Before beginning your first Special Education course each student is required to complete the orientation activities. These activities have been planned to assist you in becoming familiar with some of the online tools you will use in the BRIDGES program. Each of these activities should be completed by July12th, 2004.

Activities: -

1. CD ROM Software Installation.

You have been provided with a CD-ROM which contains software you need to access web based course materials for some of the BRIDGES courses. Locate the software folder on the CD and install each application provided.  See the Orientation Guide for installation instructions.

2.  Antivirus Software Installation

It is important to protect your computer from viruses.  If you are not currently protected or your antivirus software is not frequently updated, you can download free software and updates from CITES.  You will need your NetID and password to download the software.

 http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/antivirus/
Antivirus Information (http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/how-to/virus-info.html)

2. Email

E-mail is a very important communication tool that you will often use with your instructors and classmates, as well as with the program and the college.The University of Illinois has provided you with an e-mail account that we call the "UIUC account" and that is the e-mail account where all communication related to classes and the program will be directed. All e-mail sent to you by BRIDGES will go to your UIUC account therefore the BRIDGES program requires that you use Cites Express Email to access all University mail.  This allows you to access your e-mail via the internet therefore you will be able to send and receive email from any computer that has internet access.  To access your UIUC e-mail account you will need your NetID and password provided by Academic Outreach.You must first set your Cites Express Email password before you can access your account. See instructions for Changing Passwords.

https://express.cites.uiuc.edu

3. Changing passwords for E-mail and Net-ids.

As soon as you receive a notification from the University regarding your Net-ID and password, you need to change the Net-ID password. In order to access Cites Express Email, you first need to set your express email password. Note that the email password must be different from the Net-ID password. Please click on the following link to change your passwords.

http://www.cites.uiuc.edu/passwords/

4. Send Attachments Via E-mail.

In some courses, you may need to submit papers or assignments by e-mail, or you may receive e-mail with attachments from your instructors or classmates. This activity is designed to practice sending and receiving attachments by e-mail.

Note: It is important that you have your VirusScan software or alternative antivirus software installed and updated to avoid viruses that may cause computer problems. Step 1

• Create a word processed document (i.e. MS-Word) and write your name in the body of the document .  Save the file with your last name (i.e. mcmillan.doc).  If you are not using MS-Word to create your document be sure to save the file in .rtf so that the attachment can be opened.

Step 2

• Using Cites Express Email, create an e-mail message with the subject " Attachment Activity " and attach the word processed file you just created and send it to pilli@uiuc.edu. To do this click the "create" icon to create your message.  To attach a file click the "attach" icon when the message window appears then browse your computer for the saved file.
• In the body of your message give us the name of the word processing program you used (e.g., MS-Word).
• You will need your NetID and password to access Cites Express Email account.