Managing SEN Laptops for classroom word processing

[TKWG]

Our network is based around dedicated IT Rooms with fixed connection Desktop PCs running Win7 Pro Sp1We have limited WiFi coverage in place (phase 2 is pending funding).I have a user requirement for SEN students to have word processing capability in class for note taking and written exercises (i.e. old fashioned word processors). Similarly we have a requirement for the same for exams (where access arrangements are in place).I am interested in ideas on how to provide this efficiently with minimum IT Support management overhead. We currently have old/donated laptops of various makes and maintaining these are a bit of a nightmare to maintain and lock down. New machines are aimed at connectivity (which for this user requirement, we don't need or have to lock down).Can anyone suggest a budget device that we can either have a customised operating system pre-installed or can easily/quickly lock-down ourselves?

[Rob_D]

What about the Asus EeeBook? They're cheap and reliable (I had one of the earlier generation ones a while back. It was fine).

Really any device can be locked down. Run your standard windows image, and either use software restriction policies or don't install anything other than the programs you want. We have some SRPs, but mostly rely on not having shortcuts to the programs we don't want them to access (but we have exam/controlled assessment accounts rather than computers).

If you're using local accounts, then making them a "guest" user in windows should block them out of most of the config changes, anything else you can do with local group policy (once you have one set up you should be able to export the polices. Or even just get one set up the way you want clone it onto the other laptops.

 

For the exam laptops have a look ExamWritePad. That and no internet (can be done by putting in a dud proxy address or just turning off all connectivity) and your pretty much done for exams.

 

For the in lesson notes, is it a requirement that the students don't have spellchecker or autocorrect or any of the other advanced word features?

We just let them use MSWord for in lesson notes, but Wordpad is a reasonable alternative without spelling and autocorrect.

[TKWG]

Thanks for your useful tips. We are doing a lot of what you suggest but it still takes up a lot of time we don't currently have capacity for. Definitely looking into guest accounts as the laptops are local accounts and not on the domain.

 

As I said we do use donated equipment (quite a menagerie) and these generally have Win10 Home User installed. Gpedit.msc isn't included with Win10 Home (grr!!) so I guess we either put on our standard Win7 and hope the hardware is compatible and clone or we need to speed up our plans to migrate to a suitable Win10 enterprise OS.

 

The lesson notes requirement does not prohibit spellchecker or autocorrect so MSWord is fine.

[asm]

Yeah, I think in these sorts of situations it's important not to overspend with what is basically just a typewriter (for all intents and purposes) Do your students require their documents in (what I assume would be) their redirected folders?