1.0-3.0 (we recommend Firefox, click here to download it).
1. Click on the Tools menu and select Options.
2. Click on Privacy.
3. Remove the check mark next to 'Remember what I enter forms and the search bar'
4. Click OK when done.

Internet Explorer 7.0
1. Click on the Start button then double-click on Control Panel. If it says 'Pick a Category' or you have Windows Vista, click 'Classic View' on the left side of the window.
2. Double-click on Internet Options.
3. Click on the Delete button.
4. Click the Delete Forms button.
5. Now, click on the Content tab.
6. Click on the AutoComplete button.
7. Make sure there is no check mark under 'AutoComplete for' in the box next to the option 'Forms' nor 'Web Addresses'
8. Click OK the OK again.

Internet Explorer 6.0
1. Click on the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
2. Click on the Content tab.
3. Under Personal information, click AutoComplete.
4. Select the check boxes for the AutoComplete options you want to use.
5. Make sure there is no check mark in the box next to the option: 'Forms' nor 'Web Addresses'.
6. Click on the "Clear Forms" button to removing the existing data
7. Click OK the OK again.

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Am I at risk for a virus or spyware if my student is online all the time?

Although Switched-On Online is a web delivered product, you are not at risk of getting a virus from the program. The Switched-On Online application lives on a Linux based server which significantly decreases the risk of virus infection. Since all of our static resources, (images, sound files, movies, games, etc...) reside on a Linux system that is virus free, we know they remain the clean files we put there to begin with. Furthermore, we control everything that goes out from our server. Each page is generated "on the fly" as the various elements on the page are filled by database query results. No file of any sort is ever sent which requires the user to open or launch it. The only exception to this is the reporting system. However, the .PDF files that the report function will create will again be made at the time of the request. The data that is sent to the user comes either from pages rendered 'right now' or media files that come from a clean (virus free) environment.

Our secure hosting environment combined with the dynamic nature of the application itself makes virus transmission from our product practically impossible. That being said, anytime a computer is connected to the internet, especially on an operating system that is not secured, it runs the risk of becoming infected by all sorts of garbage, both benign and malicious. Click here for more information on protecting your computer and student on-line.

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How do I use the Text to Speech feature?

Text to Speech enables you and your students to highlight text within a lesson and hear that text read. To use it,
1. Highlight the text you want to hear.
2. Click Say in the Tools section of the left navigation column

If you want to change the voice of the reader or the pace the reader uses
1. Click the dropdown menu beside Callie to select the reader's voice you want to use.
2. Click the dropdown menu beside Normal to choose the pace you want the reader to use.

f the text to speech function in SOS is too fast or too slow, you can change the pace the reader uses
1. Click the dropdown menu beside Callie to select the reader's voice you want to use.
2. Click the dropdown menu beside Normal to choose the pace you want the reader to use.

If the voice is still too fast, the Flash Player plug-in may be corrupt. To correct it, you will need to uninstall the reinstall the Flash plug-in.
1. Click on this link for more information about how to uninstall Flash (http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/141/tn_14157.html).
2. Click on this link to reinstall Flash from Adobe.com (http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer).

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What should I do to keep our computer running smoothly?

In today’s world of computer hacking, viruses and adware/spyware, it is vitally important that proper precautions are in place in order to protect your computer from these harmful programs.
It is also important that general and regular maintenance is done on a regular basis (once a week). If the warnings and recommendations below are heeded you will go a long way in
protecting your computer and maintaining optimal performance. Click here to download our recommended computer maintenance tips so your computer will be happy and healthy.

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How can I protect my computer and student while online?

If your computer has internet access, there are several steps you should take to protect it and your students. One good source of information that can help you protect children on-line is Be Safe Online.
http://www.besafeonline.org/
In addition to knowledge, you should at least use the following types of programs: AntiSpyware, AntiVirus, Firewall and Content Filter. These programs should be looked at as an aid and not a substitute for close parental monitoring.

Click here for more information.

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