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   01. What is a Conference?
  
 
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 The FirstClass Conferences are areas for the exchange of important information among large groups of people.
 Conferences should be used for messages to the entire staff, the entire district, or large groups of students.
 There are several conferences already created, and you may request the creation of a specialized conference for your needs.
 
  Conferences can be identified by their icons, which resemble a group of people sitting around a table.

They will also be labeled with the name of the particular conference.
 
 
 02. What Conferences are Available in FirstClass?
 
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  Each FirstClass account will display a number of conferences on the desktop:

Staff accounts will display:

  • The Building Staff Conference
  • The District Wide Conference
  • The Building Student Conference
  • All Conferences (which contains more)
  • GEA Conference (Certified Staff Only)
  • Any additional conferences the staff member adds
 
The All Conference area includes:
  • District Wide Conference
  • All Building Staff Conferences
  • All Building Student Conferences
  • The District Office Conference (for district staff)
  • Recertification
  • SDMS (Student Data) Committee
  • FirstClass FAQs
  • Technology FAQs
 
 03. Reading Messages in a Conference
 
 1. Conferences with new messages will appear with a red flag, just like your Mailbox with a new message.
 
 2.   Double-click the Conference icon to open it.

Messages will appear on the right hand side in the same type of view that you would find in your mailbox.

Simply double click on any conference message to read it.
 
 3.   You will notice that there will be more conferences, calendars, folders, and a chatroom available to staff members inside of the Building and District Staff Conference Areas.

Each building will have different options available.

Check your Building Conference to see what resources are available to you.
 
 04. Sending Messages to a Conference
 
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 1. Staff members can send messages to any number of Conferences.
 
 2. Create your mail message as you would any outgoing message.
 
 
 3.   In the To: filed, type in the name of the Conference you wish to send to.

As with any message, typing in a partial name will bring up a list of possible matches in the Directory.
 4. Compose and send your message. The message will appear in the appropriate Conference area.
 
 05. Checking Calendars in a Conference
 
 1. Many Conferences will contain calendars with meeting information and room/facility scheduling.

Calendars appear with the icons you see at right:
 

  • General Calendars
  • Facility/Room Calendars
  • Equipment Calendars
General Calendar


Facility/Room Calendar


Equipment Calendar
 
 2. Double-click any calendar icon to view the calendar.
 
 
 3.   The calendar will appear and you can see any events that have been entered.

Close the calendar window when you are finished.

 

For more information on Calendars, see the Calendar section of this guide.
 
   06. Add a Conference Shortcut to Your Desktop
  
 
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 If there is a particular conference that interests you that you would like quick access to, you can add it to your Desktop.
 
 1. Locate the Conference.
 
 2.   Right-click (PC) or Control-click (Mac) on the Conference and choose Add to Desktop.
 
 3.   The icon will appear on your Desktop.

You may need to expand your Desktop window if you cannot see it.
 4. You can drag the icon to any position on your Desktop.
 
 07. Why Use Conferences Instead of Mail Lists?
 
 Conferences should be used for all mass-mailings or general messages to the entire staff, a large group of students, or the district.
 
  Sending a message to a conference is preferable, because the user is sending a single message that all with access to the conference can read.

On the other hand, sending messages to large mailing lists (such as an All Staff list) is NOT preferable, because the user is sending hundreds of messages at once, instead of just a single message.

Users are encouraged to use the Conferences as much as possible, to keep the FirstClass traffic running smoothly and quickly.
 
  08. Request the Creation of a Conference
  
 
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 If you have a need for a Conference, you may request one using the Web Help Desk system.
 
 1. In your internet browser, visit http://www.glenbard.org
 
 2.   Click on the Web Help Desk icon to log in.
 
 3.   Enter your login and password.

Your Web Help Desk login and password are the same as your FirstClass login and password.
 
 
 4. In the Problem Type dropdown menu, select
District Wide FirstClass & WHD Support.
 
 5. Enter Create New Conference in the Subject line.

Describe the conference you wish to have created in the Problem Detail area. Be sure to include the name of the Conference and where you would like it created.
 6. Click the Continue button
 7. You will receive a confirmation e-mail in your FirstClass account. Do not reply to that e-mail.

When the request is addressed, you will receive a follow-up e-mail.
 
 8. Log out of the Web Help Desk system by clicking on the Logout icon.
 

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