ARGH!

it seems like this technology business has more barriers than doorways.  with a barrier in front of each idea, it's no wonder teachers are slow to catch the technology train.  it's simply so much easier to keep doing what you've been doing instead.

i'm still in the process of having the year 9's research their topics to create newsmaker reports.  one of the technology problems is that our students are only allowed access to the internet via an internet log in (same for all).  any info they want to save needs to be put into a file, saved to that drive which is cleared every day (and different depending on which lab they are in), then they must log off, log in as themselves, and drag the file to their documents folder.  from there they can do what they wish - print or whathaveyou.  it's very time-consuming and aggravating!

problems with computers:  firstly, i don't have access to a lab during this class time.  prior to today, we have spent 3 days trying to do internet research (this is after print research, which we have already completed).  the first day the art projects were on display in the library in the computer section, which i booked over a term ago, and we could not access them.  the second day in the library computer section, none of the listed passwords would work.  the third day i got the mobile laptops instead, and the last person to use them hadn't plugged them in, so they were dead. ::pulling hair out::  three lessons down the gurgler and no research completed!

additionally, in all my wisdom (haha), i had decided that students could find the video of their choice (the group has a 20 second max video choice they can include in their news report), edit it in moviemaker as homework, and then email it, and any photos they wish to use, to their group leader, who would do the collating and make final decisions.  well, they can't access email on the school computers due to java, which is blocked on student log ins.  that means boys who live in the hostel have no email available to them at all.   ::sigh::  so for any, or what little video/photos we will have, i must handle the organisation of them all myself - what's the point of that exactly? to use up what little time i have on trivial matters rather than on the teaching of bigger issues, such as critiquing reputable sites?

my goodness, i could go on, but i think you get the point.  for every action, there is a (negative) reaction that results in very little being done, except for the creation of a very large headache.

so my questions today are:  how does your school handle internet access?  do all students have full access that they are responsible for, and a solid disciplinary measure for the few who are naughty?  do your students have java and full functioning programmes?  have you ever had a problem where a site has corrupted, via java, your network?  these are some of the questions i'd like some feedback on before going in to discuss this with my school group.  did you have to fight the good fight to get to where you are today (tech-wise), or was your school on board from the get-go?

thanks so much for any feedback!  i'm going to go outside, enjoy the sunshine for half an hour, and relax!