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§ Microphone is required for English language learning listening and speaking lessons and/or if optional GoogleTalk and online meeting features will be used (USB headset with microphone is recommended)

Connectivity:

§ Broadband connection required (DSL, Cable or better)

Browser:

§ Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0 or higher

Installation

Software Plug-Ins:

There are a few software programs that you’ll need to have on your computer.

§ Click on the icons or links in the table below to download/run the necessary software installations.

§ Run the installation on each computer that will be accessing Extralearning Online.

Links provided are to the latest versions available.
	Microsoft Internet Explorer	Important! Internet Explorer is the ONLY web browser supported by Extralearning Online
	Windows Media Player
	Adobe Acrobat Reader	Recommendation: Do NOT download the free Google Toolbar with Adobe players (You will have to uncheck this option when downloading the player plug-ins from Adobe.)
	Adobe Flash Player
	Adobe Shockwave Player
	Extralearning Online e-Media Runner Set-Up
	Microsoft Silverlight	Needed for Tutor.com Live Homework Help
	Apple QuickTime Player	Recommendation: Do NOT download iTunes with QuickTime download (You will have to uncheck this option when downloading the QuickTime player.)
	Natural Voice Reader	Recommendation: Download this plug-in only on PCs that will be used by those needing text-to-speech reader assistance, or using

Internet Settings:

Extralearning Online has been thoroughly tested on Microsoft Internet Explorer (in a Windows environment) only. You should only access Extralearning Online through the Internet Explorer browser (download is included in the table above).

Caution! Some things, like time tracking, do not work properly with other browsers, even if everything else seems to work fine.

You also need to have your Internet Settings set a certain way for Extralearning to run properly. Settings to check include the following:

1) Internet Explorer Properties

2) Protection Software Settings

3) Pop-Up Blocker Settings

4) Virus and Firewall Settings.

1) To check your Internet Explorer Properties:

§ Go to Internet Explorer Properties (by right clicking on the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop and choosing Internet Properties or by going to Tools - Internet Options, when you have your browser open).

§ Within Internet Explorer Properties, click on the Security Tab.

§ Select Internet and choose Custom.

§ Make sure all Active X and Plug-in radio buttons are checked to Enable.

2) Check your Protection Software Settings to make sure content from http://www.extralearning.net is allowed.

3) If you are using any Pop-Up Blockers, you should also make sure to permit content from http://www.extralearning.net. You can do this by going to your Pop-Up Blocker, choosing Settings and typing in the Extralearning URL (http://www.extralearning.net). Pop-ups are needed for some of Extralearning's resources, and for time-tracking purposes. Make sure this permission is made for ALL pop-up blockers you might have (e.g. Windows, Internet Explorer, the Yahoo and Google toolbars, virus/security software, etc.).

4) If you are behind a firewall or using content filtering, make sure that you add the following domains as trusted sites:

www.extralearning.net

www.discoveryeducation.com (To permit streaming videos)

www.brainpop.com (To permit animations)

www.atomiclearning.com (To permit animations)

Also make sure that your firewalls do not block referrers. For more on this, see the section below.

For Local Area Network or Wide Area Network Administrators:

Some firewall programs block referrers by default. If this is the case, disable the feature in the firewall program that blocks referrers.

Why:

Extralearning Online includes access to videos streamed from Discovery Education Streaming web server. Discovery Education Streaming is a subscription-based service.

Once logged in to Extralearning Online, using a unique ID and password, the Extralearning user gains access to Discovery Education Streaming without having to log in again.

The referrer method of authentication is used by Discovery’s server to do this; the server sees that the request to access the web site is referred from the Extralearning Online server and so gives permission to access the site.

If the Discovery server cannot see what server referred the request, it will present the Discovery Education Streaming login page to the user, instead of the page requested. (For example, a learner might click a link to a fractions video within an Extralearning lesson, and be sent to the Discovery Education login page instead of to the “requested” fractions video.)

Some firewall programs block referrers by default. Disabling the feature in the firewall program that blocks referrers should give users full access to Discovery Education Streaming content.

Check this website for further discussion about blocked referrers:

http://www.icglink.net/cgi-bin/icglink/helpdesk/kb.cgi?view=92&lang=en