A step – by step

Introduction to First Class

guide

for teachers

How to start First Class

Double click on the First Class icon

How to log in

Click on “Login” to connect with First Class

The desktop

Click here to enter the program

The name of the icon can be different.

It depends on the name of the project. In this

case the project is called “CMC MIIS-Giessen”.

Introduction to the most important buttons

Click “File“ to open new options

1. File

“File” is similar to “Datei” on German computers.

There are several options which can be used. But

the most important ones for beginners are

“save as”, “open” and “close”.

On the next page there will be a short description

of the function and usage of these options.

“save as”: A created file is saved under the name

of your choice.

“open”: The file that has been saved before can

be opened by searching the name under

which the file has been saved.

“close”: This button closes the file you are

working on at the moment. Please

save if you are asked to do.

2. Edit

In this option “copy” and “paste” are the most

important ones.

“copy”: Mark what you want to copy, click on

edit and copy.

„paste“: Put the curser at the place you want to

have the copied data, click on edit and

paste. Voila, there it is.

3. Message

In this program messages are very important. With

the help of these programmes you are able to

communicate with the other groups in the class or

with the partner groups in other countries via e-

mails.

They can be sent to the whole program for example

to the desktop or to one of the group folders. They

are the main thing of this program.

How to write and send a message

Before a message can be sent, you have to type in

the subject line the reason why you send it. In this

case it is an answer to a question.

The next step is to type in the text you want to send

in the field below. You can write as much as you

want.

If you want to add an attachment, you have to click

on the paper clip symbol.

A window appears in which you have to search for

the file you want to attach. Click on the file, then

“öffnen” and the file will be attached.

1

2

You can now send the message with an attachment

or without. Press the “send” button on the left. You

don’t have to put an address anywhere because you

send it to the folder you have opened the message.

In this case the message will be sent to the

desktop.

When you have sent a message, it is in the folder

the moment you have clicked on ‘send’.

You can see if there is a new one when a little flag

appears in front of it.

If you have sent a message with an attachment, the

paper clip and the little flag appear in front of the

message.

As a last point we want to show you how to exit the

program.In order to do that, you can open “File”

and click on “Exit”.

Another possibility of closing the program is

clicking on the “x” in the right upper corner.

If you choose this way of closing the program, a

window opens where you can click on “Exit” and

“Close”.You can leave the program with both.

Choose which button you like best.

a b

We hope we gave you a short and understandable

overview about the usage of the first steps in

a computer-mediated communication program

(First Class). If you have any further

questions, you are invited to join the chat

forum.