SECTION FOUR: Tutorials
Using AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)
Some educators may find that using an online chat service like AOL Instant Messenger
(AIM) is useful for online discussions between students, or between student and teacher.
This section will take you through the steps needed to begin the chatting process.
Downloading the program.
The first step obviously involves acquiring the necessary program. Open your
web browser and type in www.aim.com. From the main page you will see a tab that says
“Downloads.” When you place the cursor over the title, a list of download options
appears (AIM for Windows 98, AIM for Windows XP, AIM for Mac, etc.). Select the
program that corresponds to your computer description, and once you reach the next
page, click on the “download now” button. The installation program will then take you
through the steps of installing AIM on your computer.
Signing into AIM.
During the installation process, you will be asked to select a username, or screen
name, and a password. Once you have downloaded the program, you are ready to sign in.
From the sign-on page, type in your name if it does not already appear and then type in
your password and hit “enter.”
Communicating with other users.
More than likely the majority of your students will already have an AIM screen
name. We recommend compiling a list of the screen names for each member of the class
so everyone can have access to it, and then you can begin adding users to your “Buddy
List.” Once you’ve logged in, go to the first menu item labeled “My AIM” at the top of
the program. From this menu, click on “Set up Buddy List.” A buddy list is simply that:
a list of all of the screen names of people you know and wish to communicate with.
Once you’ve entered the names you have, you can start chatting! From the main AIM
screen you will see a list of people online. To chat, simply double click on a name, and
another window will open that allows you to send messages back and forth.
Setting up a group chat