Quick reference for teachers
Starting a new class
When you start FirstClass ED for the first time, you are greeted with a blank "classroom". This classroom is where you will lay the foundation for the coming semester. From this classroom, you can manage all of the classes you are teaching for the current semester.
Creating a new class
If you are starting with a blank slate, you will need to create all of your classes. You should only need to do this once, though. You will also need to create a new class if the class has not been taught before.
To create a new class:
1 Open My Classes.
2 Click New Class.
3 Select a course (choose Blank Course if the course is not in the list).
4 Enter the name of the new class.
5 Click OK.
Using an existing class
If the class has been taught before using FirstClass ED, simply add the existing container to your My Classes area. You need only to make modifications this time, as the course contains all of your previously used materials. If you are taking over this class from another teacher, the previous teacher's course materials are already available.
The longer FirstClass ED is running in a school, the more courses will be completed and available to teachers.
Co-teaching a class
If you and another teacher are both teaching the same class, one teacher must create or add the class to the My Classes area, and then add the other teacher and set their Role to Teacher.
If you are the teacher adding the other teacher:
1 From the roster, click Add Person.
2 Select the second teacher from the Directory and click OK.
3 Double-click the teacher's name in the list and set their Role to Teacher.
Both you and the teacher with whom you are co-teaching will have the same class in your My Classes area, with the same information. You can both access and modify the course and materials from the same conference.
Searching for information
In the My Classes area, you may find some search templates in the left pane. Use these to perform a search for the indicated objects. These work with one click and the list they provide is editable.
To perform your own search, choose Edit > Find and specify the Search criteria on the Find form. If you save the search it will be added to the left pane.
Updating class information
Every class has a Class Information form. You may be required to update some of this information at the beginning of the semester.
To update class information:
1 Open the desired class.
2 Click Class Info.
3 Update any required fields and add content to the body if necessary or desired.
 NoteIf you can't edit the fields, click on either the left or right window pane and then click Class Info again.
Posting to The Board
The Board is your and your students' initial view of your online class, similar to the white board or chalk board in your physical classroom. Use this space to post urgent messages, formal announcements, or anything else you feel is appropriate.
To edit content on The Board:
1 Open the class.
2 Start typing in the space, or highlight the existing text and replace it.
Managing the class roster
The class roster is your initial view of FirstClass ED. It displays names, roles, assessments, medical alerts, and possibly even pictures for each person listed. This roster is only available to teachers. Students do not have any access to this information.
Recording marks
You can record marks in the roster in one of two ways:
� enter a mark on an assignment received in Class Inbox
The roster is automatically updated for the corresponding student.
� manually enter a mark on the roster.
Open the student assessment form. Assign a name to an available number and enter the mark. Repeat for each item you need to record.
 CautionFirstClass ED will not work properly if there are duplicate assignment numbers. Make sure every assignment number is unique, whether entered manually or created in FirstClass ED.
NoteWhen a mark is entered on an assignment, the Assessment form is automatically updated and the associated fields on the Assessment form cannot be changed. If you need to change the mark displayed on the Assessment form, you must change the mark directly on the assignment.
Mark fields that were entered manually on the Assessment form can be edited.
Monitoring work
You can use the class roster to monitor the progress and status of student work. The roster uses a graphical representation to help you quickly identify where students rank in performance compared to each other, and which students are falling behind or can be given advanced work.
To set or change the status of a student's performance:
1 Double-click the student to open their Assessments form.
2 Use the drop-down list box in the Performance area of the General tab to set the status.
3 Add notes if desired.
You can also refer to this information as you prepare your report cards and prepare for parent/teacher meetings.
Learn more about using FirstClass ED to monitor student work.
Track status of students who require special assistance
Some students in your class may have special needs. These students may have a need that requires an assistant in the classroom, or assistance outside of the classroom such as speech therapy or a remedial program.
To track the status of these students:
1 Double-click the student to open their Assessments form.
2 Use the drop-down list box in the Status area of the General tab to set the status.
3 Add a name in "Assisted by" if the student is currently receiving assistance.
NoteYou can enter a name or partial name in this field and press Enter to match or multimatch the entry against the Directory.
