I logged in, using the info from the printout (with good visual memory, it's pretty easy to remember the login credentials, helps if you know your child's name, too!). I have a Macbook, and we used Firefox v3.0.10. So, it worked all right. This is what I saw after I clicked on the games.
Speaking of selective vision, I saw the grades buttons only! Until today! Today I also realized that Early Childhood is its own button! I guess I assumed, from the adult point of view, that until they are in high school, students are very much of the early childhood type. Anyhow, I didn't see the K level that time, and we tried Grades 1-3, of which only certain things my son could do. I wasn't excited, as this appeared to be beyond his level. I had dropped the subject, in the hopes of getting further instructions at some point.
This morning, I discovered the other, biggest and right in my face, button, and tried it. I have three browsers on my Mac, Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari, latest or quite recent versions. I tried all of them. They all refused to cooperate with the website, screaming for a missing plug-in which wasn't even available for automatic download. I gave up and proceeded to manual, not expecting much success, yet it was easy. Despite naming it "manual install", it found the missing plug-in on its own (Shockwave, in fact, if you bother to read the system requirements on the site, they tell you Firefox 1.0 and Safari 1.2 or something like that, for Mac OS 10, and please install Shockwave), then I did have to run the installer, which is not a big deal.
Upon installation, I discovered that Firefox doesn't really run it very well. The shockwave gadget keeps disappearing when you mouse off it or over it, or simply click. Not good. Safari seemed to work much better. Google Chrome continued to ignore the gadget.
It would be nice if these instructions came along with the login info, making my life a little bit better. Of course, I am still puzzled why it worked last week, although a bit unreliably, and today it just wouldn't until I installed the Shockwave plugin.
Anyway, now we are all set and ready to use this. My son will be excited - he is easily excited, in fact, you should have seen him help put up the Xmas tree! - about the newly acquired and found online math games, finally appropriate for his level! Phew!
Hope this information is helpful to other parents - who may find this blog via Google search or some other engine search I bet. I am hoping to share this blog with other parents.
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