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Chapter 4: Technology for You and Your Child PDF Print E-mail
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Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.
- Stephen Hawking

Technology is a part of your family’s life. It’s also a big part of the Laurel Springs program. These sections will provide you with some basic information and thoughts on this pervasive topic.

ph-computerTechnology Basics

In order to get the best experience from Laurel Springs' online Learning Management System, Aurora Learning, you should ensure that your computer meets certain specifications and conditions.

Computers
  • We strongly recommend having a broadband Internet connection (DSL or Cable).
  • It is still possible to use our online system with a dial-up Internet connection, but as online resources increasingly incorporate multimedia content, a high speed Internet connection enables you to use these technologies more easily.
  • We support PC-compatible computers running the Windows operating system, as well as Apple Macintosh computers running the OS X operating system. It is important to note that Web TV systems, Palm Pilots, web-enabled PDAs, game consoles, or mobile phones are not adequate devices for accessing our online content. Your computer operating system should be Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista or Mac OS X. Computers with Linux-based operating systems are also acceptable, but limited support can be offered in the case of troubleshooting, if you experience any problems.
  • It is important to ensure that the system time on your computer is accurate and correct.
  • If your child is enrolled in a foreign language course, it’s necessary that your computer has both a sound card and a microphone.

Web Browsers

  • The Aurora Learning system has been designed and tested to be fully compatible with the most widely-used web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, and Safari (for Macs).
  • Other browsers are not supported – the Laurel Springs technical support staff is unable to troubleshoot any problems that might be experienced when using other browsers.
  • Certain service-branded browsers (such as the AOL Explorer browser) are known to be incompatible with our system and should not be used to access Aurora.
  • Certain browser add-ons (such as extra toolbars provided by MSN, Yahoo, Alexa, eBay, FunWebProducts/MyWebSearch, HotBar, etc.) and various adware/spyware/malware programs on your computer might result in page-display issues which the Laurel Springs staff cannot troubleshoot.

We strongly recommend that you do have the following free browser plug-ins and media players installed (some of these are required to properly display certain content in certain courses):

Browsers must be set to allow cookies, or at least set to allow cookies from www.auroralearning.com.

Pop-up blockers must be disabled, or at least set to allow pop-ups from www.auroralearning.com.

Notes on Third-party Content

  • Some of Laurel Springs' educational partners, such as Apex Learning, Power-Glide, Thompson-Peterson, DriversEd.com and Acuity for example, to which students of some online courses may be required to go, may have their own requirements, so be sure to read and understand those requirements.
  • Also keep in mind that if you experience technical difficulties with those websites, requests for technical support should be addressed to the technical support staff of those respective companies.
  • Some courses may include supplemental CD-ROM-based programs which are included as part of the course materials provided by Laurel Springs. 
  • Certain courses may require students to have a particular program (Such as Adobe Photoshop) which is not provided as part of the course materials. This will always be stated in the course catalog.

Online Safety

Online safety is a broad topic. It can mean protecting your computer from viruses, malware, spyware, and other nasty things that might infect your computer should you visit an unsafe website. It can mean protecting your child from visiting disturbing, inappropriate, or potentially threatening Internet sites. It can mean protecting the privacy your family.

Regardless of your child’s age, we recommend exercising great care with respect to what your child views and does on the Internet. If your child has MySpace or Facebook pages, remind him or her to be careful about the information that goes there since it can be viewed by anyone. The Internet offers a wealth of information and endless opportunities for learning, creating, and communicating, but like any power tool, it needs to be handled with care.

Here are some suggestions for protecting your child from harmful topics conveyed through electronic media:

  • Familiarize yourself with the media and technologies your child is using.
  • Communicate with your child about what he or she is encountering online.
  • Make media choices together and set clear rules and expectations.
When You Need Help

Laurel Springs Technical Support is always there to help you. Contact them here email or call 805-646-2472 extension 125. As we mentioned previously, if you need guidance with Aurora, the Help section is a excellent place to start.

The Internet is also a great place to find assistance. A simple search on the topic of your question or problem should yield volumes of helpful results.

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