4 Add notes if desired.
Record tardiness and absences
You can manually record which students are late or absent each day. To update this information:
1 Double-click the student to open their Assessments form.
2 Increase the Tardy or Absent field by one in the Attendance area of the General tab.
3 Add notes if desired.
Seating chart
You can use the class roster to design a seating chart and put it online. This is a great way to learn student names and to help substitute teachers in your absence.
To create the seating chart:
1 Click Seating Chart.
You will see icons for each student. In some cases, these icons will be student pictures.
2 Arrange the icons as per your seating plan.
Obtaining student information
If you need to see a student's information quickly, simply double-click the student's name on the roster and then click Student Information. This brings up all of the student's personal information and contact information, including a student picture (if available).
Contacting parents
Throughout the year, you may want to contact parents about a low mark on a test, an incomplete assignment, or showcase their child's work. You can use the Parent tab of the student information form to obtain parents' email addresses.
Then simply paste the email address into a new message, add content, and send.
Adding a student to the roster
Often it is necessary to add students who have transferred in the middle of the school year, or who registered late.
To add a student:
1 Click Add Person.
2 Choose a name from the Directory, or use the Shift or Control keys to choose multiple names.
3 Click OK.
Making a student inactive
In the same context, you may need to remove a student from your list during the year if they transfer or leave for whatever reason. The best practice for this scenario is to make a student inactive, so you still have a record of their work to date.
To make a student inactive:
1 Double-click the student's name.
2 Change their Role to Inactive Student.
Removing a student from the roster
If a student leaves the school and you are certain they are not returning, you may want to remove them from your class.
To remove a student:
1 Highlight the student's name in the roster.
2 Right-click and choose Delete.
Developing your lesson plan
Creating your lesson plan
You create a lesson plan by adding modules, lessons, and assignments to Course Content. Course Content consists of a container for each module, where the lessons and assignments for each module are stored in the respective module container.
To create a new module:
1 Open Course Content.
2 Click Create Module.
3 Assign a name to the module when prompted, and then click OK.
4 Choose the type of module you wish to create and click OK.
Each module you create is immediately published to students by default. However the content of each module is not published until you manually publish each one. If you prefer that students not see each module you create right away, you will have to hide the module.
To hide a module:
1 Open Course Content.
2 Highlight the desired module.
3 Click Hide Module.
Adding lessons/assignments to a module
You can add content to a module at any time. If the course already has content you can simply review content and update it as required.
To add lessons or assignments:
1 Open Course Content.
2 Open the desired module container.
3 Click Create Lesson or Create Assignment.
4 Choose the type of lesson/assignment you wish to create and click OK.
5 Open the new lesson/assignment and complete the envelope field.
The Publishing Control field is only visible to you. Once an assignment has been submitted, you will also see a Mark field.
CautionEvery assignment number must be unique. FirstClass ED may fail to work properly if you duplicate assignment numbers. However, you can have duplicate lesson numbers.
Creating drafts of a lesson/assignment
As the teacher, you have full control over these lessons and assignments. Until you publish them, you can make changes and modify each one as much as you like. The ability to control when students see the content enables you to maintain a draft for each lesson and assignment.
Publishing a lesson/assignment
The ability to publish a lesson or assignment enables you to control the flow of information to your students. When you publish a lesson or assignment, it is immediately visible to students in their Course Content view.
To publish/unpublish a lesson or assignment, open the assignment and choose the corresponding radio button in the envelope field of the lesson or assignment.
 ShortcutClick the Published field (
 ) directly on the pane for the corresponding lesson/assignment.Evaluating student work
Receiving assignments in your Class Inbox
When students submit an assignment in FirstClass ED, the assignment shows up in your Class Inbox. Only you have access to your Class Inbox. This container is not visible to students. The Class Inbox may also contain messages from students who are on the roster.
Assigning marks and returning assignments
When you open an assignment in the Class Inbox, you will see an evaluation field called "Mark". When you enter a mark, it is automatically recorded on the student roster. When you select Reveal Mark to student, the mark automatically appears in the "Mark" field of the assignment in the student's Mailbox.
