Getting Connected to
the SelfDesign Learning Community Online Village We have a wonderful collaborative online environment to make our communications very fun and exciting. Here we will walk you through the steps of getting connected to the SelfDesign Learning Community Village (SDLC), or ÒVillage of ConversationsÓ.
(You can access our Frequently Asked Questions for technical issues here.
We recommend reading through the instructions below first.) Let's get started by installing the First Class client (our software of choice), how to connect to the server, and how to personalize your preferences. Please read all of the instructions. If you need assistance, please send an email to techsupport@selfdesign.org. We will typically respond within the same day. Now let's get connected and start collaborating!
**For the best visual experience of the Village, we reccomend setting your monitor resolution to at least 1024 X 768. 1) Getting the First Class client Point your browser here and choose your operating system. On the page that appears, click the link in  to download the First Class client onto your computer and save it where you will be able to find it later. The next step is to install the software onto your computer. Just double-click the Installer you just downloaded (labeled FC9012US) and follow the instructions on-screen.**If you a have a Firewall, be sure to allow traffic on TCP port 510. If you are having problems logging on to the Village, momentarily disable your Firewall to see if the problem persists. If it does, please contact the person responsible for setting up your home network and have them enable traffic on TCP port 510.
2) Connecting to the SDLC Village Upon completing the installation of your very own First Class client, return to the appropriate client download page in your browser  which says 'Once the installation is complete click here.' After clicking this link your First Class client should automatically launch and show you its Login window (see below). If the First Class Client did not launch automatically, read 2) below.  A) The primary parent and each enrolled child have their own accounts. You can use the same First Class client for each family member. New families will receive their account information via email. Just type in the appropriate UserID and Password to login to the associated account. New families/accounts generally have UserIDs of the form 'FirstInitialLastName' (no spaces). If your combined names contain more than 15 characters it will be of the form 'FirstInitialLastNameÓ up to a maximum of 15 characters. eg. John Smith will have the UserID of ÒJSmithÓ Jennifer Sebastian-Johnson will have the UserID of ÒJSebastian-JohnÓ (maximum of 15 characters) IMPORTANT: Returning families/accounts will use their existing account info to access the Village. IGNORE the above UserID info if you already have an account. You have been given a temporary password (email us if you still need one) and you should change it once you login. More on that later. Now enter your User ID and your password and click Login. B) If the link in did not automatically launch your client, you will have to follow the steps below:a) When the Login screen appears, click the arrow beside "Advanced" to reveal the advanced options. Just type www.selfdesign.org in the Address box.
 b) Type your UserID and Password and then click the "Login" button. That's it! Skip to Step 3). If steps 2a) and b) above did not work for you follow c) through h) below.
c))Launch your FC client manually by double-clicking its icon.
d)When the Login screen appears click the arrow beside "Advanced" to reveal the advanced options. Click the 'Setup' button.
f)Click 'Save' to save your changes. The Login screen appears.
g)Type in your UserID and Password..
h)Click Login.
3) Familiarizing yourself with the SelfDesign Village Now that you have logged in you can see your SelfDesign Village desktop. You have a personal Mailbox, Calendar, Contacts folder, My Web Site Folder, and Bookmarks. These are your personal items to which only you have access. You will also see a Planners icon where you will find your childÕs Planner. Here you will find and post the online forms to keep track of your child's learning. This is a private conference which only your family and LC have access to. Please notice the Help icon where you can get more detailed info on how to use First Class. First Class is a very robust piece of software complete with instant messaging, chat, and email. You can send voice messages, make presentations and even create personal websitesÉ.and much more. 4)Personalizing your client Here is a brief list of things to do after your first Login: 1)Change your password to something personal. In the client Menu Bar choose Collaborate>Change Password. Update the Change Password form.
2)Complete your RŽsumŽ. File->Open->RŽsumŽ. It does not need to be a formal RŽsumŽ and can be an opportunity to share who you are with the rest of our community. 3)Start sending messages to each other directly and into the different conferences in the Village. The Directory shows a list of all community members and conferences and is available via the Collaborate->Directory menu. This should be plenty to get you started. We look forward to hearing from you about the sheer ecstasy you will experience upon becoming a First Class user! If you need assistance, please feel free to send us a message at any time and we will do our best to help you out. techsupport@selfdesign.org |