If an assignment was not received electronically, you can still enter a mark directly into the student roster.
To update the roster automatically and inform the student of his mark:
1 Open the Class Inbox.
2 Open the submitted assignment.
3 Enter the mark.
4 Add comments in the body of the assignment, if desired.
5 Select Reveal Mark to student.
6 Click OK.
To inform a group of students of their marks:
1 Use the Shift and Control keys to select the range of assignments in the Class Inbox.
2 Click Reveal Mark to Student.
To update the roster manually, follow the directions here.
Using portfolios to evaluate student work
FirstClass ED accommodates student portfolios where students can house samples of their work. You can request access to this area for each student at intervals throughout the school year to see how students are progressing and to show parents how their children are doing. To view student portfolios, ask students to either move their My Portfolio folders into their My Shared Documents area, or create an alias in My Shared Documents to their portfolios.
To access student portfolios using aliases, have students follow this procedure:
1 Select My Portfolio.
2 Right-click and choose Add to Desktop.
3 Drag the new My Portfolio into My Shared Documents.
Learn more about student portfolios.
Using graphic organizers
Graphic organizers are powerful tools that can be used to both enhance and create a foundation for learning. They are a pictorial or graphical way to organize information for understanding, remembering or writing about. FirstClass provides online templates for some of these organizers to aid you in teaching.
You can use our online templates to create a graphic organizer, and then include it in the lesson or assignment.
If you populate and add a rubric chart to each assignment, students will know exactly what is expected for each assignment. Once the graphic organizer has been added to Course Content, it will be available when you or another teacher are ready to teach the lesson again.
Scheduling
The class calendar in FirstClass ED is a FirstClass group calendar and is used the same way as other standard FirstClass calendars.
Learn more about FirstClass calendars.
Providing resources
Creating a new resource
To create a new resource:
1 Click Create Resources.
2 Choose the type of resource you wish to create and click OK.
3 Complete the Name, Module, and Publishing Control fields of the Resource form, and add any attachments if prompted.
4 Add content to the document and click OK.
For information about adding information to standard FirstClass documents, click here.
NoteIf you wish to maintain drafts of resources, set them to unpublished until you are ready to share them.
Publishing/hiding a resource
To publish/hide a resource, open the resource and choose the corresponding radio button in the envelope field.
ShortcutClick the Published field (
) directly on the pane for the corresponding resource.Facilitating discussions
NoteThe chat room is a privilege that your administrator controls. If you cannot access this feature, talk to your administrator.
Starting a chat room session
To start a new session:
1 Open the Discussions area.
2 Choose File > New Chat Room.
Once the chat room has been created, students can enter at will.
Saving a chat room session
To save the transcript:
1 Copy the contents of the transcript.
2 Click Create Discussion.
3 Paste the contents of the transcript into the message and give it an appropriate subject.
4 Make changes or annotations.
5 Click Send when ready.
A note about transcripts
If you select Save transcript on the Options tab of the chat room, all content in the chat room will be saved to the chat window permanently. Whenever a conversation happens in the chat room session, it will be appended to all previous chat material. If you do not wish to see previous chat material, we recommend you do not activate Save transcript. Instead, if you wish to save a particular session, we suggest you copy and paste the content in the open session to a new document in the Discussions area.
Learn more about chat rooms.
Starting a discussion
To start a new discussion:
1 Open the Discussions area.
2 Click New Discussion.
3 Populate the message and click Send.
Replying to a discussion
To reply to a discussion in progress:
1 Highlight the message you want to reply to.
2 Click Reply.
3 Add content and click Send.
You can also use standard messaging features like Reply with quotes. For more information about replying to messages, click here.
Sharing news
Creating a news item
To create a news item:
1 Click Create News.
2 Choose the type of news you wish to create.
3 Fill in the fields on the News form if necessary and add the information to the document.
4 Click OK.
NoteIf you wish to maintain drafts of news items, set them to unpublished until you are ready to share them.
Publishing/hiding a news item
To publish/hide a news item, open the news item and choose the corresponding radio button in the envelope field.
ShortcutClick the Published field (
) directly on the pane for the corresponding news item. | ||